A safety procedure for application in the design of automatic production systems is outlined. It involves the specification on safety requirements for a particular system on the basis of general safety requirements and of the results of a safety analysis. During the safety analysis, work tasks inside the danger zone of the system and potential accident scenarios related to these tasks are identified, and safety measures are evaluated. Various checklists have been developed to support each step in the analysis. The method for safety analysis has been tested in field studies of three automatic production systems in operation: two mechanical systems and one process plant. The aim has been to evaluate the method and to collect operational experience concerning accident risks and preventive measures to be considered in design. The main results of the studies are presented, and considerations for the use of the method during the design phases are discussed. It is concluded that the approach that has been selected satisfies the needs of a safety procedure for use in design.