Hazard: Work equipment
The equipment that you use at work can be hazardous so you need to take care.
Work equipment encompasses anything from hand tools and portable electrical appliances to computers, photocopiers, lifting equipment, machines, fork-lift trucks and major industrial plant.
The main hazards from work equipment are mechanical:
- entrapment – when a part of the body, such as fingers, get caught in the machine
- entanglement – when hair or clothing get caught in a machine
- ejection – when parts of a machine, or materials being used, fly out and hit someone
- contact – when a parts of the body touch sharp edges, hot or rough surfaces
- impact – where parts of the body are crushed by moving parts of the machine
Other hazards linked to use of work equipment are noise, vibration, hazardous substances and electrical.
Control: Work equipment
A variety of actions can be taken to make equipment safer and reduce the risks.
Elimination – it is best to eliminate hazards at the design stage, or to redesign a task so that dangerous equipment or machinery is not needed. If this is not possible, other methods will have to be considered.
Substitution – replacing dangerous equipment with an alternative that is designed for safety.
Engineering controls – good design and construction should:
- make sure there are suitable operating controls, which are easy to see and use and cannot be turned on accidentally
- include a suitable emergency stop control
- make sure that a machine will ‘fail to safety’ – for example, not operate if there is a fault
- provide, where necessary, a means of disconnecting equipment from a power source
- minimise risks during maintenance and cleaning as well as during normal operation
It may be possible to make dangerous machine parts inaccessible or to enclose moving parts by using automatic devices to feed machines.
Dangerous equipment should be positioned where operators cannot be easily knocked or distracted.
Guards can be provided to prevent people getting close to any dangerous parts. There are different types of guard, including fixed guards, guards that will not allow the machine to operate unless they are in place, devices that make sure that the operator’s hands are away from danger.
Lighting levels and the condition of the surrounding environment, for example, also need to be considered.
Administrative controls – organisations must use work equipment for the correct purpose and establish safe working procedures specified by the manufacturer.
Authority for usage may be restricted.
PPE – machine operators may be asked to wear safety gloves, goggles or footwear.
Always:
- follow instructions and comply with safe working procedures
- take simple precautions, such as following pre-start checks including actions to be taken in the event of an unusual occurrence, such as a blockage in machinery
- report faults immediately to your supervisor
- keep the working area clean and tidy, clean up spills and remove obstacles
- switch off equipment when not in use
- think about your own safety and the safety of others
- tie back long hair and cover it
Never:
- use machines if you have been drinking alcohol or taking drugs
- tamper with guards or safety devices
- wear loose clothing or jewellery when using equipment
- hurry or cut corners
- work with equipment unless trained to do so