5 Tips to Keep Your Workers Safe
- Always do a thorough risk assessment of the hazards that are applicable to individual machines. Think about how and when entrapment could occur, as well as damage from in-running nips and sharp blades, for example.
- Review your existing safeguards (such as guarding) on a regular basis to ensure they are fit for purpose. Consider what else you could do to prevent access to dangerous moving parts and to stop the machine quickly should an incident occur. Consider additional guarding, emergency stop buttons and safety interlocks. Whenever possible, always choose fixed guarding that cannot be easily removed or defeated.
- Maintain machines on a frequent basis to ensure they operate correctly. Do regular inspections and have a schedule that you keep to, to ensure maintenance activities take place when they need to.
- Train staff how to use each machine they will operate. Ensure that they know where all safety features and devices are located, which materials may be safely used on each machine, and to use push sticks and holders whenever possible to keep their hands and limbs out of dangerous areas.
- Ensure staff are supervised when undertaking machinery tasks. Check that no one is using gloves or wearing jewellery/loose clothing near rotating parts, as these items could cause them to be dragged into the machine.
Poorly guarded machines injure or fatally wound hundreds of workers every year. Take steps today to ensure that your machinery is properly guarded, and operators are trained to use them safely.
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