Unfortunately, there are many cases each year whereby workers receive crushing injuries by doors and other equipment on work premises. Take the time to review your risk assessments and procedures to ensure that you have identified and suitably controlled this risk.
Tips to Help Prevent Crushing Injuries in the Workplace
- Do a risk assessment to establish how workers and others could be hurt by equipment in your workplace. Consider doors, shutters, machinery, tools and other items which could potentially trap and crush people, or close on them unexpectedly.
- Think about the control measures you should implement to prevent crush injuries. This might include putting sensors on equipment that cause it to cut out if workers are detected in the area, or by preventing workers from entering certain places by using barriers and warning signs.
- Devise a safe system of work for using items that could give rise to a crush injury. This will enable you to provide detailed, step-by-step instructions to workers on how to use the item/equipment safely.
- Provide training for workers on how work equipment must be used safely, and what the dangers are of misusing it. Ensure that they know where to stand when using equipment controls, to avoid coming into contact with machinery.
- Remember that often, the power will need to be isolated from equipment to stop it moving unexpectedly, so workers will need to make sure the equipment cannot be turned on by any other means. The keys to controls, doors/hatches etc. should be kept on the person undertaking the work, unless an alternative locking-off procedure is used.
Contact us if you require assistance.
