09 Work Equipment Hazards and Risk Controls Flashcards
In terms of the provision of equipment, all items of work should be suitable for the:
- Task it is going to be used
- Environment in which it is to be used
Identify the levels of protection of access to dangerous parts of machinery
- Fixed enclosed guarding
- Other guards and protection devices as interlocks or pressure mats
- Protection appliances, such as jigs, holders and push sticks
- The provision of information, instruction, training and supervision
Types of maintenance
- Planned preventive maintenance
- Condition based maintenance
- Breakdown maintenance
Why Maintenance is exposed to major risk that the rest of operators (8)
Because to do their job they have to:
- Guards and enclosures have to be removed to allow access.
- Safety devices have to be removed or disabled.
- Equipment has to be partially or completely dismantled.
- Power sources may be exposed (e.g. electrical supply).
- Stored power may be accidentally released (e.g. compressed spring).
- Access may be awkward (e.g. space constraints or work at height).
- Handling of parts may be difficult (e.g. heavy parts).
- Additional hazards may be introduced (e.g. power tools).
What Additional precautions may be required during maintenance work:
- Maintenance should only be carried out by competent staff.
- Power sources should be isolated and physically locked off (secured).
- Stored power should be released or secured to prevent accidental discharge.
- Where power cannot be isolated, additional precautions are required:
o Cover live parts with insulating material.
o Use additional PPE, such as insulating rubber gloves.
• If dangerous moving parts have to be accessed, additional precautions are required:
o Run at very slow speed (rather than normal operating speed).
o Fit maintenance guards that have been made specifically to allow minimum access to required areas only.
- Precautions should be taken to allow safe access, especially when working at height.
- Handling aids and equipment should be used to reduce manual handling risk.
Equipment controls, such as stop and start buttons, should be:
- Well designed so they are easy to use.
- Placed at suitable locations on the equipment.
- Easily identifiable.
- Kept in good working order.
- Compliant with relevant standards.
Users of work equipment should:(8)
- Only use equipment they are authorised to use.
- Use equipment in accordance with instruction and training.
- Only use equipment for its intended purpose.
- Carry out all necessary safety checks before using equipment.
- Not use the equipment if it is unsafe.
- Report defects immediately.
- Not use equipment under the influence of drugs or alcohol (this includes some medication that causes drowsiness).
- Keep equipment clean and maintained in safe working order.
Simple hand tools, such as a hammer, chisel or screwdriver, present relatively simple hazards:(5)
- The tool may shatter during use, throwing off sharp metal fragments
- The handle may come loose during
- The tool may be blunt leading to use of excessive force which causes loss of control
- Simple human error, where the user misjudges a movement
- The tool may be misused
Precautions when using hand tools are (5)
- Tools must be suitable for the task and for the environment
- User must have information and training about how to use it
- Tools must be visually inspected
- Tools must be maintained
- Supervision is important to ensure safe working practice are followed
In practice, safe use of a portable power tool requires that:(8)
- Tools and parts are only used for their intended purpose, within their design specification (e.g. the maximum speed of a cutting disc should not be exceeded) and in an environment that they are suitable for.
- Necessary guards and safety devices are always used (e.g. the self-adjusting guard fitted to a portable circular saw).
- Necessary personal protective equipment is always used (e.g. eye protection when using a chain saw).
- Trailing power cables or pipes are carefully positioned so that they do not present a trip hazard and will not be damaged by the tool or passing vehicles, etc.
- Care is taken to ensure that ejected parts do not present a risk to others nearby. This may require that the area is fenced or cordoned off or that the tool is only used at specific times.
- Dust exposure is controlled, either by damping down or by the use of respiratory protective equipment by the operator and others nearby.
- Noise exposure is controlled, e.g. by using hearing protection
- Vibration exposure is controlled, e.g. by job rotation or limiting the duration of tool use
Mechanical Hazards (9)
- Crushing
- Shearing
- Cutting or severing
- Entanglement
- Drawing in or trapping
- Impact
- Stabbing or puncture
- Friction or Abrasion
- High-pressure fluid injection
Define Crushing
The body is trapped between two moving parts or one moving part and a fixed object (e.g. a hydraulic lift collapses crushing a person underneath it).
Define Shearing
A part of the body (usually the fingers) is trapped between two parts of the machine, one moving past the other with some speed. The effect is like a guillotine, cutting off the trapped body part.
Define Cutting or severing
Contact is made with a moving sharp-edged part such as a blade (e.g. the blade of a handsaw).
Define Entanglement
Loose items such as clothing or hair get caught on a rotating machine part and the person is drawn onto the machine.
Hazards (8) and Controls (15) of a Bench-Top Grinder
Hazards
- Abrasion on contact with rotating abrasive wheel.
- Drawing in at nip-point between wheel and tool rest.
- Ejection of parts of the wheel during normal use or if it bursts.
- Entanglement with the spindle on which the wheel is mounted.
- Electricity.
- Hot parts caused by friction (especially the work piece being ground).
- Health hazard from dust.
- Noise and vibration
Controls
- Secure grinder in position.
- Fixed enclosing guards around motor and part of abrasive wheel.
- Adjustable polycarbonate eye-guards over exposed part of wheel.
- Tool rest adjusted to minimise nip-point between rest and wheel.
- Use and setting restricted to trained operators only.
- Eye protection (impact resistant).
- Hearing protection may be necessary.
- Installation of local exhaust ventilation (LEV ) may be required to control dust.
- Routine maintenance, including inspection and portable appliance testing for electrical safety.
- Regular checks of the grinding wheel.
- Regular checks to ensure the correct grinding material has been selected.
- Operators to avoid loose clothing which may become entangled.
- If used for prolonged periods, job rotation may be appropriate to reduce exposure to noise and vibration.
- Use restricted to trained operators only.
