Element 4 Hazards and control associated with work equipment

Element 4

Hazards and control associated with work equipment

1.      The general requirements for work equipment

2.      Work equipment hazard and control

3.      Work equipment guards and protection appliances

4.      Safety in maintenance operation

This element focuses on the health and safety hazard and control associated with the tools, machinery and access equipment what you use at work. This is collectively known as work equipment

On completion of this element you should be able to

1.      Identify the general health and safety requirement for work equipment

2.      Identify the main hazard and control of work equipment

3.      Identify the work equipment and protection appliances

4.      Define the safety maintenance operation

Work Equipment

The term work equipment refers to any equipment which can use in connection with our work         or

Any machinery, appliances, apparatus, tools or installations for use at work.

Common example knives, photocopier, ladder, screwdrivers etc.

     The scope of term work equipment is very wide and for ease of understanding we can group work equipment into four areas.

1.       Hand held tools

2.       Portable power tools

3.       Machinery

4.       Access equipment

Hand Held Tools

Hand held tools are used throughout industry most people will be familiar with them as although they may not use them in work they will have used them at home.

They are tools such as screwdriver, hammer, spanner, piler etc.

Using a hand tool for a purpose for which it was not intended is common place in the work place and common examples could be.

v  Using a flat screwdriver to remove Philip socket screw.

v  Using a screwdriver as a chisel

v  Using a chisel or claw hammer to lever smoothing of walls.

Portable power tools

Portable power tools are another source of hazard in the workplace. They use a number of different power source such as electricity, compressed air, and hydraulic are most common.

The power source itself may lead to hazards such as electric shock as well as the hazard from the use of the tools.

Common type of portable power tools are Drills, Cutter, Grinder etc.

Mechanical Hazard: Entanglement, cutting, ejects materials etc

Non Mechanical Hazard: Dust, Electricity, ergonomics, manual handling, noise vibration.

Precautions:

1.      Never pull the cord to disconnect it

2.      Keep cold and hoses away from heat

3.      Disconnect tools when not in use

4.      Keep observers at the safe distance

5.      Secure work with clamps

6.      Avoid accidental starting

7.      Use RCD with electric tools (Residential circuit device)

8.      Maintain good footing and balance

9.      Wear appropriate PPE (Personnel protective Equipment)

10.  Inspect and maintain tools

11.  Regular inspection and defect reporting

Machinery

Machinery is a piece of equipment which has moving pars and powered in some way.

1.      Office Machinery: Photo copier/ Shedders.

2.      Manufacturing/ Maintenance Machinery: Agricultural, pedestal drills.

3.      Agricultural / Horticulture : Strimmer

4.       Retail Machinery: Check out conveyers.

5.      Construction Machinery: Bench top circular saws cement mixers.

Access Equipment

This is equipment which allows workers, to access work areas which are not normally accessible.

It is most often associated with working at heights, although it can include other environment such as across waters.

It includes equipment like ladders, scaffolding, mobile elevated work platforms.

Selection of Equipment for the right job

Risk can be avoided or significantly reduce through the choice of the right equipment. This applies to equipment in normal everyday use, as well as equipment used during non routine operations such as cleaning and maintenance.

     When selecting  any piece of work equipment it is important that is right for the job, for which it is used factors to be consider before a piece of equipment is selected.

v  In what working conditions will be equipment be used?

v  What additional risks are there?

v  What about the worker?

v  Is equipment CE marked (Guarantee Sign)?

Suitability of work Equipment

§  Its initial reliability

§  The purpose for which it is being used

§  The environment in which it is being used

§  Ergonomic principles

§  Use for purpose manufacture purpose

Work equipment risk control measures

Employer should ensure the risk created by the use of work equipment is eliminated where possible of effectively controlled.

Control measures:

1.      Hardware: Physical control such as guards, and protection device, controls device like emergency  stop buttons and ppe

2.      Software Measures: Which depends upon people such as following safe system of work, methods for selecting equipment and information instruction and training.

Factors when installing a new machine:

What are the hazards?

a)      Are there heat or cold problems?

b)     Chemicals

c)      Biological

1.      Is it suitable guarded?

2.      The location of equipment

3.      Is it capable of being isolated (insulated)/ locked off.

4.      Is there is safe access and egress

5.      Are personnel trained and competent

6.      Any other specified risk.

Managers and supervisors need to ensure that workers use the work equipment they provide safely, here are some things that should be considered.

1.      Are controls easy to access and easily operated

2.      Are emergency controls fitted and working correctly

3.      Is the equipment being used in the right environment? (Is it safe for use in wet environment)?

4.      Is the equipment stable so that it does not move when operated?

5.      Is the correct ppe available and being used?

6.      Does the equipment have clear marking and have any necessary warning been given?

Safe operation of work equipment

To ensure that operation of work equipment, machinery is as safe as possible a number of factors may have to be considered.

1.      Appropriate protection

2.      People not to come in contact

3.      Clear layout of controls

4.      Means of isolation

5.      Stable

6.      Adequate lighting

7.      Maintenance

8.      Appropriate marking

9.      Warning device

Common hazard of work equipment

Non mechanical hazards,

Mechanical hazards Ex: of the type of hazards which might arise from the use of work equipment include

a)      Materials falling from equipment Ex: someone working on a ladder and dropping tools and equipment on people below.

b)     Equipment coming apart or breaking the item being thrown out of the machines, possibly at high speed. Ex: abrasive cutting- disc overflowing on a hand held angle grinder.

c)      Material held in the equipment being un expectedly thrown out ex: wood throw out from a spindle – molding machine.

d)     Explosion of substance in the equipment or during its operation. Ex: welding equipment being used on tank containing petrol remains.

e)      Over heating or fire and explosion of the equipment due to pressure build up.

Non Mechanical hazard:  Machinery may also present other hazard. The nature of hazard will determine the measure taken to protect people from them.

1.      Electricity – shock and burns

2.      Hot surface/ fire also cold surface.

3.      Dust and fumes

4.      Fire / explosion

5.      Noise

6.      Vibrations

7.      Biological hazards

8.      Hazardous chemicals

9.      Access and egress

Mechanical Hazards

Mechanical hazards are those that can be caused by machinery itself and are:

1.      Entanglement: (Touch) involve clothing, hair, jewelry, getting wrapped around machinery.

2.      Traps: (sheering drawing in crushing) being drawn in between the machine and any rotating parts such as two revolving rollers.

3.      Impact: (Effect) being stuck by the movement of machine parts.

4.      Contact: (friction, abrasion, cutting) part of the body coming into contact with the machine.

5.      Ejection: Stuck by the particles injected from the materials being worked on or part of machinery itself.

Safe guarding of machinery

Safety may achieve by use of the many types of guard available, the selection depending on the dangers from which personnel must be protected. All guards and protection devises shell be:

1.       Suitable for purpose which they are provided

2.       Good construction, sound material and adequate strength

3.       Maintained in an efficient state and working order

4.       Not give rise to any increased risk to health or safety

5.       Not be easily bypassed or disabled

6.       Sufficient distance from danger zone

7.       Remove the possibility of any part of worker’s body accidentally coming into contact with such parts.

Some common types of machine Guarding

1.      Fixed guard

2.      Interlock guard

3.      Automatic (push way) guards

4.      Other types of guard

Some common types of protection appliances

1.      Jig:  jig is a device into which the work place can be fitted and takes into the dangerous parts of the machine in the correct position

2.      Holders:  Holder is a hand hold device that secures that work piece in such a way that can be placed into the dangerous part of the machines without risk to the operators hand.

3.      Push sticks:  Push sticks is a device which is used to push the being used into the dangerous part of machine without danger to operators hand.

We should consider maintenance under two areas:

1.      Planned scheduled maintenance: this form of maintenance should be the safest. The job is planned and the necessary tools, access and safety procedure are provided. In many cases the job have been done previously and potential hazards have been eliminated or precautions taken.

2.      Break down emergency maintenance: This form of maintenance has potential for accidents. In many cases the jobs have not been done previously so there are no procedures or system in place. A major problem involved is pressure on the personnel due to the urgency to get plant back in production.

Safety in maintains operation:

Hazards:

1.      Entry into vessels, confined space or machines

2.      Hot work which may cause fire or explosion

3.      Construction work such as work on roof or in excavations

4.      Cutting into pipe work carrying hazardous substances (commensing)

5.      Mechanical or electrical work requiring isolation of power or fuel supplies

6.      Work on plant, boiler etc. which must be effectively cut off from possible entry of fumes, gas, liquid or steam.

Precautions:

1.      Safe working procedures should be planned

2.      Personnel should receive training

3.      Suitable safety equipment should be provided

4.      Management should provide sufficient resource for the activity successfully.