NEBOSH International General Certificate

in Occupational Safety and Health

Unit IG2

Element 9: Work Equipment

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 Learning Objectives
• Describe general requirements for work equipment.
• Explain the hazards and controls for hand-held tools.
• Describe the main mechanical and non-mechanical
hazards of machinery.
• Explain the main control measures for reducing risk from
machinery hazards.

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 9.1 General Requirements for Work
Equipment

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 Types of Work Equipment

• Simple hand tools.

• Hand-held power tools.
• Single machines.
• Mobile work equipment.
• Machine assemblies.

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 Suitability

Work equipment should be carefully selected to ensure

it is appropriate for the:

• Task.
• Environment and conditions.

Employers in the EU and UK have to ensure that any

equipment they purchase for work use has a CE mark
and complies with European standards.

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 Suitability
EU ‘Machinery Directive’ (2006/42/EC)

Manufacturers are required to:

● Meet the ‘essential health and safety requirements’.

● Create a technical file.
● Fix a Conformité Européenne (CE) mark.
● Provide a written Declaration of Conformity.
● Provide written information on hazards, risk, safe use and
maintenance of equipment.

Implemented in UK as Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008.

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 Preventing Access to Dangerous Parts of Machinery
Access to dangerous parts is prevented or movement of
dangerous parts is stopped:
• fixed guards,
• other guards and protection devices,
• protection appliances,
• information, instruction, training and supervision,
to the extent that it is practicable.

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 Restricting Use

The use is restricted to trained and competent operators for

equipment that:

• Is highly specialised.
• Has a range of hazards.

Maintenance of work equipment restricted to trained and

competent persons.

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 Information, Instruction and Training
Provided for:
• Work equipment users:
‒ Low-risk equipment – reading instructions.
‒ High-risk equipment – formal training, check effectiveness.

• Managers.

• Maintenance staff:
‒ To minimise risk.
‒ To understand maintenance requirements.

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 Information, Instruction and Training
Users of work equipment should:
• Only operate equipment they are authorised to use.
• Operate equipment in accordance with instruction and training.
• Only use equipment for its intended purpose.
• Carry out safety checks before using equipment.
• Not use equipment if it is unsafe.
• Report defects immediately.
• Not use equipment under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Keep equipment clean and maintained in safe working order.

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 Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance regimes:

• Planned preventive maintenance:

‒ E.g. car engine oil change.
‒ Scheduled at regular intervals.
• Condition-based maintenance:
‒ E.g. vehicle brake pads.
‒ Following routine inspection.
• Breakdown maintenance:
‒ Emergency repairs.

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 Group Exercise

Maintenance is often seen as a ‘high-risk’ activity.

What is it about maintenance work that increases

the risk?

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 Maintenance Requirements
During maintenance, staff at greater risk because:

• Guards and enclosures removed.

• Safety devices removed or disabled.
• Equipment partially or completely dismantled.
• Power sources exposed.
• Stored power released, e.g. compressed spring.
• Access awkward.
• Manual handling heavy parts.
• Additional hazards, e.g. power tools.
• Pressure to get the equipment running quickly.
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 Maintenance Requirements
Additional precautions during maintenance work:

• Competent staff.
• Power sources isolated/locked off.
• Stored power released or secured or:
‒ Cover live parts with insulating material.
‒ Use additional PPE.

• If dangerous moving parts are accessed:

‒ Run at very slow speed.
‒ Fit purpose-made maintenance guards.

• Precautions for safe access.

• Use manual handling aids.
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Equipment Controls and Environmental Factors
Controls should be:
• Well designed, easy to use.
• Suitably located.
• Easily identifiable.
• In good working order.
• Compliant with relevant standards.

Emergency stops:
• Buttons.
• Pull cords.
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Equipment Controls and Environmental Factors
• Equipment should:
‒ Be stable.
‒ Have controls appropriately marked.
‒ Have appropriate warning signs.

• Lighting should be:

‒ Adequate.
‒ Suitable (note ‘stroboscopic’ effect).
‒ Environmentally suitable.

• Space should be adequate.

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 9.2 Hand Tools and Portable Power Tools

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 Hazards and Controls for Hand Tools
Include:
• Hammer.
• Chisel.
• Screwdriver.
• Axe.

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 Group Exercise
Discuss:
• what accidents can occur with hand-held tools, and
• how the tools became damaged.

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 Hazards and Controls for Hand Tools
Hazards:

• Tool may shatter.

• Handle may come loose.
• Tool may be blunt requiring excessive
force.
• Human error, e.g. hit thumb with
hammer.
• Misuse, e.g. wrong tool for job.

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 Hazards and Controls for Hand Tools
Controls:

• Tools suitable for the task and environment of use.

• Information, instruction and training.

• Visual inspection of tools.

• Substandard tools repaired or discarded.

• Maintenance of tools.

• Supervision of practices.

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 Hazards and Controls for Portable Power Tools
Higher risk because:
• Forces are greater, meaning potential for very severe injury.
• Additional hazards present, such as:
‒ Electricity.
‒ Petrol.
‒ Noise.
‒ Vibration.
‒ Dust.
‒ Ejected material.
‒ Trip hazards.

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 Hazards and Controls for Portable Power Tools
Controls:
• Careful selection:
‒ Task.
‒ Environment.

• Instructions:
‒ Manufacturer's instructions.
‒ In-house rules.

• Training and information, competence.

• Supervision.
• Routinely inspected.
• Repair or disposal of unsafe tools.
• Regular maintenance - by competent staff.
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 Hazards and Controls for Portable Power Tools
Requirements of safe practice:

• Tools used within design specification (e.g. disc speeds).

• Guards and safety devices in place.
• PPE used.
• Power cables controlled.
• Ejected parts controlled, e.g. secured work area.

• Control of any noise, dust, vibration.

• Safe storage and handling of fuel (e.g. petrol).
• Inspection and testing of electrical equipment.

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 Element 9.3

9.3 Machinery Hazards

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 Mechanical and Non-Mechanical Hazards
Mechanical hazards:
• Contact with or being caught up by moving parts.

Non-mechanical hazards:
• From power source or things being emitted by the
machine.

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 Mechanical Hazards
• Crushing.
• Shearing.
• Cutting or severing.
• Entanglement.
• Drawing in or trapping.
• Impact.
• Stabbing or puncture.
• Friction or abrasion.
• High-pressure fluid injection.

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 Mechanical Hazards
Crushing

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 Mechanical Hazards
Shearing

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 Mechanical Hazards
Cutting or
Severing

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 Mechanical Hazards
Entanglement

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 Mechanical Hazards
Drawing in or Trapping

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 Mechanical Hazards
Impact

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 Mechanical Hazards
Stabbing or Puncture

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 Mechanical Hazards
Friction or Abrasion

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 Mechanical Hazards

High-Pressure Fluid Injection

• Injuries caused by liquids released under

pressure.
• May have small entry wound but travel through
tissue.

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 Group Exercise
What are the non-mechanical hazards which are
associated with machinery?

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 Non-Mechanical Hazards

• Electricity.
• Noise.
• Vibration.
• Hazardous substances.
• Ionising radiation.
• Non-ionising radiation.
• Extreme temperatures.
• Ergonomics.
• Slips, trips and falls.
• Fire and explosion.
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 End of Module 9.3 Exercise

1. Identify the mechanical

hazards.

1. Identify the non-mechanical

hazards.

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 9.4 Control Measures for Machinery
Hazards

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 Machinery Safeguarding Methods
• Fixed guards.
• Interlocked guards.
• Adjustable/self-adjusting guards.
• Sensitive protective equipment (trip devices).
• Two-hand controls.
• Hold-to-run controls.
• Emergency stop controls.
• Protective appliances.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Information, instruction, training and supervision.

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 Machinery Safeguarding Methods
Types of machinery guards:
Fixed.
Interlocked.
Adjustable/self adjusting.
Trip.

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 Fixed Guards

• Completely prevent access to

dangerous parts of
machinery.
• Are fixed in place.
• Require a tool for removal:
‒ Limitation.

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 Group Discussion

Apart from the mechanical hazards, what hazards

can fixed guards provide protection against?

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 Group Discussion
Apart from the mechanical hazards, what hazards can
fixed guards provide protection against?
• Electricity.
• Radiation.
• Hot surfaces.
• Noise.
• Ejection of swarf or dust.

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 Interlocked Guards
Guard open:
• Power to the machine is disabled when the guard is open
and it will not operate until the guard is in place.
Guard closed:
• the guard is locked shut until the machine has returned to
a safe condition; or
• the act of opening the guard stops the dangerous parts of
the machinery and disables power.

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 Interlocked Guards

Limitations:
• Can bypass the system.
• Person may gain access by closing the guard
around them.
• Needs rule to be enforced.

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 Adjustable and Self-Adjusting Guards
Used when it is not possible to prevent
access to dangerous parts.
Adjustable guard:
• Set manually to a range of positions by
the operator.
Self-adjusting guard:
• Usually spring-loaded to adjust itself
to the workpiece.
• Requires no adjustment by the
operator.

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 Sensitive Protective Equipment
(Trip Devices)
• Not a physical barrier.

• Use sensors to detect presence

of operator and stop the
machine.

• They include:
‒ Pressure mats.
‒ Trip bars.
‒ Photoelectric devices.

• Limitations?

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 Two-Hand Controls
Designed to protect the operator's
hands:

• Controls should be more than a hand

span apart.

• Must activate at the same time.

• Releasing controls must stop the

machine immediately.

• Limitations?

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 Emergency Stop Controls
• Should bring the machine to a safe stop as quickly as
possible.
• Machine can only be restarted using the reset button.
• Release of the button should not restart the machine.
• Limitations?

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 Protective Appliances
Designed to keep operators’ hands away from danger.
Include:
• Push-sticks.

• Jigs.
• Clamps.

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 Specific Machinery Examples – Hazards and Control
Measures
Manufacturing and Retail machinery:
maintenance machinery: • Compactor.
• Bench-top grinder.
• Pedestal drill.
Construction machinery:
Agricultural and horticultural • Cement mixer.
machinery: • Bench-mounted circular
• Cylinder mower. saw.
• Strimmer or brush-cutter.
• Chainsaw.

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 Group Exercise
Choose one of the ‘specific machines’ and outline:
• The hazards (mechanical and non-mechanical).
• Control measures.

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 Specific Machinery Examples – Hazards and Control
Measures
• Bench-top grinder.
• Pedestal drill.
• Cylinder mower.
• Strimmer or brush-cutter.
• Chainsaw.
• Compactor.
• Cement mixer.
• Bench-mounted circular saw.

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 Manufacturing and Maintenance Machinery
Bench-Top Grinder Pedestal Drill

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 Agricultural and Horticultural Machinery
Chainsaw

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 Retail Machinery
Compactor

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 Requirements for Guards and Safety Devices
• Meets relevant standards.
• Strong and robust.
• Compatible with machine operation.
• Not easy to defeat.
• Allows vision.
• Allows ventilation.
• Easy to maintain.
• Designed to allow for maintenance.
• Does not increase overall risk.

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 End of Module 9.4 Exercise
Identify the types of guards and protective
devices.

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 Summary
In this element, we have:
• Described some of the basic management issues that must be considered when
introducing work equipment.
• Outlined the hazards and precautions associated with simple hand tools and
portable power tools.
• Explained the mechanical and non-mechanical hazards of machinery.
• Explained the basic characteristics of fixed guards, adjustable and self-adjusting
guards, and interlocked guards.
• Explained the characteristics of trip devices, two-hand controls, protective
appliances and emergency stops.
• Outlined the basic requirements of guards and safety devices.
• Described the hazards associated with bench-top grinders, pedestal drills,
cylinder mowers, strimmers, chainsaws, compactors, cement mixers and bench-
mounted circular saws.
• Identified the types of guard and other protection measures to ensure safety in
the use of bench-top grinders, pedestal drills, cylinder mowers, strimmers,
chainsaws, compactors, cement mixers and bench-mounted circular saws.

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