WORK EQUIPMENT HAZARDS

AND CONTROL
INTRODUCTION

The chapter covers the scope and main requirements

for work equipments as covered by the Provision and
Use of work Equipment Regulations. The
requirements for the supply of new machinery are
also included: Summaries of PUWER and The Supply
of Machinery (Safety) Regulations are given.
Standards and Requirements

When work equipment is provided it has to

conform to standards which cover its supply as
new or second hand piece of equipment and
its use in the workplace .
■ Its initial integrity
■ The piece where it will be used
■ The purpose for which it will be used; two groups of law that deal with the provision
of work equipment
■ One deals with what manufactures as supplies
■ The other deals with what the users of machinery and the user must check that the
machine is safe before it is used.
Most new equipment including machinery in particular,
should have ‘CE’ marking when purchased. ‘CE’
marking is only a claim by a manufacturer that the
equipment is safe and that they supply. If this I done
properly manufacturers will have to do the following
- find out about the health and safety hazards
(trapping, noise, crushing, electrical shock, dust,
vibration, etc.)
■ assess the likely risks
■ design out the hazards that result in risk
■ provide safeguards (e.g. guarding dangerous parts of the machine, providing noise
enclosures for noisy parts) or , if that not possible
■ use warning signs on the machine to warn the hazards that cannot be designed out or
safeguarded.
■ Manufactures also have to:
■ keep information, explaining what they have done and why, in a technical file
■ fix CE marking to the machine where necessary, to show that they have complied with all
the relevant supply laws
Before buying new equipment the buyer will
need to think about:
■ Where and how it will be used
■ What it will be used for
■ Who will us the ( skilled employees, trainees )
■ What risk to health and safety might result
■ How well health and safety risk are controlled by different manufacturers
Use and maintenance of equipment with
specific risks
■ Some pieces of work equipment involve specific risks to health and safety where it is
not possible to control adequately the hazards by physical measures alone, for
example the use of a bench-mounted circular law or an abrasive wheel. In all cases
the hierarchy of controls should be adopted be adopted to reduce the risk by:
■ eliminating the risk, or if this is not possible
■ taking physical measures to control the risk such as guards, but if the risks cannot
be adequately controlled
■ taking appropriate software measures such as a safe system of work
Information, instruction and training

■ People using and maintaining work equipment, where there are individual risk that
cannot be sufficiently reduced by physical means, require enough information,
instructions and training to operate safely.
■ all safety and health aspects
■ any limitations on the use of the equipment
■ any forceable problems that could occur
■ safe methods to deal with the problems
■ any relevant experience with the equipment that would reduce the risks or help
other to work more safely, should be recorder and circulated to everyone concerned
Maintenance and Inspection

Work equipment needs to be properly maintained so that it continues to

operate safely and the way it was designed to perform. The amount of
maintenance will be stipulated in the manufacturer’s instructions and
will depend on the amount of use, the working environment and the
type of equipment.
Maintenance management schemes cam be based around a number of
techniques designed to focus on these parts which deteriorate and
need to be maintained to prevent health and safety risks. These
techniques include the following:
■ Preventative planned maintenance-This involves replacing parts and consumables
or making necessary adjustments at preset intervals normally set by the
manufacturer, so that there are no hazards created by component deterioration or
failure. Vehicles are normally maintained on this basis.
■ Condition based maintenance -This involves monitoring the condition or critical
parts and carrying out maintenance whenever necessary to avoid hazards which
could otherwise occur
■ Breakdown based maintenance-Here maintenance is only carried out when faults or
failures have occurred. It is only acceptable if the failure does not present an
immediate hazard and can corrected before the risk is increased. If, the example, a
bearing overheating can be defected by a monitoring device, it is long as the
equipment can be stopped and repairs carried out before the fault becomes
dangerous to persons employed.
Inspection under PUWER
■ Complex equipment and/or high-risk equipment will probably need a maintenance log
and may require a more rigid inspection regime to ensure continued safe operation. This
is covered by PUWER 98, Regulation 6.
■ POWER required, where safety is dependent on the installation conditions and/or the
work equipment is exposed conditions causing deterioration, which may result in sa
significant ricks and a dangerous situation developing, that the equipment is inspected
by a component person, In this case the component person would normally be an
employee, but there might be circumstances where an outside component person must
be done :
■ after installation for the first time;
■ after assembly at a new site or in a new location and thereafter;
■ at suitable intervals;
■ each time exceptional circumstances occur which could affect safety
Operation and working environment

To operate work equipment safely it must be fitted with easily

reached and operated controls, kept stable, properly lit, kept
clear and provided with adequate markings and warning
signs. These are covered by PUWER 98, which applies to all
types of work equipment
Controls
Equipment should be provided with efficient means of
■ Starting or making a significant change in operating conditions.
■ Stopping in normal circumstances.
■ Emergency stopping as necessary to prevent danger.
Equipment controls should:
■ Be easily reached from the operating positions
■ Not permit accidental starting of equipment
■ Move in the same direction as the motion being controlled
■ Vary mode, shape and direction of the movement to prevent inadvertent operation of the
wrong control
■ Incorporate adequate red emergency stop buttons of the mushroom-headed type with
lock –off
■ Have shrouded or sunken green start buttons to prevent accidental starting of the
equipment
■ Be clearly marked to show what they do
Start Control- It should only be possible to start the work equipment by using
the designed start control. Equipment may well have start sequence which is
electronically controlled to meet certain conditions before starting can be
achieved for example preheating a diesel engine, or purge cycle for gas-fed
equipment. Restarting after a stoppage will require the same sequence to be
performed.
Stoppage may have been deliberated or as a result of opening an interlocked
guard or tripping a switch accidentally. In most cases it should not be
possible to restart the equipment simply by shutting the guard or resetting
the trip. Operation of the start control should be required.

Stop control-The action of normal stopping controls should bring the equipment
to a safe condition in a safe manner. In some cases immediate stopping may
cause other risks to occur. The stop controls do not have to be instantaneous
and can bring the equipment to rest in a safe sequence or at the end of an
operating cycle.
Emergency stop control -Emergency stop must be provided where the
other safeguards in place are not sufficient to prevent danger to
operatives and any other persons who may be affected. Where
appropriate, there should be an emergency stop at each control point
and at other locations around the equipment so that the action can be
taken quickly.

Isolation equipment - Equipment should be provided with efficient means

of isolating it from all sources of energy. The purpose is to make the
equipment safe under particular conditions, for example when
maintenance is to be carried out or where adverse weather conditions
may make it unsafe to use. On static equipment isolation will usually
be for mains electrical energy.
Hand-held tools

Work equipment includes hand tools and hand-held power

tools. This section deals with hand tools. These tools need
to be correct for the task, well maintained and properly used
by trained people.
Five basic safety rules can help prevent
hazards associated with the use of hand-
held tools:
■ Keep all tools in good condition with regular maintenance.
■ Use the right tool for the job
■ Examine each tool for damage before use and do not use damaged tools
■ Use according to the manufacturer’s instructions
■ Provide and use properly the right personal protective equipment (PPE)
Hazard of hand tools
■ Hazard from the misuse or poor maintenance of hand tools
■ Broken handles on files/chisels/screwdrivers/hammers which can cause cut hands or hammer heads to fly off.
■ Incorrect use of knives, saws and chisels with hands getting injured in the path of the cutting edge
■ Tools that slip causing stab wounds
■ Poor quality uncomfortable handles that damage hands
■ Splayed spanners that slip and damage hands or faces
■ Chipped or loose hammer heads that fly off or slips
■ Incorrectly sharpened or blunt chisels or scissors that slip and cut hands. Dull tools can cause more hazards than sharp
ones. Cracked saw blades must be removed from service
■ Flying particles that damage eyes from breaking up stone or concrete
■ Electrocution or burns by using incorrect or damaged tools for electrical work
■ Use of poorly insulated tools for hot work in the catering or food industry.
■ Use of pipes or similar equipment as extension handies for a spanner which is likely to slip causing hand or face injury
■ Mushroomed headed chisels or drifts which can damage hands or cause hammers and mallets to slip
■ Use of spark-producing or percussion tools in flammable atmospheres
■ Painful wrists and arms (upper limb disorders) from the frequent twisting from using screwdrivers
■ When using saw blades, knives or other tools, they should be directed away from aisle area and away from other people
working in close promixity
Hand tools safety considerations
Suitability – All tools should be suitable for the purpose and location in which are to be used. Using the
correct tool for the job is the first step in safe hand tool use. Tools are designed for specific needs.
That is why screwdrivers have various lengths and tip styles and pliers is a step in the wrong
direction.
Inspection – All tools should be maintained in a safe and proper condition. This can be achieved
through:
■ The regular inspection of and tools
■ Discarding or prompt repair of defective tools
■ Taking time to keep tools in the proper condition and ready for use
■ Proper storage to prevent damage and corrosion
■ Locking tools away when not in use to prevent them being used by unauthorized people
Training – all users of hand tools should be properly trained in their use. This may well have been done
through apprenticeships and similar training. This will be particularly important with specialist
working conditions or work involving young people.
Use well designed, high quality tools
finally, investing in high quality tools make the professional’s job safer and easier:
■ If extra leverage is needed, use high-leverage pliers, which give more cutting and gripping power
than standard pliers.
■ Serrated jaws provide sure gripping action when pulling or twisting wires.
■ Some side-cutting and diagonal-cutting pliers are designed for heavy-duty cutting.
■ Pliers with hot riveting at the joint ensure smooth movement across the full action range of the
pliers, which reduces handle, wobble, resulting in a positive cut. The knives align perfectly every
time.
■ Induction hardening on the cutting knives adds to long life, so the pliers cut cleanly day after day.
■ Sharp cutting knives and tempered handles also contribute to cutting ease.
■ Some pliers are designed to perform special functions. For example some high-leverage pliers have
features that allow crimping connectors and pulling fish tapes.
■ Tools handles with dual molded materials allow for softer, more durable grip on the inner surface
and a harder, more durable grip on the inner surface and handle ends.
■ Well-designed tools include a contoured thumb area for firmer grip or color-coded handles for easy
tool identification.
■ Insulated tools reduce the chance of injury where the tool may make contact with an energized
source.
Well-designed tools are a pleasure to use. They save
time, give professional results and help to do the job
more safely.
Hand-held power tools

The electrical hazards of portable hand-held tools and portable appliance

testing (PAT). This section deals mainly with other physical hazards
and safeguards relating to hand-held power tools.

The section covers, in particular, electric drills, sanders and chainsaws

which are commonly used in workplace.
General hazards of hand-held power tools
The general hazards involves:
■ Mechanical entanglement in rotating spindles or sanding discs.
■ Waste materials flying out of the cutting area.
■ coming into a contact with the cutting blades or drill bits.
■ Risk of hitting electrical, gas or water services when drilling into building surfaces.
■ electrocution/electric shock from poorly maintained equipment and cables or cutting the electrical
cable.
■ manual handling problem with a risk of injury if the tool is heavy or very powerful.
■ hand-arm vibration, especially with pneumatic drill and chainsaws, disc cutters and petrol-driven
units.
■ tripping hazard from trailing cables, hoses or power supplies.
■ eye hazard from flying particles.
■ injury from poorly secured or clamped work pieces.
■ fire and explosion hazard with petrol-driven tools or when used near flammable liquids, explosive
dusts or gases.
■ high noise levels with pneumatic chisels, planes and saws in particular.
■ dust and fumes given off during the use of the tools levels.
Typical safety controls and instructions
Guarding
The exposed parts of power tools need to be safeguarded. Belts, gears, shafts, pulleys,
sprockets, spindles, drums, flywheels, chain or other reciprocating, rotating or
moving parts of equipment must be guarded. Machine guards as appropriate. Must
be provided to protect the operator and others from the following:
■ Point of operation
■ In-running nip points
■ Rotating parts
■ Flying chips and sparks
Operating controls and switches
Most hand-held power tools should be equipped with a constant-
pressure switch or control that shuts off the power when pressure is
released. On/Off switches should be easily accessible without
removing hands from the equipment.
Handles should be designed to protect operators from excessive vibration
and keep their hands away from danger areas.
Safe operations/Instructions
When using power tools, the following basic safety measures should be observed to
protect against electrical shock, personal injury, ill health and risk of fire.
■ Maintain a clean and tidy working area
■ Never expose power tools to rain
■ Do not use power tools in damp or wet surroundings.
■ Do not use power tools in the vicinity of combustible fluids, dusts and gases unless
they are specifically protected and certified for use in these areas
■ Keep children away
■ Use safety glasses
■ Do not abuse power cable
■ Secure the work piece. Use clamps or a vice to hold the work piece.
Specific hazards and control measures for
specified hand-held power tools
The following hand-held power tools have been put in the
General Certificate syllabus: electric drill, sanders and
chainsaws, all of which are community used. The hazards
and safety control measures in addition to the general ones
covered earlier are set out for each type of equipment.
Electric drills
■ Entanglement, particularly of loose clothing or long hair in rotating drill or attachment
■ High noise levels from flying particles and chips particularly from chisels
■ Injury from poorly secured work pieces
■ Electronic shock from drilling into live hidden cable
Sanders
■ high noise levels from the sander in operation
■ injury from poorly secured work pieces
■ electrocution/electric shock from poorly maintained electrical equipment
■ potential of entanglement
Mechanical machinery hazards

Most machinery has potential to cause injury to people, and machinery accidents figure
prominently in official accident statics. These injuries may range in severity from a
minor cut or bruise, through various degrees of wounding and disabling mutilation to
crushing decapitation or other fatal injury. It is not solely powered machinery that is
hazardous, for many manually operated machines (e.g. hand-operated guillotines
and fly pressed can still cause injury if not properly safeguarded.
Range of Mechanical Hazards

■ Crushing Hazards – trapped between a

moving part of a machine and a fixed
structure.
■ Shear Hazards – traps part of the body
between moving and fixed parts of a
machine.
■ Cutting Hazards – contact with a cutting
edge.
Range of Mechanical Hazards

■ Entanglement Hazard – grips loose

clothing, hair or working material around
revolving exposed parts of the machinery.
■ Drawing-in/Trapping Hazard – between in
running gear wheels or rollers between
belts and pulley drives.
■ Impact Hazard – direct striking of a
moving part to a person.
Range of Mechanical Hazards

■ Stabbing/Puncture Hazard –
ejection of particles from a
machine or a sharp operating
component.
■ Friction/Abrasion Hazard
■ High-pressure fluid injection
(Ejection Hazard)
Non-Mechanical Machinery Hazards
■ Slips, trips, falls
■ Shock and Burns
■ Suffocation
■ Inhalation of dust, fume, mist
■ High/Low Temperature
■ Radiation
■ Human Errors
■ Etc.
 Examples of Machinery Hazards

Photocopier Bench-top
Paper Shredder Pedestal
Grinding
Drill
Machine

Cylinder
Mower Brush Cutter/ Chainsaw
Strimmer
Examples of Machinery Hazards

Checkout
Conveyor System
Compactor

Bench-
mounted
Circular Saw
Concrete
Mixer
Practical Safeguards
■ Access to dangerous parts of machinery should be
prevented in a preferred order or hierarchy of control
methods. (PUWER)
■ “No Technical Solution”
■ Cost is not a factor.
■ Best method – Chosen by the system designer
■ Safeguards which are “bolted on” instead of “built in” – less
effective in reducing risk, most likely to inhibit normal
operations.
Practical Safeguards

■ Levels of Protection:
– Fixed Enclosing Guarding
– Other guards or Protection Devices (Interlocked
Guards/Pressure-Sensitive Mats
– Protection Appliances (Jigs, Holders, Push sticks)
– Provision of Information, Instruction, Training and
Supervision
Practical Safeguards
■ Risk Reduction based on Physical Contact:
– Physical Barrier (Fixed Enclosing Guard)
– Device which allows access only when the component is
in safe state. (interlocked guard)
– Device which detects an individual entering a risk area
then stops the machine. (Photoelectric guards and
pressure sensitive mats)
Practical Safeguards
■ Fixed Guards:
– Simple, always in
position, almost
maintenance free
– Do not always properly
prevent access
– Has no moving parts,
should prevent access
to the dangerous parts
of the machinery.
Practical Safeguards

■ Adjustable Guards
– User-adjusted Guard
– Self-adjusting Guard

■ Interlocking Guard – allows safe access to operate and

maintain the machine without dismantling the safety
devices.