On Guard! Why You Need to Make Sure Machinery is Properly Guarded

If you’re working in any kind of construction – then it’s pretty likely that you’re working with a lot of machinery hanging about.

Question is – is that machinery properly guarded?

That’s a question three Hertfordshire firms failed to ask themselves – resulting in some tragic consequences for one of their workers, when a road worker’s arm was trapped in a chip spreader.

The worst part of this sad story is that it was totally avoidable – had the companies done the proper safety checks!

In fact, in the past year there were 14 fatalities and nearly 14,000 non-fatal injuries due to machinery! With nearly 4 million working days lost – that’s a pretty significant impact on any business.

Which goes to show that making sure you know what’s what when it comes to machine guarding is definitely worth your time.

So what should you be doing to make sure your machinery is safe and properly guarded?

Check the regulations!

First port of call – you should check that you’re up to the mark.

The Machine Safety Regulations are a pretty comprehensive set of regulations that tell you the basics of what you should be thinking about. Have a gander over to the HSE site and read up!

As a little taster – here’s what you need to know:

• All machinery should meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive
• You should check that you do conform to the Directive – and have a proper Declaration of Conformity to prove it
• You must have user instructions – in the language of the end user
• All machinery must be safe
• Nearly all new machinery should have the CE mark
• A technical file should be kept at all times to demonstrate compliance

Do a proper workplace risk assessment

Following the Directive is a great start. But when it comes to applying them practically, you need to add a little common sense too.

And a thorough workplace risk assessment will help you do exactly that.

You should be thinking about any moving parts involved with the machinery – as these are the most common cause of accidents.

And you’ll also want to think about the different ways the machinery is used. For instance, as the Health and Safety at Work folks point out, did you know that for a lot of industries, accidents are more likely to happen when they’re being maintained or cleaned, rather than when they’re being used normally?

The most common guards out there

So you’ve read the Directive. Done your risk assessment. Next question – qhat kind of guards should you be using?

There are 4 main types – and each of them work slightly differently:

• fixed guards – you might have guessed it – these are fixed permanently in place on a part of the machine
• trip guards – these have a trigger such as a pressure mat, which spring into action when someone is in the danger zone
• automatic guards – these are usually gates or bars that come on when the machine is on and keep users away from the danger zone
• interlocks – this is a moveable guard which comes on and prevents the equipment from being used without it

Your takeaway points

–       Make sure that you meet all the regulations properly

–       Read the Machine Directive and ensure you comply

–       Do a full risk assessment – and don’t forget to cover maintenance periods

–       Choose the right type of guard

Simply having a guard in place is just the start – making sure you’re vigilant when it comes to machinery is absolutely essential!

Do you work with machinery? What are the biggest safety issues you’ve faced with them?

About David Cant

David Cant is a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner extraordinaire. He has a wealth of Industry experience and is the MD of Veritas Consulting. David also Blogs about Health and Safety here Health and Safety Consultants

His aim is to flavour Health and Safety with integrity, served with a side of humour You can find David on - Twitter and Google also Linkedin