Guarding of machinery and equipment
Safeguarding of machines and equipment is essential for protecting staff and students from preventable injuries. Any machine part, function, or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded. Where the operation of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazard must be either eliminated or controlled.
All machinery/equipment which has the potential to harm must be adequately guarded according to AS 4024.1:2006;
- eliminate or reduce the risks associated with machinery / equipment through isolation or engineering (guarding) controls where reasonably practicable
- where removal or isolation of hazards is not practicable practices such as safe guarding, cut out devices (light curtains, proximity sensors) or activation devices (dead man handles or double initiation switches) should be incorporated
For more information please consult the ASNZS 4024.1:2006 Safeguarding of machinery available through standards online
Other considerations to safeguarding machinery and equipment are:
- Noise (unwanted sound) which can result in a number of hazards to those in the work place through startling or disrupting concentration, interfere with communications, as well as cause conditions such as hearing loss. Engineering controls such as the use of sound-dampening materials, as well as less effective controls such as ear plugs and muffs, have been suggested as ways of controlling the effects of noise
- Vibration, a related hazard which can cause noise and thus result in fatigue and illness for the worker, may be avoided if machines are properly aligned, supported, and, if necessary dampened
- Cutting fluids, coolants, and other potentially harmful substances. Exposure to operators, maintenance, and others in the vicinity may cause ailments ranging from dermatitis to serious illnesses and disease. Specially constructed safeguards, ventilation and protective equipment and clothing are possible solutions to the problem of these chemical hazards until they can be better controlled or eliminated
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