Introduction

While the range of machinery used by your manufacturing company could be vast, the scope of hazards is relatively small and includes:

• cutting — incisions and amputations;
• crushing — limb and/or body;
• impact — on limbs and/or body, including ejected items;
• drawing in — entanglement with rotating/moving shafts or belts;
• burns — from hot surfaces or ejected fluids/harmful substances; and
• electric shock — from unprotected conductors or faulty control systems.

In line with Regulation 11 (Dangerous parts of machinery) of the Provision And Use Of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) all hazardous conditions associated with your machinery need to be adequately guarded to prevent access to the danger zones.

The specific hierarchy of control* for dangerous parts of machinery is:

• eliminate the risks, where possible;
• apply ‘hardware’ controls (i.e. fixed guards/barriers); and
• apply ‘software’ controls (e.g. systems of work and training etc.) to minimise any remaining risk.

* see information and advice for details of the generic hierarchy of control.

This is normally achieved, in order of priority, by the use of:

• fixed guards

i.e. guards that form part of the structure of the machine or have been added in such a way that they cannot readily be removed;

• removable guards

i.e. guards that can be opened or removed but that are linked to the machine’s control system such that when they are opened (or removed), the machine has no danger zones;

• interlocks

i.e. protective arrangements (such as electrical interlocks, light beams or pressure mats etc.) that isolate the power to and stop the machine when entry into the danger zone is detected; and

• protection devices

i.e. purpose-made appliances, e.g. jigs, job holders and push-sticks, that help prevent the need for the operator to gain access to the danger zone.

The main requirements for each of these are shown on the following pages.