Machine and Equipment Hazards
Electrical Hazards – Equipment that uses electricity as a power source is a potential electrocution hazard. Check power cords, switches and connections for exposed wires or broken parts.
Amputation & Caught-in Hazards – Machine guards on equipment are installed to protect our employees from moving parts. Of course if they have been removed during maintenance or adjustment they will no longer provide protection. Check equipment every day to ensure that all guards are in place.
Chemical Hazards – processing equipment that uses chemicals can be sources of numerous hazards. Leaks can cause slip hazards as well as possible exposure to harmful chemicals. Hoses that leak could create a respiratory problem from vapors.
Sharp Edges – Simply walking past machinery may be hazardous if sharp edges are not guarded – check equipment mounting brackets, sign edges and control boxes to see if sharp edges are present.
Eye Hazards – Tools and equipment that create chips, sparks or dust are potential eye hazards. These types of eye hazards are generally controlled by safety glasses, goggles and face shields. Check eye protection your workers use to make sure they are not broken, scratched and are the correct type for the hazard. As a minimum, anyone who uses hand or power tools should wear safety glasses.
PPE – Personal Protective Equipment should be considered a secondary line of defense against equipment hazards. Employees need to know how to properly select, use and clean any PPE they use. PPE does wear out and has limitation on the level of protection against hazards – your workers should know these limitations.
Training – Probably the most effective protection you can give your workers is good operational and safety training. A worker who knows how to recognize hazards can then use his or her training to control the situation and avoid exposure to unsafe conditions. If you expect your people to safely operate equipment, they must first be trained to understand the operating principles, equipment controls and possible hazards to themselves and others.
Maintenance workers need to be provided information on up-to-date machines that have been serviced, and they should maintain a record log of this information.
Maintenance workers must also know when to LOCK OUT the machines. This is extremely critical when repairs are being done on the machine. Maintenance workers should also be using safe equipment when doing repair work and they should insure the equipment itself is properly guarded. You are much more productive working safely and obeying safety rules. All we ask is for you to perform your job professionally and safely.
