Safe Use of Equipment

ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR SAFE USE OF WORK EQUIPMENT AT QEF

Work equipment is used extensively throughout QEF.

The term ‘work equipment’ includes any machinery, appliance, apparatus or tool used in connection with a work activity. The correct selection and use of such equipment is vital in ensuring harm does not result.

• The Safe Use of Work Equipment Policy provides guidance for compliance with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, the Control of Vibration Regulations 2005 and the specific requirements prescribed in the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER 1998). Work equipment purchased and used within QEF must meet all the requirements of these regulations. Purchasing and/or supplying work equipment will be according to European Standards.

• As stated in the policy, risk assessment is crucial to the provision and safe use of work equipment. Inclusion in a task related generic risk assessment may be appropriate for less hazardous equipment, e.g. hand tools, photocopiers, or in a specific risk assessment for specialist, potentially hazardous equipment e.g. chain saws.

• Equipment should always be used in accordance with the manufacturers' or suppliers' instructions or information

• Equipment will be regularly maintained, inspected and tested for safe use; particular importance are portable electrical appliances, pressure vessels, powered workshop machinery, welding equipment, kilns, local exhaust ventilations etc which may be subject to other statutory requirements.

• Any second hand equipment is maintained and serviced before being put into use

• Equipment should only be used for the purpose for which it was designed

• All staff should report to their manager any medical symptoms associated with use e.g. hand arm vibration

• Many tools used as work equipment are hand held power tools, which transmit vibrations into the hands and arms of the operator, putting them potentially at risk of a range of disabling diseases collectively known as Hand Arm Vibrations Syndrome (HAVs).

• Whole body vibration may occur, ie shaking or jolting of the human body through a supporting surface (usually a seat or the floor), e.g. when driving or riding on a vehicle along an unmade road, resulting in back pain.

• Reference should be made to other relevant QEF Policies on:

Display Screen Equipment

Electricity at work

Manual Handling

Risk assessments

GUIDANCE ON THE PROVISIONS OF POWER

SUITABILITY OF EQUIPMENT

The safety and suitability of work equipment must be assessed from three aspects:

• its initial integrity;
• the place where it will be used;
• its intended purpose.

When selecting equipment, particular attention must be given to its suitability by design, construction or adaptation for the actual operation it is to be used for. It should be used in accordance with manufacturers' specifications and instructions. If it is adapted it must still be suitable for the operation it is to be used for.

The location where it is to be used must be assessed to take account of the risks that may arise, e.g. use of electrical equipment in a hazardous environment. The use of work equipment may also cause risks to health in particular situations which would otherwise be safe, e.g. ergonomic considerations of work stations.

The particular process and working conditions under which the equipment will be used must also be considered, for example, a hoist where a person is lifted in a bathroom. Similarly, it may be inappropriate to use portable power tools for operations which should preferably and effectively be carried out by specialist machinery with appropriate guarding.

MAINTENANCE

Work equipment must be maintained in a safe and efficient working, order and in good repair.

Planned preventative maintenance and condition-based maintenance (of safety-critical parts) must be able to be carried out without risk to health or safety, and only by competent persons who have adequate information and instruction in the necessary procedures and techniques.

Wherever possible, maintenance should be carried out with the equipment isolated from the power source.

The frequency of planned preventative maintenance will depend upon the equipment and on manufacturers’ recommendations, together with its intensity of use and operating environment.

Records should be kept of such maintenance.

Maintenance systems should include the periodic replacement or refurbishment of certain (safety critical) components according to manufacturers’ recommendations for condition based maintenance.

INSPECTION

In addition to any pre-use checks by operators, certain work equipment must be formally inspected by a competent person where there is a foreseeable risk of major injury resulting from incorrect installation or re-installation, deterioration or other exceptional situations.

Such inspections would include, as appropriate, visual checks, functional checks and testing for the purposes of safety

The thorough examination of particular equipment required under specific legislation will normally suffice for the above inspections; i.e. the six monthly thorough examination of equipment used for lifting people (e.g. hoists) as specified under LOLER.

Records should be kept of inspections and thorough examinations.

ACQUISITION OF EQUIPMENT

Products should carry a CE marking; and be accompanied by relevant certificates or declarations, together with adequate operating instructions, and information about residual hazards such as noise and vibration.

Equipment should also comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 and the Control of Vibration Regulations 2005.

DANGEROUS PARTS OF MACHINERY

Risks arising from mechanical hazards must be assessed and effective measures taken to prevent contact with dangerous parts of machinery, e.g. cutters / blades on woodworking machinery

TEMPERATURES

The risk from contact with hot or very cold work equipment, parts of work equipment or articles/substances in the equipment must be assessed, particularly where no engineering measures can be taken to control the risk.

Alternative forms of protection need to be considered, e.g. use of personal protective equipment (heat resistant gloves), training and supervision, operating instructions and warning signs.

CONTROLS

Equipment must be supplied with appropriate controls, e.g. interlock door catches. Where work equipment has no moving parts or where the risk or injury is negligible, stop, start and emergency stop controls are not generally appropriate.

With electrical equipment, devices which break the circuit may already be in use for hazardous operations, for example, electrically powered lawn mowers.

Where equipment is powered by human effort, the provision of controls is inappropriate, e.g. hand drills.

Where work equipment is powered by means other than human effort or has moving parts (machinery) the provision of start, stop and emergency stop controls must be considered.

Starting should only be possible by operating a control button/switch or initiation sequence command. The start function can be combined with a stop control, a ‘hold to run’ device, e.g. machine foot control. Operating the start control may not immediately start the equipment as this may require additional conditions to be met, e.g. protection devices in place.

Stop controls are intended bring equipment to a safe condition in a safe manner. Operating the stop control may not instantaneously stop equipment if for operational and safety reasons it is necessary to allow equipment to run to the end of an operating cycle.

Emergency stop controls should be provided within reach of the operator, where other safeguards are not adequate to prevent danger. They are intended as a rapid response to potentially dangerous situations. They should not be used as functional stops during normal operation, and must have priority over start and operating controls.

Where start, stop and emergency stop controls are provided, they should be fully functional and maintained. Controls should be easily accessible but designed so as to prevent accidental operation. It should be possible to easily identify what each control does and on which equipment it takes effect.

ISOLATION

Where appropriate, powered work equipment should be provided with suitable means to isolate it from sources of energy, to allow it to be made safe for maintenance or if an unsafe condition develops, e.g. overheating. For some equipment, isolation can be achieved by removing the plug from the electrical supply socket; other equipment may require an isolating switch or valve.

To avoid unsafe reconnection, the switch or valve may need to be locked off, e.g. during maintenance or cleaning operations.

STABILITY

Work equipment should be stable, where appropriate by fixing to the ground, clamping or tied, e.g. ladders should be tied or footed whilst in use. Most machines used in a fixed position should be bolted or otherwise fastened down. Certain types of mobile equipment can have their stability increased, e.g. by the use of outriggers on mobile tower scaffolds.

LIGHTING

Lighting within the work place should be suitable and sufficient for the tasks. If tasks involve perception of detail, additional local lighting should be provided. Temporary lighting for use when carrying out maintenance operations or repairs may also be necessary, e.g. use of portable lamps, torches.

MARKINGS

Work equipment must be marked in a clearly visible manner with any marking that is appropriate as a warning for health and safety reasons, e.g. an abrasive wheel must be marked with its maximum rotation speed.

WARNINGS

Where risks to health and safety remain after other control measures have been implemented, it may be appropriate to use warnings or warning devices, usually in the form of a notice or similar giving:

• positive instruction, e.g. hearing protection must be worn;
• prohibition, e.g. no smoking/no entry;
• restriction warning, e.g. do not heat above 60°C.

Signs must conform to the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.

Audible signals may also be appropriate and are sometimes fitted as standard, e.g. vehicles with an audible reversing alarm.

Ref: Policies/work equipment policy additionsOctober 2011

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