Why Are Risk Assessments Important In Machine Safety?

As a business owner, you’ll be aware of the safety requirements for work equipment under Health and Safety law. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that all employers must ensure the safety of machinery on their premises. They must do their utmost to reduce the risks of dangerous exposure to such machinery or to any hazard they might cause. 

The first element of this responsibility for employers is to conduct a stringent risk assessment. So let’s look at what this entails and demonstrate why risk assessments are so important to machine safety.

What Is A Machinery Risk Assessment?

A machinery risk assessment entails a comprehensive examination of your facility’s working equipment, from set-up to usage patterns and maintenance. It’s intended to identify the potential hazards of each machine and come up with ways to reduce the risk of those hazards occurring. Some areas come under particular scrutiny, especially those measures taken by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure their machinery is safe to use.

Safeguards

Before anybody uses any piece of equipment, you should ensure that it’s complete, correctly installed and free from defects. It should be fitted with appropriate safeguards, such as physical protective guards for human body parts. Safeguards should also include other measures such as two-hand controls, interlocks, pressure-sensitive mats, light guards, etc.

Suppliers of safeguards are required by law to provide the appropriate protection and inform purchasers of equipment if there are any residual risks that they weren’t able to eliminate. You should be aware of these risks and figure out how to manage them. This includes risks inherent in safeguards that are badly designed, inconvenient to use or allow such dangerous evasions as an easy override. 

Best Practice 

Before you undertake any risk assessment, first identify each machine's characteristics and performance and how it contributes to the whole activity. Each piece of equipment forms part of a larger process that also embraces the products, the people and the working environment.

At the outset, it’s important to check that all static machinery has been correctly installed and is stable. Then, establish a set of safe procedures for using and maintaining equipment, such as scheduling regular inspections of critical features and preventive maintenance. This should include any residual risks advised by the OEM. 

Provision And Use Of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

The PUWER Regulations cover the supply and installation of machinery, together with employers’ responsibilities for its safety in the workplace. They require that all equipment used in the workplace is:

• Safe to use, regularly inspected and properly maintained

• Suitable for its intended use

• Supported by appropriate safety measures.

• Used only by properly trained employees

In addition, there are specific requirements for specialised equipment. Separate legislation governs the use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), pressure systems and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment (LOLER).

What Are The Penalties For Non-Compliance? 

At present, there’s no specific set of instructions for compliance with PUWER. The only way you can be sure is to be fully aware of its main provisions and legal requirements. Conducting an evaluation will help you apply these to your company’s specific workplace and institute proper systems and training. If an inspector comes to call, you’ll want to be sure you are complying with all appropriate regulations. 

If any violations of work equipment regulations are discovered, the HSE is empowered to serve non-compliance notices on duty holders, call a halt to your operations, prosecute and impose fines. Penalties can be severe: a recent LOLER prosecution incurred a fine of £430,000. Another company’s failure to conduct a risk assessment resulted in a £3m fine. You should note that the HSE’s conviction rate is consistently higher than that of conventional criminal courts.

Carrying Out Successful Machine Risk Assessments

Hazard Identification

Successful machine risk assessment relies on you identifying any equipment’s potential hazards and their possible effects. This means you need to determine what and how any harm might be caused and who’s at risk of such harm. To do this, start with the OEM’s instructions and information, which should help you identify potential hazards, including residual risks. They should also set out the predictable risks of misusing machinery, as this affects the OEM’s liability. If you have any doubts or queries, contact the OEM directly.

Risk Evaluation

Once you’ve identified all the potential risks in all your working equipment, you need to evaluate their degree of risk. This includes possible physical hazards and dangerous parts, as well as risks to human health and safety. The machine operator and maintenance crew should also look at the surrounding environment and nearby workers. You should include the risks of unusual circumstances occurring, as well as risks in standard operating conditions. Your evaluation should conclude with how you’re going to mitigate the potential risks. 

Risk Prevention

The HSE requires you to prioritise the precautions and control measures you implement, to reduce risks to the minimum possible. To comply with H&S regulations and be prepared for any possible inspection, you should also make a record of what you find and implement the necessary precautions. You must review and update this assessment regularly so that an up-to-date record is always available for inspection.

Expert Advice From Rowse On Machine Safety 

Whether you use machinery or automated equipment in your business or supply it to others, the law requires you to manage its potential risks. Full risk assessments for machinery must be carried out according to the PUWER regulations – and this is a service we’re happy to offer. 

Rowse has an experienced team of qualified machine safety experts who are happy to advise you at any point. We can help you develop a strategy and schedule for machinery risk assessments which comply with the law. We can also custom-fit the risk evaluation process to your business and its machine safety needs so you can be secure in the knowledge that your equipment and your employees are safe at work.