Product category:
Machinery/plant guarding and protection
News Release from: Procter Machine Guarding | Subject: Guarding machinery against temporary hazards
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 July 2004
Guarding machinery against temporary
hazards
Users and builders of machinery are responsible for guarding machinery during periods of machine building, testing, commissioning, maintenance, modification or decommissioning.
Since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act over 25 years ago and, more recently, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) and the Supply of Machinery Regulations, there will be few users and builders of machinery who are ignorant of the need to guard machinery Guards often perform multiple functions, including protecting operators and maintenance personnel from mechanical hazards, ejected parts, harmful fluids, radiation and noise
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Feb 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Modular guard system suits any factory layout
Machine guarding components can be installed, taken down and re-installed without modification, to suit any factory layout offering significant lifetime cost reductions and labour-savings.
Modular enclosures are the best place for robots
Modular machine guarding system is quite probably the simplest, most cost-effective and visually attractive way of constructing and reconfiguring an enclosure around a robot installation.
The quality of the guard design can significantly affect not only the standard of protection offered, but also the productivity of the machinery; poorly designed guards invariably restrict output.
All new machinery sold in the EC must carry a CE mark.
For this, the machine must be fitted with guarding that complies with the new harmonised standards that cover the design of guards, safety distances, interlocks and other factors that influence machinery safety.
Further reading
Knowing EN 953:1998 for fixed and movable guards
Any machine placed on the market within the EU must be CE marked in accordance with the Machinery Directive - and includes machinery that is built in-house for use in-house, says Jeremy Procter.
Risk assessment calculator is free-of-charge
Machinery guarding supplier is giving away a free Risk Assessment Calculator based on the requirements of BS EN 1050, the standard for machinery risk assessments.
Newsletter covers machinery safety
Procter Machinery Guarding is launching a free email newsletter, 'On Your Guard', that carries news and information relating to all aspects of machinery safety.
All existing machinery must be risk-assessed and, where necessary, the guarding must be upgraded to eliminate or reduce the hazards identified.
Jeremy Procter, Managing Director of Procter Machinery Guarding, comments: "What many users and builders of machinery do not always fully appreciate is that they are equally responsible for guarding machinery during periods of machine building, testing, commissioning, maintenance, modification or decommissioning." He continues: "At these times it is often necessary to remove some or all of the guarding so as to gain adequate access.
If the machinery is to be operated, even at a reduced speed or in jog mode, there is a need to protect personnel in the vicinity of the machine who are not directly involved in the work being carried out.
In some cases, such as machinery with sharp blades, significant hazards can exist whether or not the machine is isolated from the power supply." Procter Machinery Guarding provides temporary guarding that can be quickly and easily erected around virtually any hazard, then removed just as quickly when it is no longer required.
The Procter system comprises freestanding panels and gates that are compact, lightweight and portable so that they can be easily stored, transported and erected by one person, but rugged enough that they will provide the necessary protection and can be reused time and again.
Each freestanding panel consists of a rigid tubular framework with welded mesh infill, together with hooks on one end and sockets on the opposite end so that each panel can be linked to its neighbour.
Long straight runs of panels can be assembled with the broad-based foot on each panel ensuring stability, or the panels can be linked together at any angle to form an enclosure.
Once the panels are in place, they are secured to each other with heavy-duty cable ties.
Standard panels are 1200 mm wide and are available either 1400mm or 2000mm tall.
Although the usual colour is a high-visibility yellow, panels in alternative colours can be produced to order.
Gate modules provide access to the enclosed area and are of similar construction to the panels but with a hinged gate 1000mm wide.
A padlock facility is provided to ensure that only authorised personnel can access the hazardous area, or more sophisticated access control methods can be employed if necessary.
In addition to the standard panels and gates described above, Procter Machinery Guarding can also provide other components and accessories to the customer's specification.
Typical examples include: panels of different height or width; panels with clear polycarbonate infill; simple brackets that enable the temporary screen to be built out from a wall; or adapters that allow three or more panels to meet at one point.
Procter temporary guard panels have been successfully used with equipment such as very large machine tools and paper making machinery, where the strict control of personnel access is required during machine build and commissioning at the OEM's site.
One user of temporary guarding is the Ford Motor Company, which fenced off areas within its Bridgend plant while machinery was under construction.
Guarding is often the last part of a production line to be installed, yet commissioning has to start as early as possible; temporary guarding is often the only practical solution to providing a safe working environment.
Procter highlights another situation where temporary screens could prove invaluable: "If the HSE has found some existing guarding to be inadequate, installing temporary guarding could be preferable to shutting down the machinery.
With temporary guarding in place, production could continue while a permanent solution is designed and installed - which is a massive benefit to the plant operator." A significant proportion of machinery-related accidents occur during installation, commissioning, maintenance or modification.
For example, between 1993 and 1999 there were 122 fatal accidents at machinery, of which 50 per cent were associated with maintenance.
It is therefore essential to take appropriate steps to limit access to authorised personnel only.
Temporary screens are a simple, quick, cost-effective solution that provide improved safety but without hindering the work taking place.
Please contact Procter Machinery Guarding for more information about the temporary screen system. Request a free brochure from Procter Machine Guarding ...
• Procter Machine Guarding: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
