Safe Use of Machinery and Equipment

1. Meaning

Safe use of machinery and equipment means ensuring that machines, tools, plant and other workplace equipment are properly designed, installed, maintained, operated and supervised so that employees are protected from risks such as crushing, cutting, entanglement, electric shock, burns, falls, excessive noise and exposure to hazardous substances.

In employment and occupational-safety law, the employer generally has a duty to take reasonable and practicable measures to provide a safe system of work, safe equipment and adequate information, instruction, training and supervision.

2. Main Requirements for Safe Machinery Use

A. Risk Assessment

Before machinery is introduced or used, the employer should identify hazards and assess:

• Moving and rotating parts
• Sharp edges and cutting mechanisms
• Crushing and trapping points
• Electrical hazards
• Heat and pressure
• Noise and vibration
• Chemical or dust exposure
• Risks during cleaning, maintenance and repair

B. Machine Guards

Dangerous moving parts should be adequately guarded. Guards should prevent workers from reaching dangerous components while the machine is operating.

Examples include:

• Fixed guards
• Interlocked guards
• Adjustable guards
• Safety barriers
• Protective enclosures

C. Emergency Stop Systems

Machinery presenting significant danger should have an accessible emergency-stop mechanism where appropriate. Employees should know how and when to use it.

D. Maintenance and Inspection

Machinery should be:

• Regularly inspected
• Properly maintained
• Repaired promptly
• Tested after significant repairs
• Removed from service when unsafe

Maintenance should not be carried out while dangerous machinery is unexpectedly capable of starting.

E. Lockout/Isolation Procedures

Before maintenance or repair, dangerous energy sources should be isolated. This can include:

• Electricity
• Hydraulic pressure
• Pneumatic pressure
• Mechanical energy
• Steam
• Stored energy

F. Training and Competence

Only appropriately trained and competent employees should operate machinery. Training should cover:

• Normal operation
• Safety procedures
• Emergency procedures
• Personal protective equipment
• Reporting defects
• Maintenance restrictions

G. Personal Protective Equipment

Depending on the hazard, PPE may include:

• Safety helmets
• Protective footwear
• Safety glasses
• Face shields
• Gloves
• Hearing protection
• Respiratory protection
• Protective clothing

PPE should complement engineering and administrative controls rather than being the sole safety measure.

3. Employer's Responsibilities

An employer should establish a comprehensive machinery-safety system involving:

1. Identification of machinery hazards.
2. Risk assessment.
3. Selection of appropriate machinery.
4. Installation and commissioning.
5. Guarding of dangerous parts.
6. Periodic inspection.
7. Preventive maintenance.
8. Employee training.
9. Safe operating procedures.
10. Emergency arrangements.
11. Accident and near-miss reporting.
12. Investigation and corrective action.

4. Employee Responsibilities

Employees also have responsibilities, including:

• Following safety instructions.
• Using machinery only as authorised.
• Not removing safety guards without proper authority.
• Using required PPE.
• Reporting defective machinery.
• Following isolation procedures.
• Not operating equipment while impaired by fatigue, alcohol or other prohibited substances.
• Participating in required safety training.

5. Safe System of Work

Machinery safety is not limited to the physical machine. Courts commonly consider whether the employer provided a safe system of work.

A safe system may include:

Risk assessment → Safe equipment → Guarding → Training → Supervision → Maintenance → Emergency procedures → Monitoring

If an employer knows, or ought reasonably to know, about a dangerous method of working and fails to take appropriate preventive measures, liability may arise when an employee is injured.

Important Case Laws

1. Wilson v. Tyneside Window Cleaning Co. (1958)

This case concerned an employee who was injured while working under unsafe conditions. The case is relevant to the principle that employers must take reasonable care to provide a safe system of work.

Principle: An employer's duty includes taking reasonable precautions against foreseeable workplace risks.

2. General Cleaning Contractors Ltd v Christmas (1953)

An employee was injured while cleaning windows in circumstances involving an unsafe method of work.

Principle: The employer's duty extends beyond supplying equipment; it includes providing a reasonably safe system and method of working.

3. Latimer v AEC Ltd (1953)

The claimant slipped on a factory floor after flooding. The employer had taken several precautions, including covering much of the floor.

Principle: The law generally requires reasonable and proportionate precautions, rather than requiring an employer to eliminate every conceivable risk.

4. Paris v Stepney Borough Council (1951)

An employee with sight in only one eye suffered an injury to his remaining eye while working without adequate eye protection.

Principle: The precautions required from an employer may depend on the particular circumstances and vulnerability of the employee. Protective equipment can therefore be particularly important where the consequences of an accident could be exceptionally serious.

5. Stokes v Guest, Keen and Nettlefold (Bolts and Nuts) Ltd (1968)

The case concerned occupational exposure and the employer's duty concerning workplace health risks.

Principle: Employers must take reasonable steps in light of the knowledge and standards reasonably available at the relevant time. This principle is relevant when assessing whether machinery-related exposure to substances, dust, noise or other hazards has been adequately controlled.

6. Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co Ltd v English (1938)

The House of Lords recognised important components of the employer's duty to provide a safe workplace and system of work.

Principle: The employer's personal duty includes providing:

• Competent staff;
• Adequate plant and equipment;
• A proper system of work; and
• Effective supervision.

This is particularly relevant to machinery because safe equipment alone may not prevent accidents if the operating system and supervision are inadequate.

7. McDermid v Nash Dredging and Reclamation Co Ltd (1987)

The case involved an employee being exposed to danger because of the way work was organised and supervised.

Principle: Employers may remain responsible for providing a safe system of work even where the immediate unsafe act is committed by another employee.

This is important where machinery is operated by teams or under supervisory arrangements.

8. Johnstone v Bloomsbury Health Authority (1991)

The case concerned excessive working hours and the employer's obligations concerning employee safety.

Principle: The employer's duty of care can extend to the organisation of work itself. Machinery safety therefore also requires consideration of fatigue, excessive working hours and employee capacity, particularly where fatigue could increase the likelihood of machinery accidents.

6. Practical Machinery-Safety Checklist

Conclusion

Safe use of machinery and equipment requires more than simply supplying workers with a machine. Employers should establish a complete safety system covering risk assessment, suitable equipment, guarding, maintenance, training, supervision, emergency procedures and safe systems of work. The case law demonstrates that an employer's responsibility can extend to the equipment itself, the method by which it is used, the organisation of work and the level of supervision provided.