Issue Date:  -  Friday, 4 June 2004

Warning issued on guarding of machinery

A court case in Busselton this week has prompted a warning on the guarding of controls on machinery.

Busselton sawmill Auswest Timbers Pty Ltd was fined $15,000 in the Busselton Court of Petty Sessions on Tuesday after being found guilty of failing to provide a safe workplace under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

A 38-year-old employee of the company had his hand amputated in 2002 when a docking saw he was using to cut lengths of wood began operating while his hand was near the blade.

Auswest Timbers was found guilty of failing to provide a safe workplace because the control lever for the saw was not guarded or shielded against any accidental contact that could cause the saw to begin operating.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that the case was a timely warning that companies had a duty of care to ensure machinery was adequately guarded.

"In this case, it was the actual operating lever that was not guarded, creating the potential for an accidental contact to start operating the saw," she said.

"Operating levers and buttons should always be shrouded or shielded to prevent unintentional contact, but this case also highlights the whole issue of guarding of machinery.

"WorkSafe inspectors can quote a multitude of examples of tragic injuries and fatalities that would not have happened if machinery had been correctly guarded.

"If all the risks are considered and the appropriate guarding is built into the initial design of machinery, the chance of human error causing an injury is significantly reduced."

Manufacturers of machinery are legally required to make sure that plant and machinery is designed in such a way that operators are protected from injury.

Employers and operators are under an obligation to leave guards and other safety devices in place when machinery is being operated.

Guards should be designed to protect the user but allow access for maintenance, and should not be removed unless the machine is stopped and isolated from the power source and locked out.

"Guarding is the oldest and most easily understood method for minimising the risk of injury to machine operators, and it has been required by occupational safety and health legislation for a long time," Ms Lyhne said.

"It is extremely disappointing to see that WorkSafe is continuing to have to prosecute where workers have been maimed and their lives changed forever because employers have failed to adequately guard machinery.

"I would like to think the message about guarding machinery is getting through to employers, but unfortunately There are still some who don't seem to be getting the message.

"It is absolutely crucial that the moving parts and control switches of machinery are adequately guarded, and WorkSafe inspectors will be coming down hard on employers who do not provide a safe workplace by ensuring that this is done."

Further information on the guarding of machinery can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.safetyline.wa.gov.au.