National campaign targets safety in manufacturing
Issue Date: - Friday, 4 April 2008
Workplace safety authorities across Australia are working together to conduct an inspection campaign on machinery guarding in the manufacturing industry.
The aim of the campaign is to improve safety in the industry by raising awareness of the importance of guarding machinery.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today it was disappointing that WorkSafe continued to find workplaces with a lack of or inadequate guarding on machinery.
"Guarding is one of the easiest and most obvious means of minimizing the risk of injury to machinery operators, and we hope to get this message across with the help of the current inspection campaign," Ms Lyhne said.
"Statistics show that around 2080 workplace injuries each year involve machinery, and that around 245 of these injuries are serious enough to result in more than 60 days off work.
"In addition, 39 per cent of all injuries involving machinery occur in the manufacturing industry, so machinery guarding in manufacturing is certainly an area of great concern."
The campaign will be implemented across Australia throughout 2008, with inspectors in WA visiting around 25 manufacturing workplaces and providing guidance material on safety requirements for guarding machinery and equipment.
Each State is concentrating on a specific area of manufacturing, and the WA section of the campaign will begin later this month and focus on metal manufacturing workplaces.
Inspectors will use a standard checklist during the visits to ensure a consistent approach, and inspectors across Australia have been provided with nationally consistent guidance material.
Inspectors will look at areas such as:
- The workplace's systems for identifying hazards and assessing and controlling risks;
- Whether adequate and suitable training and supervision is provided for operators of machinery;
- Procedures for the inspection and maintenance of machinery; and
- The types of guarding in place (if any), and whether such measures as emergency stop buttons are in place.
"This campaign will allow inspectors to identify common problems with guarding in the manufacturing industry while they provide information and – if necessary – take action where safety concerns are found," Ms Lyhne said.
"It is also a good example of the States working together to develop a nationally consistent approach to workplace safety."
Further information on machinery guarding can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.worksafe.wa.gov.au. Information on the national campaign is available at www.hwsa.org.au.