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reliable. Fewer breakdowns mean less
dangerous contact with machinery
as well as cost benefits of better
productivity and efficiency.
Additional hazards can occur when
machinery becomes unreliable and
develops faults but maintenance allows
these faults to be diagnosed early to
manage any risk. However, maintenance
needs to be correctly planned and
carried out. Unsafe maintenance can
cause many fatalities and serious
injuries either during the maintenance
or to the workers who use the badly (or
wrongly) maintained equipment.
The Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
requires work equipment and plant to
be maintained so it remains safe and
the maintenance operation is carried
out safely.
Responsibility
If you are an employer and you provide
equipment for use, from hand tools and
ladders to electrical power tools and
larger plant, you need to demonstrate
that you have arrangements in place to
ensure they are maintained in a safe
condition.
Think about what hazards can occur:
• if tools break during use
• if machinery starts up unexpectedly
• if there is contact with materials
that are normally enclosed within
the machine, caused by leaks /
breakage / ejection
Failing to correctly plan and
communicate clear instructions
and information before starting
maintenance can lead to confusion
and may cause accidents. This can be
a particular problem if maintenance
is during normal production work or
where there are contractors who are
unfamiliar with the site.
Special care
Extra care is required if maintenance
involves working at height or when
doing work that requires access to
unusual parts of the building, or when
entering vessels or confined spaces
where there may be toxic materials or a
lack of air.
Establishing a planned maintenance
programme may be a useful step
towards reducing risk, as well as having
a reporting procedure for workers who
may notice problems while working on
machinery.
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Some items of plant and equipment
may have safety-critical features where
deterioration may cause risk. You must
have arrangements in place to ensure
that necessary inspections take place.
Before maintenance starts
Before you start maintenance,
decide if the work should be done
by specialist contractors; do not
take on work for which you are not
prepared or competent. Plan the
work carefully before you start, ideally
using the manufacturer’s maintenance
instructions and produce a safe system
of work. This will avoid unforeseen
delays and reduce the risks. Make
sure maintenance staff are competent
and have appropriate clothing and
equipment and try to use downtime
for maintenance. You can avoid the
difficulties in coordinating maintenance
and production work if maintenance
work is performed before start-up or
during shutdown periods.
There also needs to be a focus on
safe working areas – you must provide
safe access and a safe place of work.
Don’t just focus on the safety of
maintenance workers rather take the
necessary precautions to ensure the
safety of others who may be affected
by their work, for example, other
employees or contractors working
nearby. Set up signs and barriers and
position people at key points if they are
needed to keep other people away from
the work site.
Safe plant and equipment
Plant and equipment must be made safe
before maintenance starts.
Your pre-maintenance checklist
• Ensure moving plant has stopped
and isolate electrical and other
power supplies. Most maintenance
should be carried out with the
power off. If the work is near
uninsulated, overhead electrical
conductors, for example, close to
overhead travelling cranes, cut off
the power first.
• Lock off machines if there is
a chance the power may be
accidentally switched back on.
• Isolate plant and pipelines
containing pressured fluid, gas,
steam or hazardous material. Lock
off isolating valves.
Other factors to consider
• Release any stored energy, such
as compressed air or hydraulic
pressure that may cause the
machine to move or cycle.
• Support parts of plant that may
fall, such as supporting the blades
of down-stroking bale cutters and
guillotines with blocks.
• Allow components that operate at
high temperatures time to cool.
• Place mobile plant in neutral gear,
apply the brake and chock the
wheels.
• Safely clean out vessels
containing flammable solids,
liquids, gases or dusts and check
them before hot work is carried
out to prevent explosions. You
may need specialist help and
advice to do this safely.
• Avoid entering tanks and vessels
where possible. This can be very
high-risk work. If required, get
specialist help to ensure adequate
precautions are taken.
• Clean and check vessels
containing toxic materials before
work starts.
The dos and don’ts of plant
and equipment maintenance
Do…
• Ensure maintenance is carried out
by a competent person (someone
who has the necessary skills,
knowledge and experience to
carry out the work safely).
• Maintain plant and equipment
regularly – use the manufacturer’s
maintenance instructions as a
guide, particularly if there are
safety-critical features.
• Have a procedure that allows
workers to report damaged or
faulty equipment.
• Provide the proper tools for the
maintenance worker.
• Schedule maintenance to
minimise the risk to other workers
and the maintenance worker
wherever possible.
• Make sure maintenance is done
safely, that machines and moving
parts are isolated or locked and
that flammable / explosive / toxic
materials are dealt with properly.
Don’t…
• Ignore maintenance.
• Ignore reports of damaged or
unsafe equipment.
• Use faulty or damaged equipment.
JULY 2019
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