Machine Safeguarding
Working around unguarded rotary blades, conveyors, grinders, and other sharp-edged materials puts workers at risk of amputation, lacerations, or even death. When business operations depend on the use of complicated machinery, establishing safety requirements is critical to the protection of workers from the hazards arising from its use.
Machine safeguards prevent worker access to moving parts of machinery, lockout ensures machines do not start up unexpectedly, and blocking prevents a machine that is temporarily raised from falling or moving during work such as maintenance.
CSA Standard Z432—the enforceable standard used by WorkSafeBC—provides the criteria to be observed and the description, selection, and application of guards and safety devices applicable to mobile or stationary machinery. These standards aim to ensure that employers are taking appropriate action to assess and address possible hazards involving machines that are not properly guarded, locked out or blocked.
A machine safeguarding assessment will help you navigate this standard to proactively safeguard your machines or to respond to prevention orders for safeguarding.
Who is this for?
Any manufacturer or food processor would benefit from completing an inventory and hazard assessment for each piece of machinery. Given the number of life-altering injuries that are a direct result of working with machines, WorkSafeBC has made machine safeguarding, de-energization, and lockout a priority in its high-risk strategy for Manufacturing.
What does it involve?
Step 1: Scoping meeting
First things first, we want to find out your risk level! We call this the scoping meeting. During this step, an advisor will come out to your facility to determine if you have a combination of conditions that put you at risk. Based on your facility, we will advise if you need a Noise Survey, Personal Sampling or a combination of both in order to evaluate the hazard(s).
Step 2: The proposal
The program administrator will send you a service proposal that will outline the costs and deliverables based on the findings from the scoping meeting. Once this proposal is signed and returned, we can book a date for your service(s).
Step 3: The deliverables
Our specialist advisor will complete an assessment report that includes noise exposure levels and recommendations. A digital copy of this report will be sent to you for your records. They will also review your existing hearing conservation program.
Schedule a Scoping
FREE for Members
If you would like to have a Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC safety advisor visit your business to perform a Machine Safeguarding Hazard Assessment please fill out the following form. We will follow-up with you and schedule a date that works for you.