Machinery Hazards

Mechanical Hazards

Entanglement - contact with rotating parts of machinery

Friction & abrasion - contact with rough surfaces moving at high speed

Cutting - contact with a blade

Shearing - body trapped between 2 or more moving parts

Stabbing & puncture - body penetrated by sharp pieces of equipment or material

Impact - contact with moving parts

Crushing - body caught between moving parts or between moving part & stationary object

Drawing-in - where a belt runs around roller or where 2 rollers rotate towards each other, an in-running nip can draw in parts of the body

Ejection - materials or pieces of machinery

Compressed air or high-pressure fluid injection - air entering the blood stream through skin which can be fatal. High pressure fluid such as diesel & petrol fuels which can penetrate skin & cause soft tissue damage

Non-mechanical hazards

Electricity (shocks & burns)

Hot surfaces / fire

Noise & vibration

Biological - viral & bacterial

High / low temperature

Chemicals that are toxic, irritant, flammable, corrosive, explosive

Access - slips, trips & falls; obstructions & projections

Manual handling

Ionising & non-ionising radiation

Ergonomic hazards

Hazards associated with a photocopier

Entanglement & drawing-in

Electricity

Toner dust (chemical)

Contact with hot parts

Hazards associated with a document shredder

Cutting / drawing-in

Electricity

Manual handling (paper waste)

Hazards associated with a ben-top grinder

Friction & abrasion on contact with the wheel

Entanglement with the wheel

Noise & vibration

Electricity

Hot parts causing friction

Ejection of the wheels or parts of wheel

Health hazards from inhalation of material being grinded

Hazards associated with a pedestal drill

Failure to remove the chuck-key (resulting in ejection)

Entanglement with the rotating drill bit

Puncture from the end of the drill bit

Ejection of swarf

Drawing-in at nip points between motor & drive belts of machine

Hazards associated with a cylinder mower

Contact with revolving blades

Noise & vibration

Manual handling

Collision with road traffic or pedestrians

Combustion fuel type (petrol or diesel)

Overturning of mower on uneven ground

Ejection of stones or other objects

Hazards associated with a strimmer / brush-cutter

Contact with moving parts (blade of strimmer)

Noise and vibration

Manual handling

Flying stones & fragments

Struck by passing traffic

Slips, trips & falls due to nature of environment

Hazards associated with a chain saw

Kickback from faulty chain

Noise & vibration

Manual handling

Combustion of fuel type (usually petro)l

Cuts to skin

Falling branches

Hazards associated with a compactor

Crushing from the compactor mechanism

Impact injuries from the compactor mechanism

Manual handling of materials into the compactor

Electricity

Biological hazards created by presence of vermin

Hazards associated with a checkout conveyor

Drawing-in where conveyor meets top of counter

Friction & abrasion from the moving belt

Entanglement between rollers and belt

Ergonomic hazards from the high repetition rate

Non-ionising radiation from the use of barcode scanners

Electricity from conveyor motor

Hazards associated with a cement mixer

Manual handling when loading

Entanglement hazards from rotating drum

Shovels caught in mixing blades

Inhalation of cement dust

Exposure to petrol / diesel fumes

Electricity especially when water is used in the mixing process

Fire hazards from petrol or diesel

Slips & trips from any spilled material

Hazards associated with a bench-mounted circular saw

Cutting from the blade

Drawing-in between blade & casing of machine

Ejection of materials

Noise

Electricity

Inhalation of sawdust