Amputations are some of the most serious workplace injuries and have long-lasting consequences impacting quality of life. Amputations can be caused by a variety of activities and equipment and occur most often when workers operate unguarded or inadequately safeguarded machinery.
Dangerous Machinery
Machinery that poses amputation risks includes mechanical power presses, power press brakes, powered and non-powered conveyors, printing presses, roll-forming and roll-bending machines, food slicers, meat grinders, meat-cutting band saws, drill presses, milling machines, shears, grinders, and slitters. Materials handling activities involving forklifts, automatic and overhead doors as well as work with trash compactors and powered and non-powered hand tools can also present hazards. Activities involving stationary machines may expose workers to potential amputation hazard when workers are setting up, threading, preparing, adjusting, cleaning, lubricating, and maintaining the machines or clearing jams.
Mechanical Motion Is Hazardous:
All mechanical motion is potentially hazardous. Points of operation, power-transmission apparatuses, and other moving parts present amputation hazard. In addition to “pinch points” the most common types of hazardous mechanical motion are rotating, reciprocating, traversing, cutting, punching, shearing, and bending.
Amputation Protection:
Work practices, employee training, and administrative controls can help prevent and control amputation hazards. Machine safeguarding with safety devices is the best way to control amputations caused by stationary machinery. Training on machinery should be completed before working with the equipment.
Guards provide physical barriers that prevent access to hazardous areas. They should be secure and strong, and workers should not be able to bypass, remove, or tamper with them. Guards should not obstruct the operator’s view or prevent employees from working.
Devices help prevent contact with points of operation and may replace or supplement guards. Devices can interrupt the normal cycle of the machine when the operator’s hands are at the point of operation, prevent the operator from reaching into the point of operation, or withdraw the operator’s hands if they approach the point of operation when the machine cycles. They must allow safe lubrication and maintenance and not create hazards or interfere with normal machine operation. In addition, they should be secure, tamper resistant, and durable.
Preventing amputation is a reality that can be accomplished by providing employees with everything they need to be safe. Educating employees on machine specific dangers, hazardous energy, and proper use is the crucial foundation to any program. Providing machine specific lockout-tagout procedures is not only the law, but a visual reminder of how to properly start-up and shutdown equipment. Keeping employees safe with guards and devices is required during normal operations.
Remember to stay alert for hazards, so you won’t become one more accident statistic: You can do a quality job without rushing. Maintain a positive attitude and keep your mind on your work. This is just common sense–something smart workers use!
KEEP YOUR ‘GUARD UP’…WHEN WORKING WITH MACHINERY!
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