Making time for Machinery

Machinery and Plant, and the legislation that applies
to them, are becoming ever more complex and
employees with responsibility for machinery safety –
often multi-tasking – are increasingly expected not only to
have but also to prove competence. It is also a proven fact that
correctly specified safety measures could actually lead to
greater productivity.

However in the current economic climate the temptation is to
put training on the “back burner” because, unlike hardware
required now to keep a process line running, training can be
perceived as an added cost and not to be linked with
productivity.

The high costs of not addressing machinery safety are well
documented, not only the ‘up front’ cost of accidents – insurance
costs covering injury, ill health, damage – which account for
roughly 10% of costs; the other 90% of costs are ‘hidden’ such as
product and material damage, plant, machinery & building
damage, legal costs, emergency supplies, cleaning site, production
delays, temporary labour, fines, loss of expertise, etc.

Implementing a good machinery safety concept can not only
minimise the risk of accidents. It will offer a level of safety that
conforms to relevant standards and legislation without being over
engineered and prohibitively expensive. A poor safety concept
may not only fail to conform, it may
actively hinder the machine operators,
leading them to seek ways to overcome the
safety measures. It can make machine
maintenance more difficult and time
consuming, impact on availability through
a high number of false trips and can be
difficult to diagnose and maintain.

The person developing the overall safety
concept needs to have an in-depth knowledge of the relevant
legislation, regulations and standards, as well as the appropriate
safety technologies. Fit-for-purpose machinery safety training
courses can provide a valuable supplement to practical machinerybased
experience, which itself is something that is only attainable
over time & under the right circumstances. Training alone does
not demonstrate competence, but is a vital contributor.

Pilz offers a range of machinery safety courses, including a
City & Guilds certified course, held either at Pilz HQ or at
customer premises, standard or customised to specific needs – all
delivered by industry experts with practical insight.

For further information, visit www.pilz.co.uk/services,
contact Pilz on 01536 460766