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