Maintenance work - machinery and equipment
What you need to do...
The law says that you must maintain any work equipment you provide in a safe condition for use so that people’s health and safety is not at risk and, in certain circumstances, inspected to ensure this remains the case.
This includes the safe installation, use and maintenance of systems or equipment that contain a liquid or gas under pressure. The key issues are:
What you need to know...
In maintenance work, conditions are very different from those normally encountered and new hazards may be introduced. All equipment and plant should be maintained in good working order and in good repair, and some must be regularly checked.
It is essential that everyone involved is trained to be aware of the hazards and the correct precautions.
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Plant, vehicle and equipment maintenance
Some equipment should be regularly examined or tested by a competent person, eg lifting equipment such as chains and ropes, steam boilers, or air receivers such as those on compressors. Consult an independent inspection organisation or your insurance company for advice.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedules for items such as vehicles, lift trucks, ventilation plant, portable electrical equipment, protective clothing and equipment, and machine guards.
During vehicle repair:
- make sure brakes are applied and wheels chocked;
- always prop raised bodies and do not rely on hydraulic systems for support;
- start and run engines with brakes on and in neutral gear;
- never work under vehicles supported on jacks alone – always use axle stands;
- beware of the explosion risk when draining and repairing fuel tanks. Use a retriever or adaptor to drain petrol from tanks and lines in a safe place away from drains, pits, openings in the ground and sources of ignition;
- avoid burns from battery short circuits by disconnecting the battery before starting work;
- older brake linings may also contain asbestos. Never ‘blow out’ brakes, but always use a vacuum or other dust-free method. Do not use asbestos brake lining as a replacement;
- the legal requirement and standard of maintenance for both on-road and off-road use is the same.
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Clearing blockages
When you are carrying out unblocking operations follow the ‘safe stop’ procedure and make sure:
- all movement has stopped before removing any guards;
- workers are properly trained to do the job;
- adequate tools and instructions are provided;
- safe working practices are devised and used;
- stored energy, eg from compressed material, springs or hydraulics, is released before you start work;
- hydraulically raised machines or parts are prevented from descending by using mechanical devices such as stops or jacks when people work under them.
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Isolating equipment
Isolate machines before any maintenance, cleaning or adjustment. It is not enough to just switch the machine off – you need to use the main isolator, usually a separate control. If the machine is at some distance from the isolator, or if work in progress is not obvious:
- remove the fuses from the isolator box; and
- attach a ‘danger’ tag to it; or
- lock the isolator box and keep the key safe.
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General maintenance – do's and don’ts
Operators should make sure that:
- they know how to stop the machine before starting it;
- they always start it from the correct position;
- all guards are fitted and working correctly;
- the area around a fixed machine is clean, tidy and free from obstruction;
- they wear appropriate protective clothing and equipment.
Operators should never:
- use a machine unless they know how to use it safely and have received suitable training;
- try to clear blockages or clean a machine unless they have disconnected the drive and stopped the machine;
- wear dangling chains, loose clothing, gloves or rings, or have long hair which could get caught up in moving parts;
- distract people who are using machines.
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General workshop safety
Check that:
- the workshop is tidy with no tripping hazards such as trailing cables and tools;
- welding gas bottles are secured upright, and when in use can be moved easily on a trolley;
- battery charging is done in a well-ventilated area away from sources of ignition such as welding flames or angle grinding;
- operators avoid chlorinated solvents such as ‘trike’ or ‘perc’ for degreasing. Use a less harmful product (not paraffin or petrol) and put degreasing baths in well-ventilated areas;
- arc welding is done in a protected area so that others nearby are not affected by the ultra-violet light and suffer ‘arc-eye’ as a result;
- operators use the correct abrasive wheel for the job, and adjust bench grinder tool-rests close to the wheel;
- operators can escape from inspection pits easily and that inspection lamps have protected bulbs (flammable fluids such as petrol may collect in the bottom of the pit and explode with the heat from a broken bulb filament);
- noise levels from plant such as compressors are controlled;
- PPE is provided – eye protection for chiselling, grinding and welding work; respiratory protection for work that creates dust, if extraction cannot be provided; or foot protection if there is a risk of things falling on to the feet.
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Pressurised plant
Any plant or equipment under pressure, such as slurry tankers, boilers and air receivers, may burst violently. Reduce the chances of this happening and anyone being killed or injured. Make sure:
- the plant is suitable for its intended purpose and installed correctly;
- you know the safe working pressure and temperatures of any pressurised system or equipment;
- safety valves are fitted to relieve excess pressure, as well as safety devices to make over- or under-pressurisation unlikely, such as boiler low water level alarms;
- you avoid accidentally pressurising any system or equipment, eg provide boiler ‘blowdown’ tanks with an adequately sized vent pipe. Applying heat to drums or tanks which have contained flammable material may create pressure, so always cold cut sealed containers;
- you use pressure in a controlled way:
- use a tyre cage when inflating large farm or heavy goods vehicle tyres;
- deflate tyres before removing split rim wheels;
- never weld or heat wheel rims unless you have removed the tyres, even if they have been deflated;
- pressure test pipes and tanks hydraulically rather than with air.
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