Rooms Visited / Mechanical Workshop.
8.332; 8.333; 8.340;
8.340a; 8.340b. / Room Supervisor
Inspection Date(s) / 21st May; 22nd May; 12th June 2015.
Inspection Team / Mr. S. Weston; Mr, R. Oliver; Mr. M. Scott (UNISON); Mr. A. Wheeler.
In Attendance / Mr. T. Haynes.
General Comments on Inspection
This visit to the mechanical workshops was a thorough (annual) inspection. Copies of risk assessments were taken away for inspection later.
The workshops were in a generally tidy condition, and the room supervisorwas very helpful and supportive during the inspection.
Correction Periods
Correct within 48 hours…………. Correct within 1 month……………………………………
Correct within 3 months………… Implement a longer term correction programme………
Please report progress before the next inspection
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
Management Procedures and Paperwork
Equipment in the mechanical workshop is capable of inflicting serious injury. An authorised user scheme operates for much of the equipment. Authorised users include those who are based in the workshop and a small number of other School members who, because of their industry training and experience, are capable of working safely.
The University’s Access Authorisation protocol requires that:
- access to locations such as workshops is controlled and;
- a list of those who are authorised for unsupervised access is kept.
Introduce signage to identify this workshop as an access controlled location. Example signage can be seen Here .
Prepare a list of those who are authorised to work unsupervised.
List equipment with specific risks where further authorisation may be needed (e.g. circular saw), and prepare lists of authorised users for each machine.
Document the arrangements for routine access by non-authorised members of the School. / TH / ARW /
Risk assessments were inspected after thevisit and were found to cover equipment hazard quite well. Assessments though were several years overdue for review. / Review risk assessments and revise hazard and control information where necessary.
Transpose assessments into an electronic format / TH /
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
Management Procedures and Paperwork (cont.)
U/G students use MIG welding equipment under instruction. But at present there is no documented assessment of the risks to young people and no record of the control measures which are in place to control the risk. / Carry out an assessment of the risk to young people, taking into account their age and inexperience.
Detail the measures, including the supervisory arrangements, which are in place to ensure the safety of U/G students.
Where a student under the age of 18 years may join a group under instruction, review and revise the assessment to take into account additional regulatory requirements! / TH /
Grinding machines are used in the workshop. While all staff members use this equipment, only one staff member has been trained to fit and set the grinding wheel. Evidence of training has not been inspected and it is not clear whether refresher training is appropriate. / Forward to the Faculty HSM evidence of abrasive wheels training including: the training provider; the date of training and some information about the content of the course. / TH /
No maintenance records were requested or inspected on the day of the inspection. / Forward to the Faculty HSM:
Dates when grinding wheels were replaced together with the shelf life for each wheel;
School vehicle test and maintenance records, and records of driving documentation for users;
Dates when machine coolants were changes and coolant shelf life. / TH /
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
General Safety and Housekeeping
Access to some safety equipment was obscured by other apparatus used in the workshop including:
- an emergency power stop button located behind a PC monitor in room 8.332;
- fire extinguishers obstructed by two vacuum cleaners.
Several power stop buttons are located around the workshop. / These should be tested periodically to confirm that they work properly. / TH /
An industrial floor fan is positioned near to a lathe and plugged into a floor mounted electrical socket.
This is a trip hazard and in the extreme, may lead to someone falling into a moving machine. / Relocate this fan and plug into a socket where it will not be a trip hazard. / TH /
Physical Hazards – Fire Safety
Two small containers of calor gas are stored in the welding room. These have been used for braising activities in the past but have mostly been replaced by smaller hand held blow torches. / If the cylinders of calor gas are infrequently used store outdoors in a well ventilated area away from sources of ignition and oxidising gases.
If they are obsolete, arrange for them to be removed as hazardous waste. / TH /
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
Physical Hazards – Work Equipment
Some face visors in the welding shop and eye protection elsewhere in the workshop are becoming scratched and worn so that vision is obscured. / Review the eye and face protection equipment in the workshop. Discard and replace all those items which are discoloured or damaged. / TH /
A circular saw is used by a small number of trained staff who have been authorised by the workshop manager. But the nature of the training involved is unclear. It unclear too how other members of staff are prevented from using the saw.
Currently there seems to be no documented list of authorised users. And the risk assessment for this equipment was not available on the day. / Document the risk assessment for the use of this equipment and include: the training and authorisation arrangements; control measures including push stick and jigs; the need for cleanliness, especially the floor area.
Clarify the arrangements for training, authorisation andcontrolling access to this equipment. Notify the Faculty HSM
Consider locking the circular saw off when not in use. / TH
TH
TH /
A cross cut saw (chop saw) which is used on a bench is not currently fixed in place.
No documented assessment has been seen for this equipment. / Document the risk assessment for this saw. Include measures to control dust produced during use.
Fix to the bench to prevent movement during use. / TH /
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
Physical Hazards – Electrical Safety
Electrical cables to the lamps on the Model M grinder (Rm. 8.340a) have the inner (insulated) leads exposed. These may be low voltage, but should be rewired if at mains voltage. / Ask the School electronics technician to determine the voltage.
If these power cables carry main voltage, arrange for them to be rewired. / TH /
Physical Hazards – Noise
Some machines and portable equipment used in the workshop may produce significant levels of noise when in use. In particular, an angle grinder has been found to produce high noise levels in use and a dosimeter should be used to determine potential noise exposure levels. / Notify the Faculty HSM when the angle grinder is schedule to be used again.
Carry out a noise exposure measurement with the equipment user. / TH
ARW /
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
Chemical Hazards
A sandblaster is used occasionally with a blasting medium whose identity was not clear on the day of the inspection. / Determine the identity of the blasting medium and investigate its hazardous properties.
Prepare a risk assessment for the use of this equipment.While the blasting medium itself may be non-hazardous, there is a workplace exposure limit to dust. So the likelihood of dust production and exposure to this dust should be considered..
If the blasting medium turns out to be silica, contact the Faculty HSM. / TH /
Spray painting from aerosol cans is carried out into a fume cupboard in the workshop.
A risk assessment exists at present but it does not record the specific, substance hazards associated with the materials used. / Review and revise the spray painting risk assessment. Include the specific health and safety hazards which are associated with each paint material.
If any of the paint materials are skin or respiratory sensitisers, include this in the assessment and consider the need for health surveillance. / TH /
Comment (with room where appropriate) / Recommendation / Action by / Timescale / Completed
Chemical Hazards
Soldering procedures are carried out in the workshop and a risk assessment identifies fume as a hazard. But the nature of the fume hazard is not specified in the assessment. / Review and revise the risk assessment and specify the hazardous substances which are present in the soldering materials.
If the solders and flux contain lead or rosin (colophony) investigate whether these can be replaced by less hazardous materials.
Reconsider the use of respirators as a control measure. If soldering is carried out in a fume cupboard or with an effective extraction system, respirators may no longer be necessary. / TH /
Several possibly hazardous materials are used in the workshops as cooling and quenching agents, greases and oils. These are referred to in some of the risk assessments, but it is not clear what the associated hazard is in each case. / Obtain safety data sheets for all of these materials.
Review and revise the risk assessments and specify the hazardous nature of substances which are used in the workshop.
Be aware of substances which may produce sensitising reactions or which may promote the growth of micro-organisms as they age. / TH /