Accident and near miss prompts safety alerts
14 July 2010
Please find attached 2 safety alerts received from Australia,
which relate to an accident and a near miss in the paper
industry.
These have also been distributed by the CPI, and we would expect
relevant companies to establish whether similar events could happen
in their operations, and follow the suggested corrective
actions.
In relation to the rider roll incident, the
UK guidance in ‘Rewinding Paper Safely’, which applies to all
machines, new and old, is clear about control measures and
safeguards on these type of machines.
In addition, it is good industry practice for all companies to
ensure that:
- A thorough ‘task related’ risk assessment is undertaken to
identify ALL those tasks, including the infrequently performed
ones, which could potentially involve working inside enclosures or
removing/disturbing guards or safety devices. Include predictive
human error types e.g. operator mistimed action error, and ask what
the worst foreseeable outcome would be if things went wrong.
- All necessary isolations are in place for both standard and non
routine operations. This should include ensuring that equipment is
isolated from the power, that there is no residual pressure in the
system likely to cause any part of the equipment to move in such a
way as to cause harm, and that moving parts have been secured as
appropriate in order to prevent them from moving.
- Training arrangements are reviewed to ensure that all operators
are fully trained and competent to complete the tasks expected of
them.
- Any manual intervention is strictly controlled by an agreed
SSoW and that measures are in place to monitor compliance.
SAFETY
ALERT - Operator Injured by Rider Roll
SAFETY ALERT - Near Miss Paper Machine Primary Arm Clamp
Failure
