Dangerous parts of machines are responsible for many accidents at work
Your employer’s primary responsibility is to take preventive measures in securing hazardous equipment likely to cause personal injury to those who work at them or come close to them.
The measures your employer must take should include the following:
• Provide fixed guards enclosing every dangerous part or rotating stock-bar;
• Provide other guards or protection devices where and to the extent that it is practical;
• Provide jigs, holders, push-sticks or similar protection appliances used in conjunction with machinery where and to the extent that it is practical to do so, and
• Provide information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary.
Guards and protective devices must be strong, difficult to defeat and appropriately maintained.
Common ways dangerous parts of machinery cause injury • By trapping the victim when part of the body or an item of clothing is drawn into a gap.
• By crushing, for example, when a hand or other part of the body is caught by machine.
• By coming into contact with an abrasive surface of a rotating wheel at high speed.
• When a projection on a machine catches part or the whole body of the victim.
• When a moving part of a machine strikes part of the victim.
• When a machine throws out bits of material being worked on.
The law requires your employer to make sure that access to dangerous parts of machines are prevented or, if access is needed, to ensure that machines are stopped before any part of the person’s body reaches the danger zones.
If you have suffered injuries in an
accident at work caused by a dangerous part of a machine, you should seek assistance from specialist personal injury solicitors who have experience of conducting cases where people have been injured by dangerous parts of machinery. You need specialist help to improve your chances of success and to get maximum compensation.
Asiimwe Balinda
Personal injury solicitor