Three Steps to Preventing Machine Injuries

This presentation describes three critical steps to improve industrial machine safety: motivation, discovery and control. It is important to prevent machine injuries in order to fulfill our social responsibility to prevent human injury, our corporate responsibility to comply with laws and regulations and our goals to prevent disruptive fines and costs. 

Once motivated to take action, we must discover hazards that require mitigation. Strategies for hazard discovery include professional machine safeguarding audits, risk assessments and plant walkthroughs. After hazards are discovered, they must be controlled by applying the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls. This methodology, originally developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), prescribes the priority, sequence and effectiveness of risk reduction methods. As part of engineering controls, mechanical guarding, control reliability and functional safety are explored. Lastly, administrative risk reduction measures are considered.

After completing this webinar, attendees will become familiar with a three-step process to identify and reduce the risks associated with industrial machinery.

Objectives:

• Understand a three-step process to identify and reduce the risks associated with industrial machinery
• Understand common motivators for improving machine safety
• Develop a framework for hazard recognition and the Hierarchy of Controls
• Understand the relative effectiveness of risk reduction methods such as elimination, machine guarding, control reliability, functional safety systems, and administrative controls

In today’s highly competitive environment, machine safety is essential to good business practices. A trusted, third-party safety expert provides you with expertise and real-world experience.  Machinery hazards can be identified, assessed, and mitigated to limit exposure to risk. Learn workplace safety requirements and U.S. machine safety regulations from the experts at UL.

Co-presenters:

• John Kovacik, PE, Principal engineer for machinery
• Ken Hackworth, PE, Functional safety engineer