Risk Control Procedures

Introduction

This document has the purpose of ensuring that staff in RSISE use workshop equipment safely at all times. To this end, the document contains three main parts. First, each piece of workshop equipment at RSISE is categorised into one of four categories, according to the risk of injury associated with its use. Second, safe working practices for each category of equipment are detailed. Workshop users must adhere to, at the very minimum, the procedures detailed in this document for the category of equipment being operated. The third, and final, part of this document lists a set of rules and procedures relating to the general use of the workshops in RSISE.

Equipment Classification

Workshop equipment has been classified into one of four categories, A, B, C and D, according to the risk of injury to the operator associated with its use. The categories, and the equipment in each of those categories for the Room B335 Workshop are:

  Mechanical Chemical   Electrical  
  Category A:
Low Risk 		  All unpowered handtools not listed in Categories B, C and D of this table.   Flux, acetone, metho, kero, turps, glues (PVA, araldite), WD40,grease, PCB cleaner, etc   Bench-top power supply, Multimeters, Soldering/desoldering Iron, Signal generator, digital and analogue cro's, logic tester, digital pulser
  Category B:
Medium Risk 		  Hot air gun, hot glue gun, cordless and non-cordless drills, Dremel tool   Oil based paints, spray paints, pcb etchant, (hydrochloric acid)   None
  Category C:
High Risk 		  none   None   None
  Category C:
High Risk 		  None   None   None

The classification of equipment into each of the categories A, B, C and D for the Spring Valley Farm Workshop are:

  Mechanical Chemical   Electrical  
  Category A:
Low Risk 		  All unpowered handtools not listed in Categories B, C and D of this table. The manual press and notching machine are included in this category   Flux,metho, kero, turps, glues (PVA, araldite), gearbox oil, high visc. machine oil, lubricants (WD40, rtd spray, ultracut), grease, etc   none
  Category B:
Medium Risk 		  All powered handtools not listed in Categories C and D. This includes: Compressed air, spot welder, cordless and non-cordless drills, bench grinder/linisher, angle grinder, die grinder, drop saw (timber)   none   None
  Category C:
High Risk 		  Lathe, Mill, Bandsaw, Drill press, Guillotine/Folder, Electric Arc Welder, TIG Welder, Oxygen/Acetylene kit, Drop saw (metal)   None   None
  Category C:
High Risk 		  None   None   None

 

Risk Control Procedures

The procedures detailed in this section provide a guide to safe working practice for equipment in each of the categories A to D above. They have been formulated in accordance with the " Risk Management Protocol for Workshops " document detailed in the OH & S unit " Workshop Safety " Manual. Note that these procedures are the absolute minimum requirement - ie in addition to any procedures learned by workshop users during training for specific pieces of equipment.

Category A:

  • Protective footwear is required.
  • Protective clothing/dustcoat may be required to prevent street clothes from getting dirty.
  • Eye protection is recommended.
  • Hair should be tied back to prevent entanglement.
  • Barrier creams may be beneficial in simplifying cleaning hands.
  • All work should be securely fixed to a workbench or some other means to prevent slippage.
  • Work practices should be employed that minimise the generation of dust, vapours or aerosols.
  • General workshop ventilation should be adequate to control dust, vapours and aerosols.

Category B:

  • Protective footwear must be worn.
  • Protective clothing/dustcoat may be required to prevent street clothes from getting dirty.
  • Eye (and face) protection must be worn.
  • Hearing protection may be required.
  • Hair should be tied back to prevent entanglement.
  • Barrier creams may be beneficial in simplifying cleaning hands. Some processes may require the use of protective gloves.
  • All work should be securely fixed to a workbench or some other means to prevent unintentional movement.
  • Work practices should be employed that minimise the generation of dust, vapours or aerosols.
  • Local exhaust ventilation may be required in addition to general workshop ventilation, to control dust, vapours and aerosols.
  • Loose clothing should be restrained or removed.
  • Work must be restricted to normal working hours.
  • A supervisor, fellow worker, or other person must be present or easily contactable.

Category C:

  • All Category B requirements must be in place.
  • Specialised protective equipment may be required. Eg. Respirators, harnesses, welding helmet, etc.
  • Specialised training and awareness of this equipment and its use must be provided.
  • Work must be restricted to normal working hours.
  • A supervisor, fellow worker, or other person must be present or easily contactable.

Category D:

  • Not applicable in RSISE at this time (March 2002).

General Workshop Rules and Procedures

The following rules and procedures are applicable to RSISE workshops at all times.

  1. RSISE workshop induction is required for both Spring Valley and Rm 335 workshop.
  2. Work at Spring Valley Farm Workshop must not be undertaken alone. Every worker must operate within visual or verbal range of another person.
  3. Children are prohibited at all times from entering any RSISE workshop.
  4. Where possible, use of equipment in Categories B, C and D should be confined to normal working hours.
  5. Workshop users must clean up after themselves - returning all tools and equipment to their appropriate cupboards, and all materials, scraps and cut-offs to the material storage racks and bins as appropriate.
  6. Fourth year honours students who have undertaken the appropriate courses can access any of the equipment in the workshop at Spring Valley Farm. However, they must be accompanied in the workshop by an RSISE staff member whose role it is to ensure that safe working practices are maintained at all times, and who is first-aid certified.
  7. All injuries, exposures, and dangerous occurences should be reported (to the workshop manager or higher level management) as per university and school policy http://rsise.anu.edu.au/?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=152

    . In addition, any hazard or risk to personnel safety identified in the workshop area should also be reported.