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Machine safety – eliminate hazards with legal certainty with expert support
In every production hall, but also in the development departments of an industrial company, there are countless dangers lurking for employees. It doesn't even have to be a machine defect that has fatal consequences for health and safety. Sometimes all it takes is an operating error or the improper handling of hazardous substances in a moment of carelessness. In the interests of people and the environment, legislation therefore requires regular risk assessments to be carried out in order to ensure the operational safety of machinery and work equipment as comprehensively as possible.
A risk assessment in the area of machine safety is based on the official requirements in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG), the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV), the Machinery Directive (2006/42 EC) and the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (GefStoffV).
The sheer number of relevant regulations can easily lead to confusion - it is therefore advisable to entrust the risk assessment to experts who are always “in the know” and know all the current regulations inside out. External experts from outside the company have the advantage of being able to check the machinery with an “outside perspective” and possibly identify sources of danger that are simply overlooked in day-to-day operations.
As part of the risk assessment, not only the machines and systems themselves are inspected, but also all tools and mobile and non-mobile work equipment used by personnel in the course of their work. Areas that require monitoring, such as biogas plants, which pose an explosion hazard, for example, must also be included in the risk assessment.
Plant operators and employers are responsible for risk assessment!
The manufacturer of a machine has the design safety of his product officially certified by the CE mark. This CE marking does not release operators from the obligation to carry out a risk assessment themselves. A new risk assessment is also required as soon as modifications are made to a machine, for example to integrate it into a system. This may only be carried out by qualified experts. The required qualifications can be found in the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health.
A neutral view helps avoid mistakes
Infraserv Höchst's experts are familiar not only with all legal requirements, but also with a wide variety of equipment and know where the greatest potential hazards are usually to be found.
That's your advantage: You hire real specialists to perform your machine safety risk assessment, don't have to worry about bureaucratic red tape and can focus on your day-to-day business.
By the way: Infraserv Höchst and its experts offer independent, expert risk assessments for all key operational areas - from plant safety to laboratory and hazardous substances to the physical and mental health of your employees .
Check it out with Infraserv's specialists!
How safe is your work equipment, systems and machinery? Do you know all the legal requirements for operational safety? Are your employees optimally protected against accidents and health hazards?
Contact us!Clearly defined steps for a perfect risk assessment
Infraserv Höchst's experts take a very systematic approach to all risk assessments. This also applies to machinery safety.
Our checklists, which are constantly updated to reflect current legal and operational requirements, have proven their worth in hundreds of risk assessments for customers and our own operations. In this way, our experts ensure that no aspect of the risk assessment remains unconsidered.
Risk assessment machine safety
1. Analyze the structure of the company and identify work areas
The first step for the risk assessment experts is to get to know the respective company in detail - for example by carrying out inspections and studying existing documentation. Workplaces with comparable work equipment and environmental conditions are then divided into structural units. This facilitates and systematizes the risk assessment in the area of machine safety.
2. Evaluate hazards and risks
The aim is to identify and evaluate all potential hazards that can arise from systems, machines, tools and equipment:
- during assembly and installationduring transportation
- during commissioning
- during operation
- during servicing and maintenance work
- during cleaning
- during dismantling
- during disposal
Employees should be able to feel safe at their workplaces. To ensure this, ...
- Work equipment, work areas and activities are recorded
- Company inspections with visual inspections, visual inspections, suitability for use tests and functional checks of work equipment (BetrSichV § 4)
- Interactions between work equipment checked in accordance with BetrSichV § 18 (3)
- Checked the functionality of protective and safety equipment
- Interviews conducted with employees about sources of danger
- Operating and work instructions, documentation and measured values from machine operation (hazardous substances, noise, emissions ...) evaluated.
3. Determine suitable protective measures
Suitable protective measures are determined in accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, among others. The first step is to check the inherently safe design of machines and systems and then determine which supplementary or technical protective measures need to be taken. Accompanying measures such as user information in the form of warnings and safety instructions or briefings can also be considered.
4. Implement suitable protective measures
A systematic action plan with prioritization, deadlines and the appointment of responsible persons helps to implement the necessary measures
- Technical protective measures such as protective enclosures, emergency shutdowns, etc.
- Organizational protective measures such as the ergonomic design of workstations and short working times in areas with high exposure to noise, vibrations, etc.
- Behavior-related protective measures with training, safety training and workshops
- Personal protective measures, e.g. through personal protective equipment
5. Checking the effectiveness of the protective measures
Once the protective measures have been introduced, their effectiveness is continuously checked, e.g. by means of measurements, site inspections and employee surveys, so that adjustments can be made if necessary.
6. Updating the risk assessment
Risk assessments for machine safety are an ongoing process due to the progressive machine life cycle. Conversions or the introduction of new technologies and changed work processes can also make a new risk assessment necessary.
7. Ongoing documentation of all results and measures
Each individual step of a risk assessment is precisely documented in order to create a solid data basis for future evaluations of the operational safety of a system.
Risk assessments - legally compliant and stress-free - with external experts from Infraserv Höchst
Infraserv Höchst is your partner for expert risk assessments in all relevant areas - from machine safety and hazardous substances to laboratories and noise.
We can also help your company fulfill its obligation to conduct risk assessments. With our expertise, we can quickly identify where there is a need for action in your company.
