Circular Saw: Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example

Occupational Health and Safety For the purpose of this work, the focus will be on the use of a circular saw in a woodwork, cabinet and joinery company. There will be an assessment of the safeguard measures put in place. A comparison of the safeguard measures with to the code of practice will follow this assessment. These will include assessing the appropriate work area, the maintenance of the saws, employee training and use of personal protective equipment. Regulations and Code of Practice The plant is an industrial establishment located in Ontario, Canada. Therefore the applicable code of practice that covers this workplace is determined and stated in the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.1 PART III.1; 32.1-32.4). The plant is covered under the Industrial Establishment regulation of the OHS act (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851, s.3.). The Ontario act and the regulations for industrial establishment Work Environment The plant has an open layout. The layout is segmented into various sections where specialized work is carried out. The circular saw is located in the carpentry and joinery section. Although the plant employs 50 workers, only about 10 employees are trained in the use of the circular saw. Design of Circular Saw The circular saw used is an electrically powered saw. It uses its own electrical outlet and cannot be operated by any other means. It was first installed about 8 years ago by the manufacturers and is fully owned by the company. There are 5 circular saws in the work area; two are with radius of about 10 inches and the others about 8 inches in diameter. The circular saw has procedures of use that details maintenance time-lines, hours of operation and troubleshooting. Above all the designers and manufacturers have outlined in the operation manual that only authorized persons should operate the equipment. The manufactures have also suggested a restricted work area. Part A: Examination and Assessment of the Existing Levels of Physical or Procedural Safeguarding An assessment of workplace safeguard measures for the plant reveal the following areas of non compliance; (a) Work Area of Circular Saw The work area is prone to many physical hazards. Some of the identifiable ones include slips and falls, loud noise and flying debris. (i) The area is not clearly marked as a restricted area. Un-authorised personnel usually occupy it. (ii) The work area is not clear of debris such as dust and wood chips. The sanitation and maintenance is performed at the discretion of the operators, usually after long periods. (b) Employee Training The manufacturers (designers) have provided training manuals for the equipment. However, (i) Newly assigned workers including temporary workers do not receive the prescribed level of training before operating the saw. (ii) Workers from other sections of the plant frequently use the saws without training or supervision. (iii) Training updates on use of the saw is not scheduled for any of the workers. (iv) The manuals of operation for the section (including for circular saw equipment) are not in full display therefore are hardly referenced by employees. (c) Maintenance of Equipment Regular and periodic maintenance is prescribed by the manufacturer of the circular saw. The assessment of the equipment maintenance is as follows: (i) Pre-use: there is no operational checklist prior to use of the circular saw. Therefore the saw is not always checked for lodged bits and chips stuck under the blades. The saw is not checked for performance before use e.g. there is no testing of emergency stops. (ii) Post-use: Debris from operating the saw is not cleared from away. Guards are not always deployed to restrict blade movement during cleaning. Electrical power is not turned off during post operation use. (iii) Manufacturers have completed a scheduled maintenance of the equipment. (d) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) The use of PPE is left to the discretion of the workers. An assessment revealed the following non-compliance: (i) The regulations' governing the use of personal protective equipment is not enforced. (ii) Earplugs and other PPE are not readily provided or available. (iii) Operating persons do not use these PPE at all required times. (iv) There is no hazard sign warning of noise levels in this area. Part B: Evaluating Plant Compatibility with the Ontario Health and Safety Act As stated earlier, the Ontario OHS Act stipulates the code of practice for this industry. The code reflects industry best practices and health and safety tips for carpentry and joinery. The evaluation of the plant's compatibility to the act focuses on the areas where non-compliance is been observed and discussed in the previous section. These areas include; (a) Work Area Access and Housekeeping The plant's work area is not compliant with the Ontario OHS act. The act (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851, s.11-20) prescribes the general care of the premises. It further stipulates that all floor surface be kept free of obstructions and hazards. This translates to the following; (i) Work area around the circular saws should be kept clear and tidy. (ii) All shavings and excess materials including off-cuts should be removed from walkways and work areas. (iii) There should be routine housekeeping and sanitation of the work areas, i.e. dust removal; there should be a good and efficient dust extraction system. There must be appropriate ventilation and exhaust controls in place. (b) Training The plant's training procedure is not compatible with the requirements of the Act. The act requires that the employer shall have appropriate training programs for workers, supervisors as may be prescribed. It also stipulates that the employer "post, in the workplace, a copy any explanatory material outlining the rights, responsibilities and duties of workers" (R.S.O. 1990, c.O.1, s.26.) (c) Machinery and Equipment The failure of the employer to maintain the equipment contravenes the safety code. According to the act, duties of employers include provision and maintenance of the equipment (R.S.O. 1990, c.O.1, s.25.). It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure the equipment is maintained and operated in proper conditions as specified by the manufacturer at all times. (d) Personal Protective Equipment the non-use of personal protective equipment in the plant is not in compliance with the regulations. (i) The act (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851, s.79-86) stipulates among other things that "a worker is required to wear or use any protective clothing, equipment or device shall be instructed and trained in its care and use before wearing the protective clothing, equipment or device." (s. 79.) (ii) With respect to the non-use of earplugs, Part III (Industrial Hygiene) of the act states "every employer shall take all measures reasonably necessary in the circumstances to protect workers from exposure to hazardous sound levels." (O.Reg. 565/06, s.2.) (iii) Also to ensure compliance the plant must post a clearly visible warning sign at every approach to an area in the workplace where the sound level regularly exceeds 85 dBA. (O.Reg. 565/06, s.2.) Conclusion The plant has however adhered to regulation in the installation of its circular saw equipment. There are however compliance issues regarding maintenance and enforcements. Generally, the plant's safety procedures are insufficient when compared to the Industrial Establishments regulations of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. The duties of the employers are not fully met with respect to work area, maintenance, the training of workers and use of personal protective equipment. The plant is also not in compliance as it relates to the duties of the workers as prescribed by the Act; un-authorized persons in restricted areas, failure to adhere to safe work procedures. References Occupational Health and Safety Act 2007. 'R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.1.' [Online]. Ontario Ministry of Labour. Viewed April 10, 2009, < http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90o01_e.htm#s26s1> Regulation 851 'R.R.O. 1990. 'Industrial Establishments'. Occupational Health and Safety Act 2007. [Online]. Ontario Ministry of Labour. VIEWED APRIL 10, 2009, Read More