Thousands of people in the UK are employed in jobs which require the use of dangerous machinery. In 2004/5 57 plant, process and machine operatives were killed whilst carrying out work tasks compared to 2 people in administrative and secretarial occupations. Wood working machinery causes more injuries from work accidents than machinery in any other sector.

The risks to health are obvious, machines with movable working parts carry the risk of trapping workers, between rollers or cogs, entangling limbs, when there are rotating or moving parts or ejection, from grinding wheels or drills. Personal injuries can also be caused by straightforward contact with moving parts such as drill or sander which can cause abrasions or friction burns.

Workers are also at risk from non mechanical faults and hazards such as electrical risks, noise, vibration, dust and fumes. All of these can cause considerable work related injury from electrocution to dust related cancers.

By law all machinery should have safety guards so that moving or dangerous parts are kept away from reach. If dangerous parts are within reach then they should be properly covered to prevent access. If guards can be removed, for example to be cleaned, then proper supervision should be given in order that operatives do not remove the guard at any other time.

Guidelines to prevent a work accident

In order to prevent an accident at work that could potentially endanger someone