Safe system of work needed when dismantling machinery

Categories: General Health and Safety |


Safe system of work needed when dismantling machinery Working with heavy machinery always carries its own set of dangers, so employers should ensure that they complete proper risk assessments before allowing staff to approach such equipment.

A demolition company was recently prosecuted for not risk assessing an operation in which an employee died after a weight from a hydraulic excavator fell on him.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors found the company had not sufficiently planned the dismantling task, nor had it implemented a safe system of work for the staff involved.

The man who died was effectively left to decide how to carry out the task as it progressed, said HSE inspector Russell Berry.

"In failing to carry out a risk assessment for this job and failing to plan a safe method of carrying out the work, [the demolition company] failed to protect [the worker] and it cost him his life," he added.

Safety helmets (approved to EN397) must be used when there is a danger of falling objects. Bump caps can be worn when there is a need to protect against accidental bumping of the head (for example, overhead piping or other fixed obstacles).
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