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The most common metal guillotine injuries are crushed or amputated fingers.
Most of these accidents are not caused by the blade of the guillotine, but by the clamps that hold the sheet of metal being cut. Other injuries are from fingers jamming under the sheet of metal being cut, and strain injuries while handling large and awkward sheets of metal.
By law, guillotines must be guarded, operators must be trained and safe work procedures must be developed to prevent injuries.
The following topics can be used as a guide for toolbox meetings to identify workplace hazards and to reduce the risks of metal guillotines.
Are the metal cutting guillotines in your workplace adequately guarded? See the Code of practice - Safeguarding of machinery and plant for general and practical guidance.
Are the guards rigid, of adequate strength, and securely attached so they cannot be removed from the guillotine without tools?
Are all openings and clearances in and around the guard designed to prevent fingertips reaching the holding clamps or blade?
Is the back of the guillotine guarded to prevent another person reaching the blade from the rear?
Are other dangerous moving parts, such as the flywheel, gears or shafts, also guarded?
Safe work procedures should be developed in consultation with employees and health and safety representatives and reviewed regularly to make sure they remain effective.
It is an unsafe practice for two people to work at a guillotine unless both operators are provided with interlocked actuating devices (usually a foot control). However in some guillotine operations, for example cutting large sheets, two operators may be required to manoeuvre sheets into position before cutting. For such operations safe systems of work, such as safe work procedures should be developed to control any hazards.
Does your workplace have written safe work procedures on or near the guillotine to describe the safe way of using the guillotine that ensure:
Is the guillotine in your workplace set up to reduce the risk of injury, with the following safety essentials provided?
Is there anything about the type of work you do that may cause injury?
Work materials should be laid out to minimise twisting, bending, stretching, reaching or carrying when handling sheets of metal - a fork lift or pallet lifter should be used to position sheets of metal at waist height next to the guillotine?
Caution should be exercised when guillotines used for cutting objects too small to be handled safely - a prominent notice warning against this should be fixed to the machine and clear instructions provided.
Gloves should be provided and worn for jobs that involve handling metal with sharp edges.
Have all guillotine operators in your workplace been given appropriate instruction and training that includes:
Are all trainee guillotine operators closely supervised by someone with a thorough knowledge of the mechanics and safety of the machine until they are fully trained in its use?
Is on-going supervision provided, to ensure safe work practices are being followed and the machines are working safely and efficiently?
Does supervision include:
Maintenance
Is the guillotine in your workplace adequately maintained? Is there:
Are isolating switches provided, and are lock-out and tagging procedures used during maintenance work on machinery such that:
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