|User|

Procurement of machinery

Procurement

When a manufacturer is tasked with designing a machine to the user’s specifications, communication of the requirements, such as in the form of a specification, is essential. These include, for example:

• Special requirements with regard to ease of maintenance (e.g. safe and particularly easy access to areas already known to be highly prone to failure)
• Safe means of intervention, for example for setup of the machine
• Tasks essential to operation of the machine

The requirements enable the manufacturer to identify the customer’s specific needs and develop a suitable safety concept.

All groups of personnel working with the machine to be procured should be involved in creation of the requirements specification:

• Operating personnel
• Setup personnel
• Maintenance personnel
• Cleaning personnel (if applicable)

This enables particular requirements for operation, troubleshooting, cleaning and ease of maintenance of the machine to be taken into account.

The job safety analysis should be launched in advance of the machine’s procurement. It should take account of the conditions in the machine’s intended environment and the organizational and personnel arrangements.

Transfer

At transfer of the machine from the manufacturer to the user, the latter must check that all tasks can be performed safely without creating any impermissible incentive for safeguards to be defeated. It is important that the machine be tested in all operating states and operating modes, particularly in setup mode and during troubleshooting.

Particular attention should be paid to whether the manufacturer must disable safeguards in order to erect and set up the machinery. Should this be necessary, it should be questioned whether similar interventions can be carried out following commissioning without the need for safeguards to be defeated and without giving rise to an incentive to do so.

A clear description of use of the machine is important for its operation. The operating instructions should address the following aspects:

• Detailed instructions for setup, troubleshooting and maintenance
• Description of the safeguards and their function

Trial operation represents the last stage in the machine’s life cycle that still lies fully within the manufacturer’s responsibility. The user may clear the machine for use only once all identified defects have been rectified and assessment has shown the incentive to defeat safeguards to be sufficiently low.

With acceptance of the machine, responsibility passes from the manufacturer to the user, and the machine is deemed placed on the market.

Commissioning

Employers are obliged under European law to provide their employees with safe work equipment. The manufacturer’s declaration of conformity serves as the basis for this obligation. Through the declaration of conformity, the manufacturer assures, for example, that a machine satisfies the basic safety requirements of the Machinery Directive applicable in Europe.

Any potential incentives for defeating of safeguards should already have been addressed by the manufacturer during development of the machine’s safety concept. However, the machine’s operating environment at the user’s premises may give rise to new incentives for defeating. The same applies to new hazards arising from the linking of machines or interaction between the machine and its environment at the installation site, and requiring new risk reduction measures. Here too, the safety concept must take account of possible incentives for safeguards to be defeated. For this reason, the job safety analysis that was initiated at the machine’s procurement must be continued before the machine is put into service for the first time. If necessary, suitable measures must be taken to eliminate any hazards.

The job safety analysis covers all operations to be performed during the machine’s life cycle. This includes work performed less frequently, such as setup, cleaning, inspection, maintenance or repair of the machine.

The job safety analysiss must also cover instruction of the operating personnel and their qualifications. It yields measures relating to instruction and training of operating personnel in safety and aspects specific to the machine, as well as technical measures.

The machine may not be commissioned until the user has determined that it can be used safely under the current conditions and without a safeguard having to be defeated.

Operating procedure

Any residual risks revealed by the job safety analysis are included in the operating procedure for the machine. To ensure that all tasks are carried out safely by operating personnel, operating procedures must be drawn up for these tasks, and the operating personnel must be instructed accordingly. This prevents employees from defeating safeguards merely because they are unaware of safe working practices.

One purpose of an operating procedure is to provide information on hazards and safety measures, and detailed information on safe troubleshooting, setup, cleaning and maintenance of the machine. If you have established a reporting system in your company for problems associated with machinery or safeguards, the procedure for reporting problems and the relevant contact persons should be specified in the operating procedure (see Operation of machinery). The operating procedure should be affixed permanently and within sight of the machine, and its contents kept up to date.

The information provided in the operating procedure should be elaborated in detail in a description of the machine’s function, setup instructions and maintenance instructions with reference to each machine and its use in practice.

Instruction of employees

Employees must be provided with instruction before they are permitted to work on a machine or in proximity to it. Instruction must cover at least the following points:

• The functionality of the machine
• Safe use of the machine and the materials used
• An explanation of all possible operating modes
• Correct execution of the work steps
• Explanation of the residual risks
• Persons to be contacted for maintenance, servicing and occupational safety
• PPE to be used, if applicable

After receiving instruction, employees must be capable of working safely at or near the machine.

The topic of defeating of safeguards should be raised regularly during both instruction of employees on use of a specific machine, and in regular safety instruction.