It’s easy to make excuses especially when it helps you to avoid doing extra work or saves you time and money. Unfortunately, excuses can be very risky too, it may even cost a life. Ask yourself, are you willing to take that risk?
Machine guarding needs to be taken seriously. Machine Guarding is intended to protect workers from coming into contact with hazards. The philosophy is simple, ‘if it can hurt an employee, it must be guarded’. The machine guarding standards identify ways to protect workers.
Many companies have taken industrial machine guarding very seriously, but accidents statistics indicate there are still companies that choose to put workers at risk. These companies’ uses all the excuses under their belt when something goes wrong. Some of the excuses for not following machine guarding standards are:
1) “We never thought that could happen at our plant!”
Well, accidents do not send you a memo before accidents happen. We need to be in compliance with the machine guarding standards industrial setting where machineries operate. In 2017, 951 workplace fatalities were recorded in Canada, an increase of 46 from the previous year. Among these deaths were 23 young workers aged 15-24. Following safety standards could take machine guarding to the next level.
2) “The guards were hard to work with so we removed it!”
Doing that not only puts life at risk but is also illegal. When employers or workers remove guards, it’s often because the equipment wasn’t professionally designed or installed. This is where a Pre-Start Health and Safety review comes in handy to help identify risks that could be potentially harmful and rectify it. This will help keep guards where they belong.
3) “Being safe costs money.”
Well, so do lawsuits. And they cost a lot more! Safety actually saves you money at the end of the day, which is what companies are finding out now especially when it comes to industrial guarding. So, it is better to be safe than sorry! Following machine guarding standards could avoid exposing an employee to hazards.
4) “We really don’t need help”
Is that so? Well, we beg to differ. By conducting a PSR of any new or old equipment could help avoid destructive damages to life and property. Safety consultants are trained to identify non-compliant machinery and seeking their help can help you keep a safe environment which can also improve overall productivity.
Cut the excuses and contact SAFE Engineering Inc., Canada’s Leading Safety Compliance Systems Integration Company for conducting machine guarding.
As a leading safety compliance systems integration company, our safety engineering consultants possess years of experience, in-depth knowledge, and 100 percent dedication to identifying potential risks and report them back to you, the client. We can help you reduce risks, save time and money, and improve overall productivity. It’s time to start protecting your business, contact SAFE Engineering today!
