It's simple. Reduce accidents and you reduce your costs. But, like everything else in your business or your workshop, to get results, you need to manage health and safety. Below are some guidelines that will provide you the tools you need to help you design and manage an effective health and safety program for your wood working environment.

DUST |MACHINERY | MANUAL HANDLING | VEHICLES | NOISE | SLIPS AND TRIPS

DUST

• Wood dust causes asthma. Carpenters and joiners are 4 times more likely to get asthma compared with the US working population. 
  
• Hardwood dust can cause cancer – particularly of the nose.
  
• Both hardwood and softwood dusts have a WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMIT which must not be exceeded.  WELs are limits on concentrations of dust in the air, averaged over 8 hours.  But because wood dust is an asthmagen, exposure must be reduced as low as is reasonably practicable. 

MACHINERY

• Major injuries caused by machinery.  Plus there were other major injuries caused by kickbacks of timber and ejected cutters. 
• Although overall numbers of major injuries caused by machinery have come down, the trend has slowed down in recent years.
• It is too early to tell whether this is due to the new requirements on braking and tooling
• Over two thirds of accidents occur at just 3 classes of machine: circular saws, vertical spindle moulders, and surface planers. 
• Causes of accidents can largely be attributed to inadequate guarding and poor systems of work, often resulting from insufficient training and supervision.

*p = provisional figure

MANUAL HANDLING

Where do these accidents happen? Manual handling accidents occur across a wide range of activities. The potential for injury is present during:

• handling of timber and board material
• machining and assembly
• handling and storage of the finished product

Various lifting and handling aids are available, and these can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

VEHICLES

Managing for safety is about reducing risks, not eliminating them.

Think about what accidents might happen, and take steps to try and make sure they are avoided. This is called a ‘risk assessment, and every employer has to do it by law.

First, identify the work activities involving vehicles (including visiting vehicles) over a reasonable period (eg over the course of a week).

• arrival and departure;
• travel within the workplace;
• loading, unloading and securing loads;
• sheeting;
• coupling; and
• vehicle maintenance work.

Next, identify the risks associated with these activities. Ask yourself what the possible dangers are, and what is causing those dangers.

• could someone be hit by a moving vehicle?
• Could someone fall from a vehicle, eg while getting in or out, or during loading?
• Or be hit by an object falling from a vehicle?
• Could a vehicle tip over?

• The vehicles themselves.
  • Are they safe and suitable for their use?
  • Are they properly maintained?
  • Do they need to be replaced with new, safer vehicles?
• The routes or roadways used by the vehicles.
  • Are they safe and suitable for the type and number of vehicles using them?
  • Are they properly maintained?
  • Have you considered nearby obstructions, curbs or edges?
• What drivers are doing.
  • Are there pressures on operators that might encourage them to work less safely?
  • For example, do they have to rush to complete their work on schedule?
  • Is there a risk of drivers becoming overtired?
    
• Are they working safely,
  • when getting into or out of vehicles,
  • during loading or unloading,
  • and are they observing routes and speed limits
  • Look for ‘short cuts’ that drivers may be tempted to use in both routes and safety procedures.
• What other people are doing.
  • Are other workers, customers, or members of the public kept clear of workplace vehicles wherever possible?
  • Ask drivers and any other workers at the site (including contractors and visiting drivers) for their views.

NOISE

Some of the noisiest working environments are found in woodworking industries.  People who are exposed to high noise levels, even for a short time, may experience temporary hearing loss.  If they continue to be exposed, serious permanent hearing loss can occur but sufferers often do not realise their hearing is being damaged. 

Exposure to noise can also cause a permanent ringing or whooshing sound in the ears which can be very distressing, particularly when it’s quiet, such as when you are trying to go to sleep.

SLIPS AND TRIPS

When a person slips or trips over, people often laugh and the person feels embarassed.  But when you add up the cost in terms of covering for people absent from work, lost production and legal claims, not to mention the suffering and often long term damage to the victim, it is not funny. 

Slipping and tripping hazards can be managed just like any other hazard. Simple, cost effective solutions can reduce accidents.

Good housekeeping is important – keep gangways clear, clear off-cuts and clean up dust.  These will go a long way to reducing the chance of a serious accident.