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North-West Tasmania Woodcraft Guild Inc.
Occupational Health & Safety Policy & Procedures
Policy
The North-West Woodcraft Guild Inc. is committed to providing its members, guests and visitors with, as much as practicable, a safe environment during guild activities.
Induction Processes
Each member shall be issued with a copy of the Guild’s OH&S policy and shall have a brief introduction to the key points thereof by the person proposing the new member.
Invited visitors to the Guild who are to provide demonstrations involving cutting tools shall be appraised on the Guild’s OH&S policy by the member who issues the invitation. The visitors shall acknowledge their agreement to abide by the policy before commencing their demonstration by signing a copy of the policy. This signed copy will be retained on file by the Guild.
Members must be authorised as an Authorised Operator or Competent Operator on a particular machine before commencing to operate that machine without supervision. A member can become an Authorised Operator by demonstrating their full understanding of the requirements to a minimum of two Competent Operators. The Competent Operator will assess the member using a set checklist that will be subsequently retained on record.
A Competent Operator is a person who is able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of all aspects of the operation and maintenance of a particular machine. They also have a number of years experience with using the type of machine involved.
Incidents and Accidents
All incidents and accidents that occur during Guild activities shall be reported to a member of the Guild executive committee as soon as possible. The event shall be investigated with a view to preventing a recurrence and a report prepared. The report shall be tabled at the next meeting of the Guild executive committee who will initiate any further required action.
Personal Protective Equipment
· Eye Protection. Safety glasses, safety face shields or full face protective shields shall be worn at all Guild activities by the operators of powered equipment and spectators in the potential hazard zone. Prescription spectacles are not classified as safety glasses unless they are specifically designated as such.
· Dust Protection. Where Guild activities generate wood dust the use of personal protection particulate masks and dust collection systems shall be applied as appropriate.
· Footwear. Fully enclosed shoes shall be worn at all Guild activities involving the use of edge tools, machine tools of either fixed or hand held, and activities involving the movement of timber.
Workshop Practice
· Housekeeping. Floor areas are to be maintained clear of sawdust and other debris. Any trip or slip hazards are to be removed.
· Machine Guarding. All machinery shall be operated with the manufacturer’s guards in place. If there is a specific need to operate a machine with a guard removed, it is only to be done by a Competent Operator and the guard shall be reattached before the machine is subsequently used.
· Securing work piece. In machining operations where the tool is moved over a stationary work piece, the work piece shall be appropriately secured during the operation.
· Clothing, jewellery, hair. Loose clothing, and in particular ties, shall not be worn by any person operating rotating machinery. Long hair shall be appropriately restrained and covered. The use of loose fitting gloves shall be avoided when using machinery with power feeding mechanisms. Care should be taken if jewellery or rings are worn to ensure they do not create a potential snag point.
· Workplace communications. During wood machining operations, other persons who may be present shall not distract the operator by communications not related to the task. Persons operating power tools should notify others in the vicinity before the tool is switched on.
· Ergonomics.
The adoption of a position or stance during wood machining operation where a slip could cause the operator to enter the cutting zone of the tooling shall be avoided. All hand fed machining operations should be conducted as far as practicable such that the hands are not in the direct feeding line into the tooling.
· Compressed Air
Compressed air shall not be used to clean machinery or to remove dust from clothing.
· Machinery training and operating practice. Machines shall be operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and, in particular, in accordance with any limits set or recommended by the manufacturer for the machine or its attached tooling. In addition to this, the Operation Summary Guide produced by the Guild for the particular machine (where on exists) must be thoroughly read and any instructions followed.
All persons operating machines must be authorised to do so either as an Authorised Operator for the particular machine or by being under the supervision of a Competent Operator of the particular machine.
Persons unfamiliar with machines or tooling or ancillary jigs etc. shall seek guidance and be thoroughly instructed in their use by a Competent Operator prior to starting operations.
A pre start check shall be conducted on all machines to ensure safety, integrity, cleanliness, appropriate setting and adjustment and the tooling is sharp and appropriate for the task at hand.
Machines shall be locked out or otherwise physically disconnected form power before adjustments, replacement to tooling etc are made. Where such activities are interrupted, the machine must remain locked out or, if a lock out is not available, the machine must remain physically disconnected from power. In this latter event, a prominent sign must be attached to the machine to indicate that it may not be started until the adjustment is completed.
Tooling changes on machines, where these are not a normal part of the operation, shall only be undertaken by a person authorised as a Competent Operator. The Competent Operator shall undertake a detailed physical check of the machine following completion of tooling changes or other repair work to ensure the machine is safe to operate.
Machines that drive cutting tools shall not be left running unattended or left to run down unattended.
In the event of an undesirable event such as kickback, timber shatter, timber jam or metal passing through a cutting edge, the machine shall be shut down and thoroughly inspected by a Competent Operator. If no Competent Operator is available at the time, the machine should be unplugged from the power source and a sign placed on it advising that it requires a check before being restarted.
· Timber Inspection. All timber planned for machining shall be inspected for presence of foreign bodies or inherent faults that could give rise to a hazard during machining. If metal is accidentally encountered during processing by a machine connected to a dust extractor, the dust hopper should be inspected to ensure there is no spark induced fire.
Electrical Safety
· Extension leads shall be inspected for damage visible as cuts or abrasions and for loose connections. Extension leads supplied on reel systems shall be fully unwound prior to use.
· All leads to portable tools shall be inspected for integrity as part of the prestart check and replaced if damaged.
Emergency Medical Form
Members are encouraged to fill out a medical form to assist treatment in the case of an emergency. These forms remain sealed in their envelope and are stored in the safe to ensure confidentiality. Medical forms should be renewed annually.
Application of OH&S policy
The principles contained in this document shall be followed by all Guild members while involved in Guild activities. If any member is observed to be acting in contravention of this document during a Guild activity, the observing member has a responsibility to demand the immediate modification of the errant practice. If agreement on the requirements cannot be reached, details of the dispute are to be referred to the Guild executive for follow up via an incident report.