Workplace safety through machine design

Some recent studies have shown that the majority of workplace fatalities involving machinery are related in some way to machine design issues. This article uses that statistic to highlight the feasibility of reducing risk by following certain machine safety suggestions. An example of a suggestion includes, more training for proper machine operators not only in the usage and maintenance of equipment but also the machine safety features. A specific example of a safety feature in machine design are the emergency stop buttons. The article not only calls for installing emergency stop buttons, but further advises placing them in locations easily accessible to workers and educating on the proper times for their use. Another point made is that machine safety design should never interfere with productivity. Ideally, machine designers should be able to blend both excellent safety with little impact to overall productivity.  Read the full article on Ferret.com.au.

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