Machine Safety Risk Assessment Checklist
Safeguard your manufacturing environment and increase employee safety with a proper machine risk assessment. elobau has outlined questions that should be considered when assessing mechanical hazards and occupational risks. Our risk assessment is intended to serve as a general-purpose overview of precautions to take when safeguarding your workspace. We recommend consulting a risk assessor or safety professional for your specific safety equipment needs. elobau is not liable for any issues that may arise due to a lack of proper hazard identification or risk management.
Machine Risk Assessment Considerations
- What is the intended use of this machine?
- Is the mean number of annual operations (Nop) defined?
- Have the tasks been defined for the equipment and its intended use?
- Have associated operating hazards been identified when working with the equipment?
- Have all hazardous motions been identified?
- Have all power sources been identified (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, gravitational)?
- Who is responsible for the safety of the equipment?
- Have all out devices (OTE) been identified (actuators, motors, valves)?
- Has process protection been considered when using the equipment?
- Will multiple workers be using this equipment?
- Have they been trained?
- Do they know the hazards involved with operating this equipment?
- Will additional training be required for risk reduction?
- When and how is the equipment maintained?
- Is Lock out / Tag out process defined?
- Do residual risks exist when power sources are removed?
- Have maintenance personnel been trained and informed of residual risks?
- Have additional provisions been taken to limit their exposure to residual hazards (press blocks, mechanical stops, enabling devices, PPE)?
- Has the manufacturer-supplied safety device been installed?
- Are they sufficient for required safety in the application?
- Are they properly functioning?
- Have they been validated in accordance with relevant safety standards (ISO13849-2)?
Machine Safety Risk Assessment for Tasks and Equipment
- Is the person doing the risk assessment an expert at operating the equipment?
- Have Hazard Discover Strategies been implemented?
- Professional Machine Safeguarding Audits
- Machine Risk Assessment Process (ANSI B11, ISO 12100)
- Plant Walkthroughs
- Does the risk assessor understand all the tasks required of the equipment?
- Individual Audit
- Team task-based Audit
- IS there additional information that can assist with the process of risk assessment?
- plant layouts
- power transmission schematics
- operator manuals
- modification documents
- operator tasks
- maintenance tasks/schedule
- Who should be available during a risk assessment?
- Safety Professional (Functional Safety Engineer)
- Machine operators
- Maintenance personal
- Supervisors
- AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)
Machine Risk Assessment for Safety Devices and Functions
- Are the existing safety devices in compliance with required safety standards (i.e. ISO, ANSI, IEC, OSHA, UL)?
- What are the required functions for mediating Risk?
- What is the Severity (S) of injury if exposed to the hazard?
- S1 Slight – i.e. normally reversible Injury (Note: wording matches ISO13849-1)
- S2 Serious-i.e. normally irreversible injury, death
- What is the Frequency (F) and/or exposure to the hazard?
- F1- Seldom-to-less-often and/or exposure time is short.
- F2- frequent-to-continuous and/or exposure time is long
- What is the Possibility (P) of avoiding hazards or limiting the harm?
- P1- possible under specific conditions
- P2- scarcely possible
- Are the existing safety devices and safety functions designed for Performance Level required? (PLr)