Safety zones around machines

[bloggs1968]

Hi all,

Anyone know where I can find online details of dimensions of clearance zones around machinery. Sometimes in large factories you see a yellow line painted around a machine which marks out the space that is for the sole use of the operator. I'm not even sure what the correct term is but I am sure someone here can enlighten me.

TIA

AD

[yaryetnom]

Dealing with this at work at the moment. I don't think there is any set standards I have looked at a couple of different States legislation WA Qld & SA and there is reference to painted walkways & exclusion zones but no guidance. The emphasis is on physical guards as painted lines relys on the human factor. The only Aust. Standard I was able to locate is AS 1318 which is the Industrial Safety Colour Code. Will advise if I find anything different.
Ray

[bloggs1968]

Thanks Ray,

I spoke with Tas Workplace Standards this week and they said a similar thing. Basically up to th ebusiness to conduct a risk assessment and detail safety zones in business OH&S policy.

regards,

AD

[Stuart]

Guessing it all comes down to the individual machine too - some would be perfectly safe if an observer was 10cm away, others 10m. Pretty hard to write a standard that covers all scenarios.

[Wood Butcher]

I always worked on the rule of thumb of around 1metre from the extremities of the machine.

[soundman]

This all depends on the context.
If its in the average small or home workshop the whole idea is a bit surplus because there isn't that much space.

In a medium to large scale industrial context.... different story.
But whatever you better be able to justify your decision and have some way of proving that you thaught about it..... thats just the way it goes.

cheers

[Wild Dingo]

Im trying to work on 2ft clear space between machines... this so one can walk through between them without touching the machine... it sorta works most of the time and still some of the machines are stuffed into corners etc to clear enough space to actually work... but really it needs another shed attached to make it work right Thats my story and by gar Im stickin to it!! should see it when I know shes comin out there!! man I brind everything down of the timber rack the cupboards the babys cot the cradle I rush out the back of the shed and rip in the other cupboard from out there and soooooo... its so damned crowded and I give her this hangdog look sigh a lot and fish up the look of a scared rabbit before she opens her mouth "oooh gawd dont ask me to do anything darls I just cant do it look how little room Ive got to work with its gettin downright bloody dangerous out here oooh woe I dont know what Im gonna do if I dont get some more room soon just a smal shed to give me some room thats all I dont ask for much do I just a small shed can that be soo much to ask for?" ooh such a acting career I would have had! its slowly starting to work she mentioned getting an "extra few bob" on the loan when we go for the new house little does she know my "few bob" and hers are MILES APART in reality

Ahem... about 2ft if its just you workin in the shed

In industrial settings Ive seen the walkway at 4ft wide and a further 3ft to the machine and all round it... this allowed a walkway where 2 people could pass without interferance and still remain a 3ft buffer from the machine and its operator having the 3ft area around the machine gave the operators of adjoining machines the space to move between without interferring with the operator of machine adjacent... seemed to work very well but then this was in a big setup and definantly not applicable in most normal home workshops

[Markw]

The safety zones for industrial situations are now all based on risk assessment of the individual machine. You have to consider how an injury could possibly occur and this is in two distinct areas:

1. What injury could occur if the machine were to expell materials or components during normal operations or during a likely failure.
If you considered a table saw, the safety zone could actually end up being quite large if bits of timber can be spat out at high velocity. Solution - orientate the saw to have a brick wall in the direction of wood being kicked out and only permit the operator in this area. Fit safety switches to prevent saw being used whilst operator is in this area. Fit covers to limit any expelled blade teeth.
The same thought process is used for CNC machinery such as lathes etc, only they achieve it by building a lexan box around the cutting area.

2. What injury could occur through inadvertant contact with the machine either during normal operations or during a likely failure. From my industry (electricity distribution) we have definite distances for close approach to live low voltage (below 1000v) which is 600mm to any likely contact. Therefore your safety path would be 600mm plus the length of an average arm - say another 700mm. As any electrical machine could be live as a result of a failure, I would view this as the minimum distance. The alternative to this is to use residual current devices - I don't believe they can be used for 3 phase equipment.

The key to all risk assessment is basing it on what could go wrong. Recent legislation has now allow employers to only have to consider what is foreseeably likely to go wrong and not have to consider all possibilities.

I believe there is now an obligation on the part of the machine manufacturer to provide a risk assessment of the machine operations which should state what any safety buffer area is. Then again chemical manufacturers have been required to supply MSDS's for years and only now have most of them got that idea.

[Wild Dingo]

With regard electrical stuff... Ive worked on some mine sites where the exclusion zone for machinery working near overhead wires is a minimum of 3 mtres while on others its been 10 mtres although the average seems to be 6 mtrs... which makes bloody good sence to this little black duck!

Personally I like the places that have uprights with on off switch adjacent to the machine as well as on the machine itself... gives a level of safety above the normal... seen in action at one site when a young apprentice got his shirt which was not tucked in but by rules should have been cought in the whirring chuck of a metal lathe and paniced couldnt or didnt think to reach the on off swich to turn the machine off and another bloke on the next machine took about 3 steps and reached out and popped the stop button then tore the kids shirt off faster than anything any strippers ever been able to perform and saved that young fella from some serious pain.

In industrial sites I reckon that should be pretty much standard... Id have done it in the shed but the concrete went down before I had a chance to lay the pipe Of course then I would have been bashin my hips against standards with on of switches every time I walked between the machines cause the shed is of course too small

[Markw]

With regard electrical stuff... Ive worked on some mine sites where the exclusion zone for machinery working near overhead wires is a minimum of 3 mtres while on others its been 10 mtres although the average seems to be 6 mtrs... which makes bloody good sence to this little black duck!

WD

The exclusion zone around O/Head wires is based on the voltages being carried. There used to be a workcover regulation called the 5009 Exemption certificate which is carried by the crane driver which permitted him to exceed the close approach distances which went something like 600mm for < 1000V, 1500mm for < 3kV, 6m for < 132kV. Do Not use these number as I have quoted from memory and they maybe incorrect. There are also regulations for siting of structures under high voltage - exclusion corridors (easements) etc.

As for 10m this may have come from the good ole Mine Managers Regulations which always seem to show them as legends in their own lunchtime.