Healthy,
safe and
productive lives
and enterprises

Workshop Safety

An efficient workshop can be one of the most cost-effective ways of maintaining plant and equipment on site. It can also be an area of great risk. The Aggregates & Recycling Information Network (http://www.agg-net.com/) have produced a very detailed workshop inspection checklist for employers that can be tailored to each location to ensure that workshops are operated safely.

The number of potential hazards in a workshop will vary on the size and complexity of activities carried out however there are a number of general issues that should be continuously monitored

workshop

Workshops should:

  • be well lit;
  • be adequately ventilated and where necessary have local exhaust ventilation;
  • have a good standard of housekeeping;
  • be provided with adequate fire-fighting equipment;
  • only contain flammable material necessary for the day to day operation of the workshop;
  • only have portable tools that normally operate at 110 volts;
  • have clearly identified pedestrian routes and, where possible, reversing of mobile plant should be avoided;
  • have pits that are covered when not in use or have guard rails in place;
  • have an inspection scheme for all tools and equipment so that they are safe to use;
  • have access to workstations restricted to maintenance personnel;
  • have gas bottles racked and gas welding bottles should be fitted with a flashback arrestor;
  • control the use of naked flames;
  • have adequate sanitary and  hygienic washing facilities;
  • have procedures for waste management of used oils, tyres, batteries, brake and clutch linings etc.