adminare at greater risk of getting involved in accidents. Because failure of certain types of equipment could have disastrous consequences, legislation has been put in place to govern the manufacture, use and maintenance of such equipment and prevent accidents that might result in injuries or death.
Companies that ensure their equipment is safe and inspected as prescribed by law minimise the likelihood of accidents that could lead to the heavy costs of unplanned replacements, litigation, downtime as investigations are carried out. There is also risk of low morale among employees and a shattered business reputation.
Good maintenance systems supervised by a responsible person and periodic inspections prolong the useful life of equipment. There are specific legal requirements for steam boilers, closed vessels subject to internal pressure, hoists, cranes, lifting machines, scaffolds, refrigeration plants, elevators and escalators.
All steam boilers — except those at mines and those used by the National Railways of Zimbabwe — have to be registered with the Factories and Works Inspectorate Department. Users of boilers are required to have them serviced by Government authorised service companies. A boiler has to be subjected to an internal or external inspection annually or a hydraulic pressure test every three years or after major repairs.
A commissioning inspection must be witnessed by a Government factories and works inspector before the boiler is put to use for the first time and after annual service or repairs. All closed vessels should be subjected to internal pressures higher or lower than atmospheric pressure and generally required to be inspected at regular intervals of not more than two years.
The inspections, according to pressure vessel regulations, must be carried out by a qualified person or competent person appointed by the user in writing and approved by the chief inspector of factories.
No repairs may be effected on a pressure vessel without the prior approval of the inspector. The inspector may set a new working pressure after repairs to a pressure vessel.
Goods hoists — which are elevators or lifting devices sorely for the transportation of goods or materials —must be inspected every three months.
The entire installation must be inspected by a competent person who has to record the results in a book kept by the user for that purpose. The inspector must be appointed by the user in writing. Cranes have to be inspected before they are used then at least once every calendar month thereafter by a competent person appointed by the user.
The owner is required to keep a register in which the results of every such inspection are recorded and signed by the competent person.
All lifting machines and hooks, slings, chains or ropes which are part of the lifting machines must be examined every three months by a competent person, who should record the results in a register kept for this purpose. Scaffolds can be dangerous, unless they are looked after properly.
The collapse of scaffolds and falls from scaffolding are a major cause of deaths among construction workers. A scaffold must be constructed and inspected by a competent person at least one a week and after bad weather. The inspection results have to be logged in a book kept for that purpose.
Refrigeration plants with a rated heat extraction capacity of 20 tonnes refrigeration or more must be examined and tested once every three months by a competent person nominated by the user.
The owner or user of elevators and escalators are required to nominate a Government authorised competent person or a company that employs such competent persons or examines all their safety appliances, including drums, sheaves, motors, ropes and guides at least once every week.
The entire elevator or escalator plant and fittings must be examined at least once every month. Record books for each plant must be kept, in which the competent person must enter the results of each examination.
Each elevator must be inspected by a Government inspector for compliance with regulations at least once every year and when major repairs are carried out.
Apart from the above mentioned equipment, certain types of machines and equipment have been specifically mentioned in the regulations as requiring special attention when they are used. These include grinding machines, shears, guillotines, presses, slitting and milling machines, mixing and agitating machines, rolls and welding machines.
If a proper maintenance system is put in place under the charge of a competent and qualified responsible person, then most — if not all — accidents due to unsafe conditions caused by machine defects will be prevented. However, further instructive programmes are essential to prevent accidents that arise from unsafe acts by workers or any other person in the workplace.
Machinery is generally safe if it is looked after well. It makes good business sense to properly look after the equipment that make the company tick.
A company management should put in place a comprehensive maintenance programme for all plant and machinery, taking note especially of the statutory obligations pertaining to specific equipment.
Workers should take great care when using machinery. If the machinery is well maintained and used in the correct manner, there should be few — if any — accidents. Failure by employers to invest in occupational safety and health, and adopt a systems approach to ensuring the safety and health of their workers continues to take a heavy toll on workers’ health.
Last year there were 5 141 serious occupational injuries which resulted in 103 deaths, the highest number of occupational injuries and deaths since the country came out of hyperinflation.
In fact, the figures are the highest since 2007, when there were more injuries, but fewer deaths. While there could be a relationship between the rise in the number of injuries and deaths at work and increased economic activity, the root cause is lack of concern on the part of employers for the safety and health of their employees.
Protecting employees from injury may require a certain amount of expenditure. When money is tight and economic conditions difficult, it is tempting for business people to cut corners and avoid “unnecessary” expenditure.
However, spending money on protecting the lives and health of staff is not necessarily expenditure. It is essential expenditure for anyone who cares about the lives and welfare of those they employ.
Online Reporter