What is meant by work equipment?
Any machine, device, instrument or installation used at work.
It should be borne in mind that the concept installation, when we talk about work equipment, does not include service or protection installations such as electrical, gas, fire fighting and other installations specific to the place of work.
Before the acquisition of equipment
Require the equipment/machine manufacturer to provide the following minimum documentation:
- CE marking.Identification plate placed on the machine which includes, among others, the year of manufacture and the manufacturer's data.
- CE declaration of conformity.
- Instruction manual.
- Specific required certificates
Check if the equipment is subject to any legalisation process/or modifies facilities that are subject to any industrial safety regulations (Electrical installations/biosecurity/technical gases/pressure equipment/construction safety, etc.).As a result, you will be able to predict the cost of executing the project and the planning of controls that may affect the health and safety of users during the activity.
Apparels that legally have to pass periodic reviews (non-exhaustive list): Pressure equipment: Boilers / Autoclaves./Compressors; Compressed air system network; Refrigeration facilities (refrigerators, freezers); Gas hoods, laminar flow cabins and biosecurity cabins; Technical gas connections and installations; Security cabinets with air filtration systems inside; Lasers of category 2M or higher, etc.
Commissioning planning
It is necessary to take into account how and where the work equipment will be installed to avoid future risks or problems.The exact place where the machine/equipment will be placed must be studied, especially if it is bulky and may affect the maximum load of the building structure and other working conditions (noise, vibrations, fumes, etc.).
For equipment with specific installation requirements (by volume, weight, connections, etc.)you will need to contact SOTIM beforehand to determine the needs and suitability of the location.
Commissioning and use of equipment and machines
Regardless of whether the equipment is purchased, rented, donated or ceded, the person in charge of the receiving unit of the work equipment must:
-Plan the installation and maintenance of the equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
-Inform and train the workers in its management, using the instruction manual in Spanish/Catalan and if necessary, through training courses which, to this effect, the actual manufacturer or supplier of the equipment shall provide.
-Guarantee that the work equipment is not subject to substantial modifications, and in no case regarding its components, elements and/or safety and protection devices.
Installation and start-up use
Risk assessment, signaling and protective equipment.Once the equipment is installed and it is necessary to carry out the inspection of the installer with the check and certification that everything works correctly, make sure that the security aspects are also reviewed.
Sometimes, even if CE-marked machines are safe, there may be trivial, acceptable residual risks.The acquisition of approved equipment is not and is not considered a sufficient guarantee of eliminating risks for workers.This implies that it is necessary to update the assessment of the risks of each piece of equipment, checking that they have the appropriate characteristics in relation to the purpose of their use, the place where they will be used and the personnel who will use them.If the equipment involves significant changes, make a request to the OSL to update and validate the new situation.
Training
It is essential to identify the people authorised to use it and to train them before they use the equipment independently, through theoretical and practical training that informs them of the risks arising from the use of the equipment and how it should be operated to work in safe conditions.Document this training.
Maintenance of machines and controls in terms of safety aspects in work teams/activities
As a result of daily work, the parts of the machines wear out, the reliability of the safety devices can be altered and unsafe actions can be performed if they are not properly controlled.
Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the security aspects necessary for each particular installation or equipment in the maintenance as well as periodic review programmes, as established in the instructions manual, good practices and the specific protocols of the OSL.
Also integrate these controls into planned and emergency safe startup and shutdown processes.
Equipment inventory update
An up-to-date inventory of all the work equipment belonging to the service, department or unit must be available in order to monitor and control it.
At least the following data will appear:
- of the equipment: name, brand, model, serial number, year of manufacture, inventory number.
- of the location: building, space code (laboratory or workshop).
- of its provenance: it will be indicated whether the equipment has been bought by the unit, transferred, donated or rented.
- of its use: teaching, research, support service.
- of the legal requirements: CE marking, CE declaration of conformity, instruction manual in Spanish, certificate of conformity to RD 1215/1997.Certifications/legalisation.
Further information