Distinguish the injury mechanism
- Striking an object: a person contacts a structure, workpiece or item along their path.
- Being struck by an object: a moving tool or workpiece hits someone.
- Cut or puncture: an edge or point penetrates or damages tissue.
- Flying material: fragments, swarf or particles are ejected and strike a person.
A single operation can involve several mechanisms. Describe them separately to avoid generic measures that do not cover every scenario.
Where to observe actual work
Review normal operation as well as preparation, tool changes, waste removal, cleaning and minor problems. These are moments when safeguards may be removed or hands brought close to danger zones.
Assessment must include people working nearby. Flying material can travel beyond the operator’s workstation; a long workpiece can obstruct a passage. Lighting, visibility, available space and material stability also matter.
Control the source before protecting the person
Spain’s Royal Decree 1215/1997 requires appropriate protection against ejected material, breakage and contact with moving parts. Depending on the task, measures may include guards, screens, workpiece clamping and design that keeps hands outside the danger zone.
Selection must consider manufacturer conditions and foreseeable abnormalities. A safeguard must not be easily bypassed or introduce another risk. Signs help, but do not replace a necessary barrier.
Tools, materials and waste
Tools must suit the operation, retain their protective elements and remain in good condition. Damaged handles, incompatible accessories or unstable workpieces change the task’s risk.
Sharp waste requires suitable containers and collection methods. Removing swarf near a hazardous element requires auxiliary tools that ensure a safe distance. An intervention must not be improvised while movement or ejection remains possible.
Select PPE without creating another hazard
Eye, face, hand or body protection is selected according to residual risk, required performance and compatibility between items, under Royal Decree 773/1997. Not all eyewear or gloves provide the same protection.
Gloves near rotating parts require particular assessment of entanglement risk. Prescribing them universally because cutting is possible can create a different risk. Follow the assessment and equipment instructions.
Check the effectiveness of measures
Before equipment is used, check that its safeguards and conditions of use are appropriate. If deterioration compromises safety, stop using it and report the issue.
Task observations and incidents without injury can reveal clamping failures, ejection paths or interference. Follow-up must verify correction at the source rather than merely remind people to wear glasses or pay more attention.
Hypothetical example: preparing metal workpieces
A workshop experiences cuts during handling and flying particles during finishing. Review identifies two problems: untreated edges and insufficient containment of fragments.
Measures address material preparation and clamping, equipment protection and separation from other people. Compatible PPE is then selected for each phase. A single instruction to wear gloves would not have addressed both mechanisms.
