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After a three-week audit in industry, the main impression is that many machines represent a real accident for employees in the industry. In half of the inspections conducted, deficient hardware protection was detected against moving parts.
These are serious findings. Protective devices must be in place precisely to prevent accidents involving machines. Without protection it is easy to get fingers and body parts into the machine. This is unfortunately a common accident scenario, says Truste Vollheim, Director of Labor Inspection.
90 lost their lives at work since 2000
Annually, there are about 3000 accidents and industrial damage, figures from Statistics Norway. And many of the accidents are due to machines lacking protection against moving parts or the removal of protection. Industry is also a industry that is overrepresented in the case of fatal accidents. Since 2000, 90 employees have lost their lives at work in the industrial industry. The statistics show that young workers and workers in small businesses are most exposed to accidents.
Violation of the regulations in three of four oversight
In total, 219 inspections were carried out throughout the country during the three weeks in February and the March action continued. Most supervision was done in the metal industry and the wood industry. Response to regulatory violations was given for approx. three out of four oversight. The Labor Inspection stopped the use of one or more machines in 29 businesses.
It is always the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the machines are safe in use. And the requirement for security applies if the machine is brand new or over a hundred years. Older machines should be made safe by retrofitting protective equipment, “says Trude Vollheim, Director of Labor Inspection.
Lack of emergency stop
In addition to lack of protection, it was discovered that older machines in 36 percent of the supervisors lacked an emergency stop. While on machines from 1995 after comparison, there was found an emergency stop in 14 per cent of the inspections.
Lack of training in the use of dangerous machinery
Another disturbing finding is that in four out of ten businesses no training has been carried out with particularly hazardous work equipment.
The employer must ensure that all workers receive the training, exercise and instruction they need to perform the work safely. Correct training helps workers to avoid accidents and injuries, says the Director of Labor Inspection.
In addition, in four out of ten businesses, the Labor Inspection Authority finds that the work equipment is not labeled with necessary warnings and information about safe use. This was checked in 180 of the businesses we supervised.
Read more about the Labor Inspectorate’s commitment in the industry here
