Safety and Technology

Protective Clothing for General Hand Tools

Hand tools are often used without any protective clothing. Spades and forks do not normally require protective clothing. A common exception is when working in muddy conditions when rubber boots must be worn. When using picks or hammers on material like rock, protective eyewear is recommended as rocks splinters can damage eyes. When working with cement or rough material like rocks or barbed wire leather gloves must be worn.

When using power tools like angle grinders, eye protection should be mandatory. Welding equipment has its specialised headgear to protect eyes from the very intense light during the operation. A leather apron must also be worn during welding. The farm manager should be aware of the safety needs of his/her workers and respond to that before it develops into a problem.

Click here to view a video that explains the safe use of tools and equipment.

Protective Equipment that Must be Available

These include:

• Overalls
• Rubber gloves or leather gloves
• Face shields
• Goggles
• Rubber boots

The Safe Use Of Machinery

The Occupational Health and Safety Act determine the following regulations with regards to the safe use of machinery:

Safeguarding of Machinery

Every employer or user of machinery shall:

• Ensure that all machinery used by him, is suitable for the purpose for which it is used, and that it is installed, operated and maintained in such a manner as to prevent the exposure of persons to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or circumstances
• In particular cause every exposed and dangerous part of machinery which is within the normal reach of a person to be effectively safeguarded by means of insulation, fencing, screening or guarding, except where an inspector has granted written permission for the omission of such safeguarding
• Ensure that all safety equipment is kept in good working condition and is properly used
• Ensure that the quality of material used in, and the construction, of the machinery or safety equipment is suitable for the purpose for which it was intended.

Where machinery constitutes a danger to persons, the employer or user of machinery concerned shall cause the premises in question to be enclosed, and where such premises are unattended the designated entrances to such premises shall be kept closed and locked.

Unless he has been authorised thereto by the employer or user of machinery, no person shall remove any safety equipment which relates to the machinery in question.

Operation of Machinery

An employer or user of machinery shall ensure that every person authorised to operate machinery is fully aware of the dangers attached thereto and is conversant with the precautionary measures to be taken or observed to obviate such dangers.

• If a person operates any machinery which requires constant attention in order to avoid accidents, he shall under no circumstances leave his post while such machinery is in operation, unless he is relieved by a person who is authorised and competent to operate such machinery.
• An employer or user of machinery shall ensure that any machinery which requires constant attention in order to avoid accidents is under the supervision of a shifts man, who shall at all times be present on the premises while such machinery is in operation and no person shall attend or operate such machinery, except under the general supervision of a shifts man.
• No person supervising machinery and no person operating machinery shall, without the permission of his superior, authorise any person to do his work.
• If machinery threatens or is likely to threaten the safety of persons when it is unexpectedly set in motion or made electrically alive, the employer or user of machinery concerned shall take all reasonable precautionary measures in order to ensure that such machinery cannot be set in motion or made electrically alive, and any person intending to set such machinery in motion or make it electrically alive shall take reasonably precautionary measures to ensure that the safety of a person is not threatened or likely to be threatened.

If machinery in operation threatens or is likely to threaten the safety of persons, the person supervising or operating such machinery, or the employer or user of machinery concerned shall stop such machinery or cause it to be stopped.

Click here to view a video that explains health and safety on the farm.