Construction machinery safety measures and requirements

Keyword Cranes, lifts, electrical, pump, brake, clutch, power, equipment, metal, instrumentation
Introduction Machinery and equipment is the fundamental guarantee of modern building
construction, the safe construction machinery and equipment is the key link

Machinery and equipment is the fundamental guarantee of modern building construction, the safe
construction machinery and equipment is the key link to ensure the smooth implementation of
construction projects, the development of institutionalized safety management standards to ensure project
construction safety and effective measures.

Modern building construction is inseparable from the construction machinery and equipment, machinery
and equipment is to improve construction efficiency and economic benefits necessary to ensure.
Protection machinery and equipment normally safe to use, to prevent construction equipment accidents
each construction unit project management, based on years of experience in on-site construction, talk to
ensure construction safety measures and management requirements.

Strict implementation of national and industry regulatory documents

Construction machinery and equipment construction safety should comply with the relevant laws and
regulations of the state and industry standards industry and normative documents requirements.

Construction Machinery use of safety technical regulations operation-2001, construction safety

inspection standards JGJ59-99 construction site temporary electrical safety technical specifications
JGJ46-2005, the building shall be allowed according to the implementation of the relevant standards and
norms mechanical testing procedures JGJ34-88, the wire rope end-of-life standards GB5972-86
construction enterprises and units must strictly follow.

Second, the establishment of on-site regulations

Field machinery management of construction enterprises should develop effective on-site management
system, focus on the following terms:

1. the construction site of the main parties should be equipped with a full-time (part-time) machinery
and equipment management, responsible for construction site machinery and equipment safety
management.
2. use mechanical equipment to the construction site must be strictly enforced existing standards and
norms.
3. the construction site should establish the corresponding mechanical equipment safety
management rules and regulations (safety management responsibilities, security technology
correspondent, shift changes, maintenance, inspection, data management, etc.).
4. the main machinery and equipment (including tower cranes, construction lifts, cranes, crawler
crane, mobile crane, mast crane, gantry crane, material hoist the basket in high places, concrete
mixing plant (station), concrete pump , concrete pump trucks, loaders, excavators, pile driving
machinery, etc.) to implement a given machine, person to person, Sanding given the post
responsibility system, general machinery and equipment to implement the team leader
responsibility system and multi-shift operations shift system.
5. the construction site must have a practical use of machinery and equipment safety technical
measures, there must be a construction site temporary power construction design special
programs; lifting machinery (tower crane, construction hoist, material hoist, etc.) the installation,
removal of special construction program; lifting operations special construction program, and
shall prepare the machinery and equipment accident emergency measures and rescue plans.
 6. the installation of the lifting machinery (tower crane, construction hoist, material hoist, etc.),
removal of the the corresponding construction sites must be issued by the administrative
department of construction lifting machinery installation engineering contractor qualifications and
safety production license enterprises .
7. the construction site machinery and equipment should be done the proper use and safe operation
of non-fight and overload.
8. any person shall not order the operator illegal operations, in violation of the provisions of the
command, the operator has the right to refuse to perform.
9. mechanical equipment, electrical equipment and construction equipment shall not sick operation.
Operation found in unusual circumstances should immediately cut off the power down to check,
timely troubleshooting.
10. non-operation of the equipment to scrub and repair, the repair should be listed on the logo by
professionals in accordance with the original instructions regarding the conditions and standards,
norms, and shall be free to use substitute parts or alteration, modification. Machinery and
equipment should be carried out recurring routine maintenance and regular self-examination.
Special equipment should be at least once a month to conduct a self-check and make records. To
deal with special equipment safety accessories, safety protection device, measuring the regulation
fixtures and instruments of the subsidiary regular calibration, maintenance, and make records.
Safety Technical Code for periodic inspection requirements, a safety inspection before the
expiration of the special equipment inspection and testing institutions periodic inspection
requirements. Without periodic inspection or test failed special equipment, shall not continue to
use.
11. construction site equipment long-term disabled, you must remove the power supply, and for
sequestration clearance.

Machinery management project responsibility system

The project leader is the first responsibility of the project safe use of machinery and equipment, the
response of Machinery overall responsibility for the safe use; project machinery and equipment
management personnel responsible for the safe use of management of Machinery; project machinery and
equipment workers operating the project machinery and equipment safety responsible for.

1. Implement national, local, business-related machinery and equipment management guidelines,

policies, regulations, ordinances and regulations.
2. the implementation of the equipment required plan, responsible for organizing the equipment
entry and exit, do a good job in the transfer of the approach of mechanical equipment and
installation acceptance, and make inspection records, establish and improve the site mechanical
equipment account.
3. good use of safety equipment technical tests, the effectiveness of the inspection and operating
personnel operating permits, and supervise the operation of the operating equipment operating
procedures.
4. organizational machinery and equipment used on the construction site daily inspections,
inspection week, month comprehensive inspection of to promptly organize machinery and
equipment repair and maintenance, eliminating the security risks of machinery and equipment.
5. good equipment, the maintenance of the original records, data collation of technical files.
6. is responsible for dealing with general mechanical accident, with the treatment of serious
accidents, major accidents and serious accidents, major accidents.

Safety Standards for Construction Equipment

Though construction sites are a great place to work, construction workers face several hazards during
their day-to-day work like equipment danger and accidents. In this post, you will learn more about the
hazards and dangers of construction equipment when safety standards are not followed.
Basic Construction Equipment Safety Standards & Major Construction Hazards

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), some of the major hazards
associated with construction equipments/sites are:

Falls: This is the major hazard faced by construction workers; falling down from the scaffoldings,
equipments, and other such higher altitude places are common and very hazardous. Safety has to
be provided by all construction sites for such kind of falls.
Ladders & Stairways: This danger is very much related to the fall grouping; however, there are
separate safety standards for this category.
Scaffolding: This is also one of the main reasons for falls which can lead to injuries or death.
Standstill equipment is also as dangerous as moving equipment if not used in the proper way.
Electrical: Electrical hazards are mainly related to things powered by electricity. Explosions,
fires, electrocution and heavy equipments causing shocks are the commonly seen electrical
hazards in most construction sites; appropriate safety measures have to be undertaken. Electrical
hazards are very dangerous as they can start off a chain of negative events.
Excavation & Trenching: The most dangerous hazards in construction are related to this
category. Asphyxiation, cave-ins, collapsing walls, explosions, electrocutions, etc- all these play a
major role in the death rate of workers.
Heavy construction equipment: Motor vehicle safety related to highway works is also a major
issue; this is often related to heavy moving equipment. Similar to electrical hazards, mistakes
made with heavy moving equipments can trigger a series of negative events both to the worker as
well as the site.

Necessary Safety Standards

Several safety guidelines have to be followed when working with construction equipments or sites. A few
of the important ones are covered in this section.

Ensure that all big construction equipment is in good working condition before starting the days
work or before operation; make sure that all the parts are in perfect working condition. You have
to be an expert in the operating procedures of the equipment. Do not do anything on a trial and
error basis. Use the emergency brake if you sense any dangers.
Accept the help of your co-workers while working on blind-spots to guide you while steering; it is
safe to have a reverse alarm system incorporated in the vehicle. Wear seat belts when operating
these equipment.
Do not exceed the weight that the equipment is designed to hold; this is usually specified in the
manual and placarding.
All workers should wear protective clothing and caution signs should be placed at the work site.
Set parking brakes when the vehicle is parked.
Block the bulldozer and scraper blades or end loader buckets when it is not in use; retain the
controls in a neutral position.

Following OSHA Regulations

For all construction equipment safety standards, ensure that OSHA regulations from the Department
of Labor are followed. It is always safe to train the workers to identify the dangers and follow safety
measures. The official website of OSHA includes all the guidelines required for particular work
environments, so visit the site to check out further details.
Safety of machinery and work equipment

Introduction

The manufacturer of machinery, as well as the user, should apply all technical and organisational
measures available in order to ensure the safety of machine operators. This article outlines the general
rules for approaching safety issues that should be taken into account by machinery designers in the
design process e.g. inherently safe design, safeguarding and complementary protective measures,
information for use, etc. Safety measures to be implemented by the user are also discussed.

Common accidents

EUROSTAT reports that in 20032005, about 500 fatal accidents related to machine safety occurred in
the EU. In 2005, accidents due to machine and work equipment operation causing more than 3-day work
absences occurred in the EU more than 170,000 times. This means that the rate of fatal accidents was 4
per 100,000, while the rate of accidents causing more than a 3-day-absence of machine operators was
7,000 per 100,000. Therefore, according standard ISO 12100:2010, both the manufacturers and users of
the machinery should implement all the available measures to reduce risks entailed by machine operation.

Placing on the market and putting into service

Figure 1: Conformity assessment procedures according to Directive 2006/42/EC

All safety measures should be applied by machinery manufacturers, according to the results of risk
assessment taking into account both the intended use of machinery and any reasonably foreseeable
misuse. More detailed guidelines for the implementation of safety measures can be found in the standards
published by ISO Technical Committee 199 Safety of machinery and IEC Technical Committee 44
Safety of machinery electrotechnical aspects.

In the EU, those standards have been adapted by CEN Technical Committee 114 Safety of machinery
and CENELEC Technical Committee 44X Safety of machinery: electrotechnical aspects. The list of
standards harmonised with Directive 2006/42/EC was published in the Official Journal of the European
Union. To prove that safety measures have been applied in a proper way during the design and
manufacturing processes, machine manufacturers should apply one of the conformity assessment
procedures presented in figure 1 prior to marketing any new product.

Implementation of safety measures by the manufacturer

The manufacturers obligations are specified in Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which imposes the
requirement that the manufacturer of machinery should eliminate hazards or reduce risks associated with
these hazards by applying safety measures in the following order:

inherently safe design;

safeguarding and implementation of complementary protective measures (see below 3.3
Complementary protective measures);
informing user about the residual risk.

Inherently safe design

Taking the inherently safe design approach is the most efficient risk-reducing safety measure, which
consists of:

hazard elimination or reduction to the furthest extent possible through the right choice of the
machine design features,
minimizing personal exposure to hazards, through reduction of the number of necessary
interventions within the danger zones.

Here, the basic rule for machine design stipulates that, where the intended use of the machine allows that,
all accessible parts of the machine should have no sharp edges, sharp corners, rough surfaces, protruding
parts, etc. Many hazards of the machine can be eliminated by means of choosing proper shapes and
employing proper arrangement of mechanical parts. For example, injuries caused by a moving part can be
eliminated by placing that part out of the machine operators reach.

Safeguarding

The hazards that cannot be eliminated using the inherently safe design approach should be reduced by
means of the application of guards or protective devices (safeguarding).

Guards

Devices of all types creating physical barriers between a human and a dangerous mechanical part of a
machine and having been applied specifically to ensure operators safety are classified as guards.
Therefore, covers, doors, fences, etc. also perform guarding functions. Guards should:

be of robust construction,
be difficult to remove or switch off,
be situated at a proper distance from the danger zone,
pose the least possible number of obstacles to the working process,
 allow performance of required operations like installation, tool changing or maintenance,
providing only limited access to the area where the operations are to be performed, and without
the necessity for removal, if possible.

Generally, guards can be classified in view of the way they are mounted, their working concept and
adjustability. There are two ways of installing guards:

securing by means of inseparable connection or with the use of separable connections that prevent
opening or removal without (special) tools; often referred to as fixed guards.
mounting with the use of mechanical elements, which allows them to be opened without any
tools. Guards of this type are called movable guards.

The working principle of the guard may consist of:

independent operation of the guard, however the guard is effective only when closed. It should be
noted that for a fixed guard, the term closed means connected to the area of its installation,
working in combination with an interlock, supplied or not with guard locking.

Guard locking refers to protective measures in which the guard prevents performance of any operations
of the machine that may pose mechanical hazards while the guard is open. Opening of the guard in the
course of performing any of the aforementioned operations results in the stoppage of the machines
dangerous motions. These functions can be performed when the guard is closed, however the singular
action of closing the guard does not actuate those functions. Guards of that type are called interlocking
ones.

In all cases where operators access to the danger zone in the course of normal working is not required,
fixed guards should be used. Movable guards are employed when there is the necessity for the operator to
enter the danger zone frequently.

Protective device

When it is impossible to apply guards, sensitive protective devices are used to reduce risk. There are
several types of these devices. Optoelectronic protective devices (light curtains, scanning devices like
laser scanners) and pressure-sensitive devices (mats, trip bars, trip wires etc.) are often used.

Protective devices that do not create actual physical barriers perform their protective functions by means
of generating a signal that stops a dangerous motion of a given machine element after having detected
that a part of the operators body is too close to the danger zone. In this way, they ensure that a dangerous
motion (e.g. that of press slide) will be stopped before the operator could potentially enter the danger
zone. For this reason, guards of this type can be used only in machines in which the structure allows for
automatic stop of a dangerous motion within a short time frame, sufficient to perform this automatic stop.
Besides only stopping, the devices also perform the function of interlocking the dangerous motion of a
machine element when the presence of a human has been detected within the protected zone.

When implementing protective devices, consideration should be given to:

size, characteristics and positioning of the detection zone,

 reaction of the device to fault conditions,
possibility of circumvention, and
detection capability and its variation in time.

Sensitive protective equipment should be integrated into the machines operations and associated with
the control system so that:

a command is given as soon as a person or part of a person is detected,

withdrawal of the person or part of a person detected does not, by itself, restart the hazardous
machine function(s), and the control system maintains the command given by the sensitive
protective equipment until a new command is given,
restarting the hazardous machine function(s) is a result of voluntary actuation by the operator of
the control device placed outside the hazard zone where this zone can be observed by the
operator,
the machine cannot operate during interruption of the detection function of the sensitive
protective equipment, except during muting phases, and
the position and the shape of the detection field prevents, possibly together with fixed guards, a
person or part of a person from entering or being present in the hazard zone without being
detected.

Functional safety of machinery control system

If failure of a control function performed by a control system can result in an immediate increase in risk,
then this function is named a safety function. Generally, safety functions can be implemented for the
reduction of risk associated with the following three groups of hazards:

improper machine operation;

failure of technological processes caused by a substantial change or deviation in physical
parameters from standard values due to unexpected events;
mechanical hazards.

The following safety functions are most common:

safety-related stop function initiated by a safeguard;

manual reset function;
start/restart function;
local control function;
muting function;
monitoring of parameterisation of safety-related input values;
response time;
monitoring of safety-related parameters such as speed, temperature or pressure;
reaction to fluctuations, loss and restoration of power sources.

Fault of these functions can increase risk. Therefore designers of the safety related control systems
should apply structures that improve their resistance to fault. Control system resistance to fault can be
improved through reduction of the probability of fault appearance, or by taking steps to ensure that a
possible fault would not be a dangerous one. Improvements can be achieved by applying good practice
tools and principles (examples can be found in standard ISO 13849-2:2003 Safety of machinery safety-
related parts of control systems part 2: Validation[3]), and by including additional safety systems that
detect faults.

Basic rules for improving control system resistance to fault were formulated in standard EN 954-1:1995
Safety of machinery. Safety-related parts of control systems Part 1: General principles for design"[4],
where, depending on their behaviour under fault conditions, devices were classified into 5 categories.

ISO 13849-1:2006 standard was developed, which included expert knowledge gained when designing
programmable machine controllers[5]. In this standard, system categories, depending on their resistance to
faults, remained the same as those defined in EN 954-1:1995. Additionally, a specified architecture is
designated for each category. Each system is characterized by the following parameters: Mean time to
failure (MTTF), Diagnostic coverage (DC) and Common cause failure factor (CCF). The 5 performance
levels (PL) represent the system resistance to faults.

Standard EN 62061:2005 Safety of machinery - functional safety of safety-related electrical, electronic

and programmable electronic control systems, adapting to the functional safety methodology formulated
in IEC 61508:2001 Functional safety of electrical/ electronic/ programmable electronic safety-related
systems[6] should be applied to machine control systems. In EN 62061:2005 standard, safety related
systems are classified into 3 safety integrity levels (SILs). For the time being, all three standards (EN
954-1, ISO 13849-1, IEC 62061) are harmonised under Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC[7], however the
presumptive conformity date of EN 954-1:1995 cessation is 31.12.2011.

Complementary protective measures

Protective measures not covered by the categories of inherently safe design, safeguarding
(implementation of guards and/or protective devices) and information for use, may still have to be
implemented as required by the intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse of the machine. Such
measures include, but are not limited to:

components and elements to achieve emergency stop function;

measures for escape and rescue of trapped persons;
measures for isolation and energy dissipation;
provisions for easy and safe handling of machines and their heavy component parts;
measures for safe access to machinery.

Information for use

When risks persist despite the adoption of measures for inherent safe design, safeguarding and
complementary protection, the user should be informed about residual risk.

Depending on the risk and the point at which information is required for the user and the machine design,
it shall be decided whether the information or parts thereof are to be given:

on the machine itself,

in accompanying documents,
 on the packaging,
by other means, such as signals and warnings outside the machine.

Information and warnings on machinery should preferably be provided in the form of readily
understandable symbols or pictograms. Warning signals must be unambiguous and easily perceived. The
operator must have facilities to check the operation of the warning devices all the time.

Visual signals, such as flashing lights and audible signals such as sirens may be used to warn of an
impending hazardous event, such as machine start-up or over-speed. Such signals may also be used to
warn the operator before the triggering of automatic protective measures. Machinery shall bear all the
necessary markings:

for unambiguous identification,

in order to indicate compliance with mandatory requirements,
for safe use.

The instruction handbook or other written instructions shall contain all information necessary for safe
commissioning, operating, adjusting and maintenance of the machine.

Implementation of safety measures by the user of machinery and work equipment

Based on the information for use provided by the designer, the machine user should implement safety
measures for reducing residual risk that remains despite inherent safe design measures, safeguarding and
complementary protective measures adopted.

User obligations for additional safeguards, personal protective equipment, work organisation and training
were formulated in Directive 2009/104/EC[8]. The main obligation consists in taking measures necessary
to ensure that the work equipment is suitable for the work to be carried out. If necessary, work equipment
should be properly adapted to the work in such a way that workers can use it without impairment to their
safety or health.

Additional safeguarding

The employer should ensure that work equipment is installed, located and used in a way ensuring that the
risks to the operators and other workers have been reduced. In particular, sufficient space between
moving parts of work equipment and fixed or moving parts should be allowed. Very often, the
application of additional safeguarding is necessary, which might result from a particular location or way
of machine installation. In such a case, the application of fixed guards should be considered first.
However, if for technological reasons access to danger zones is required, movable guards or protective
devices should be applied. The same rules as those formulated for the machinery manufacturer apply
when installing additional safeguards.

Use of personal protective equipment

Technical safety measures comprise personal protective equipment (PPE). These are devices or
equipment designed to be carried or held by a worker to protect him/her against single or multiple risks
that may affect his/her health or safety at work. Personal protective equipment also comprises:
 a unit constituted by several devices or appliances which have been integrally combined by the
manufacturer for the protection of an individual against one or more potentially simultaneous
risks; (e.g. a helmet coupled with a visor and/or hearing protection),
a protective device or appliance combined, separably or inseparably, with personal non-protective
equipment worn or held by an individual for the execution of a specific activity (e.g. clothing or
knee protectors included in trousers used for performing work whilst kneeling),
interchangeable PPE components essential for satisfactory functioning and used exclusively for
such equipment.

Work organization and procedures

Proper work organisation is of crucial importance in ensuring safe operation of the work equipment. All
operations should be performed according to established safe working procedures. When the use of work
equipment is likely to involve a specific risk to the safety or health of workers, the employer should take
necessary measures to ensure that the use of work equipment is restricted solely to persons given the task
of using it. In the case of high risk (e.g. high voltage), work should be performed by at least two persons.
Written permission for conducting such work should be issued. In the case of repairs, modifications,
maintenance or servicing, specifically designated workers should carry out such works. .

Training

The machinery user should ensure that workers given the task of using work equipment receive adequate
training, including training on any risks that its use may entail. It is especially important in the case of
workers carrying out repairs, modifications, and maintenance or servicing tasks.

Inspection of work equipment

Long-term results of using a machine usually consist in constant degradation of its sub-assemblies, due to
both material deterioration and mechanical wear. The aforementioned phenomena, if not investigated in a
proper way, may cause machine failure. If safety-related elements fail, accidents may happen. Therefore,
work equipment should be periodically inspected. The frequency and scope of the inspection should be
determined based on the manufacturers information enclosed in the Information for use. One should
also consider the intensity of machine exploitation and the risk level arising in operation of the machine.
In individual cases of machines with high-risk levels, the frequency of inspection is specified in Directive
2009/104/EC which specifies the following types of inspection:[8]

initial inspection (after installation and before first being put into service) and an inspection after
assembly at a new site or in a new location
periodic inspections and, where appropriate, testing within the means of national laws and/or
practices
special inspections each time exceptional circumstances that are liable to jeopardise the safety of
the work equipment have occurred, such as work modification, accidents, natural phenomena or
prolonged periods of inactivity.
The main goal of those inspections consists in ensuring that health and safety conditions are
maintained and that deterioration liable to result in dangerous situations can be detected and
remedied in good time.
Conclusions

Using machinery and work equipment exposes workers to multiple risks. Ensuring machine operator
safety requires application of safety measures as effective as possible. Technological development allows
for designing more and more effective protective devices. The role of control systems as applied to risk
reduction becomes more and more significant. Both manufacturers and users of the machine should apply
the aforementioned measures. The only way to reduce accident rates in machine operations is through
proper application of technical safety means by the machine manufacturer and proper monitoring of them
by the user, combined with adequate organisational procedures.