Incidents involving contact with moving machinery often associated with reactive maintenance and a failure to correctly isolate all sources of energy, have the potential to kill and maim. Mineral Products Association (MPA) is keen to remind companies of the free availability of resources designed to support their own initiatives to mitigate this risk.

Contact with moving machinery and isolation (including stored energy) has been identified by MPA's Health & Safety Committee as one of 'The Fatal 6' high consequence hazards that have been the main cause of fatalities over the last decade. A range of tools developed by MPA and a dedicated working party of industry experts, and originally launched last year, are available for download free of charge from the Safequarry website to support member company initiatives https://www.safequarry.com/Fatal-6/Fatal-6-Step-1.aspx.

They are:

Guide to Avoiding Contact with Moving Machinery and Isolation
171 page, A5 handbook, designed to assist supervisors and managers on site and support other industry technical guidance. Follows the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle. The narrative and practical examples have been taken from materials that were received from MPA members, both large and small, after a request to share best practice on this subject.

Pocket Guide to Energy Isolation and LOTOTO
A6, designed for operatives and site personnel, it focuses on the Lock-Out, Tag-Out and Try-Out (LOTOTO) 9 step plan. To date, over 40,000 copies have been distributed across the industry.

In addition, three Posters on Isolation are available to place on notice boards and in site canteens, together with stickers and artwork (available on request from MPA).

The auditing tool, developed by QNJAC can be accessed here.

Chris Leese, MPA's Special Adviser on health & safety said "Even those companies who may think they have already rolled out this issue might consider re-auditing or repeating their campaign focus. Experience shows that either people begin to forget what they have learnt or that changes aren't fully embedded. By embracing the MPA principles of 'Safer by Sharing' and maximising the distribution and use of these materials, we are all helping to reduce the risk of another 'The Fatal 6' incident occurring."

This approach forms part of a wider industry campaign supported by the Strategic Forum for Health & Safety.

Ends.

Note to Editors:

Downloads:
Guide to Avoiding Contact with Moving Machinery and Isolation
Pocket Guide to Energy Isolation and LOTOTO
One Padlock, One Key, One Chance (Fruit Machine) Poster
One Padlock, One Key, One Chance (Gun) Poster
Don't Chance It, Follow LOTOTO! Poster

For further information, please contact Elizabeth Clements at Elizabeth.Clements@mineralproducts.org.