02 August 2024
A surge in notices for safety breaches associated with machine guarding has seen SafeWork SA issue an urgent warning to businesses.
In the first four weeks of the 2024/25 financial year SafeWork SA has issued 29 notices for this type of offence compared to 120 during the entire previous financial year.
Of the 29 notices issued this financial year, 13 are for incidents where interlocking guarding has been overridden.
Machine guarding is essential to protect workers from hazards such as moving parts, flying debris, and ejected materials.
Machine interlocks prevent the machine from operating when the guard is not in place or when safety doors are open.
SafeWork SA is reminding businesses that disabling safety devices, including machine interlocks and removing guarding, can have serious consequences and is a significant breach of work health and safety laws.
The 29 breaches detected this year include 10 improvement notices and 19 prohibition notices which require businesses to immediately cease an activity until they can demonstrate it is undertaken safely.
The previous three financial years have seen a total of 313 notices issued for guarding offences. Of these, 172 were improvement notices and 141 prohibition notices.
Regulation 208 (3) of the Work Health & Safety Regulations (2012) states the person with management or control of the plant must ensure that the guarding is solidly constructed, securely mounted, well maintained and not easily bypassed.
Work Health and Safety penalties have recently been increased in South Australia with the introduction of an industrial manslaughter offence from 1 July 2024. This should serve as a strong reminder of how critical it is to ensure business owners take the health and safety of their workers seriously and prioritise managing risks appropriately.
Safety Tips
- Identify all hazards associated with plant and machinery and have robust control measures in place.
- Conduct regular inspections to ensure all machine guards and interlock systems are intact and operational.
- Train workers on the importance of machine guarding and the proper use of interlock systems.
- Implement strict protocols to prevent the unauthorised overriding of safety systems.
- Train workers to report any safety concerns or equipment malfunctions immediately.
Useful links
Safety Alert: Dangers of bypassing safety devices (12 December 2023)
