Machinery safety – key facts
- In 2003/4 there were 540 major injuries in the woodworking industry, of which 146 (27%) were caused by machinery. Plus there were other major injuries caused by kickbacks of timber and ejected cutters. For comparison, in the manufacturing industry, only around 10% of major injuries are caused by machinery.
- Although overall numbers of major injuries caused by machinery have come down, the trend has slowed down in recent years.
- Less serious injuries from contact with machinery resulting in absences of over-3-days have fallen from 370 in 2001/02 to 243p* in 2004/5, a drop of nearly 35%. It is too early to tell whether this is due to the new requirements on braking and tooling
- Over two thirds of accidents occur at just 3 classes of machine: circular saws, vertical spindle moulders, and surface planers.
- Causes of accidents can largely be attributed to inadequate guarding and poor systems of work, often resulting from insufficient training and supervision.
*p = provisional figure
Further information on specific issues
Machine safety – free leaflets
Woodworking information sheets
Training and Supervision
Priced publications
