Health, safety and workshop organisation
Health, safety and workshop organisation
This domain tests risk awareness, safe systems of work, PPE, dust and chemical control, and housekeeping.
Core rules
- Risk assessment: identify hazard, decide who is at risk, rate likelihood and severity, set controls, record and review.
- PPE is the last line of defence: safety glasses, hearing protection, dust mask, and suitable footwear. Guards and extraction come first.
- Dust: use local exhaust ventilation, keep extraction ducts clear, wear a suitable respirator for fine dust, and never sweep MDF dust dry.
- Electrical: check plugs and leads, use RCDs, keep cables off the floor, and isolate before changing blades or bits.
- Chemicals: store adhesives and finishes in labelled, closed containers away from ignition; read the safety data sheet; ventilate.
- Organisation: clear walkways, store timber flat and stable, keep benchtops clear, segregate waste, and locate first aid and fire equipment.
Worked example
Risk assessment for routing a groove: hazard-contact with the cutter, dust, noise, kickback. Likelihood-medium if guarded; severity-high. Controls: guard in place, featherboards, push sticks, dust extraction, eye and ear protection, firm clamping, shallow passes. Residual risk-low. Reasoning: controls should follow the hierarchy: eliminate freehand work, substitute a guided jig, engineer guards, then administer and PPE.
Traps
Relying on PPE alone; removing guards for speed; ignoring dust because it is 'only wood'; blocked fire exits; unlabelled containers; leaving chuck keys or spanners on machines.