Rank: New forum user 
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Hi all, Its been a long time since I’ve needed to post on here but due to job changes I now find I need some help, Please :-)
Please stick with me on this as I need to get all the facts out.
I am a site manager at a primary school and recently we had a chappie come in and try to sell us a new laminator, now this laminator was all singing and dancing and I was impressed until he showed me how to move any jam ups (he did say it very rarely jammed up) He removed the lid ! no tools, no screws and no interlocks just pulled the lid off ! and the rollers kept going.
I’ve been away from the safety side of things since 2008, I used to work as a safety officer in a paper mill, but I was shocked, surely that’s not right I asked, he said it was ok just tell people not to take the lid off! what about my fingers or a tie, his reply was that we don’t tell people it comes off an who wears a tie nowadays?
I have recommended that we give this machine a wide berth, as I felt that the lid should not just pull off like that and that the rollers should certainly stop, he also states that it has a European standard!
Could someone please confirm that I am correct, PUWER or guarding standards covers this but as yet I can’t put my finger (no pun) on it.
Thanks in advance
Paul
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Rank: Forum user
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Forget the European standard.
Your risk assessment of the item would clearly show that there is a risk of entanglement / drawing in that would not be sufficiently controlled.
You are right, give this item a wide berth.
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Rank: Forum user
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If somebody is looking for regs to back this up go with PUWER, MHSWR and HASAWA.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Afternoon,
Although I agree that being able to pull the lid off the laminator is a poor design feature, correct me if I'm wrong, this is a slow moving set of heated rollers - so, drawing in? I suppose it could happen, but it is slow moving and the roller diameters make it pretty hard for your fingers to be caught and if they were then the motor and (plastic) drive would surely burn out or break trying to overcome the extra thickness of a finger well before the digit could be trapped or crushed? Yes, a tie could be caught but I go back to the speed the drive moves at, it's hardly going to snatch the tie and garrot someone before they realise what's happened and push the stop button etc?
So, to my mind drawing in is not a problem, but the heat might be.......
Jim (now wearing his tin hat.....)
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Rank: Super forum user 
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You could ask for a copy of the declaration of conformity with relevant essential safety requirement Directives (the thing that confirms the correct application of the "ce" mark).
It did have a ce mark I take it?
There are still small businesses out there making kit like this and placing it in the market (IT peripherals are another area to beware) who are wholly unaware of essential safety and consumer protection requirements.
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Rank: Forum user
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I'm presuming that this is just a standard laminator and could be used for both business and private use- if that is the case then Ron is correct and it should (at least) conform to IEC 60335 as part of it's CE conformity. A cover that can be removed without a tool should not expose live or moving parts.
As others have said, leave well alone, however you could advise Trading Standards - but don't hold your breath.
Simon
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Rank: New forum user
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Thanks very much for your replies, I do appreciate them.
I have discussed this with the head and we have agreed to give it a wide berth.
Thanks again
Paul
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