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Posted By John Lewis
I started in my current role in February and part of the business involves a quite extensive machine shop. Some of the machines have been here many years and include some which were built before guarding was a twinkle in the Ministry of Labours eye. Over the years some guarding has been fitted and incidentally not questioned by HSE as recently as yesterday! However, there is in many areas an opportunity for swarf and chips to be ejected at a passer by or someone other than the operator. Because of this my risk assessment calls for eye protection to be mandatory over a quite large and clearly defined floor area.
We bought a number of "snazzy" styles to soften the blow somewhat and they seem to have been well received although the supervisors are doing quite a few "reminders". Unbelievably, the two senior union reps' are the only ones with a problem and one actually refused to wear glasses this morning. Apparently they make his eye sight go funny and give him headaches. (Interestingly, both chose the most trendy expensive lookingb options from a selection of seven). I convinced him it was a good idea to wear them before management took it further.
An element of their argument is that they operate CNC machines; which they blow out with air lines, often less carefully than I would like. (Hand brushes for cleaning down have been shown to spoil the finish of the product).
Has anyone any ideas on how to convince these guys? I would particularly like to hear from anyone working for one of the Unions for their opinions.
Regards
John
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Posted By Merv Newman
In my experience, with and without union reps, machine shops are a good case for 100% eye protection for EVERYONE in the area, actively working on a machine or not. Even more so if it is common practice to blown-down the machine or workpiece. Eye-strain and headaches are commonly produced as reasons for not wearing them. As the glasses are optically neutral (get a certificate from manufacturers) the problem is normally a question of getting used to them. (a few days). The one person reporting problems MAY have a physical problem. Send that person to an opticians, with the glasses. If he does have a problem then the optician should put it in writing, with reasons why they cannot wear the safety specs. Safety glasses with corrective lenses would then be the preferred option for that person.
Other employees working in the area, including managers, supervisors, clerical and support workers should also be wearing safety glasses.
Employees who already, or in the future, are diagnosed as requiring corrective lenses will probably require fitted safety glasses. See previous threads on who pays.
On blowing-down the workarea : Pistols which do not reduce the mains pressure (typically 6 bars) should not be used. pistols can be obtained which reduce the nozzle pressure to about 2 bar (30 psi) and give an "air curtain" effect around the nozzle will reduce the amount of material thrown around the area. If you don't yet have them, be careful about introducing them before you have solved the glasses problem. Reducing the risk will increase resistance to wearing eye-protection. Seems daft for me to say don't reduce the risk NOW ! or you'll DIE ! but it will make life easier.
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Posted By Cr8r
Have you given them training in what happens if you don't wear them? The manufacturers I dealt with last year had produced their own CD of different impacts with different and no glasses on a dummy, it was very convincing. It also had some awful real life pictures which you could use or leave out as you felt appropriate for your audience.
Tell them the old adage - you're on your last pair of eyes.
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Posted By Barry Cooper
Sack em!
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Posted By William Sweeting
Buy a video on eye protection and train the people how and why they should wear safety glasses. Then enforce the rule in all areas of work, and for everyone including managers and contractors. Then anyone who refuses to wear them should be subject to a disciplinary hearing and so on until as a final course of action you SACK em.
Do all this in consultation with the union safety rep, pointing out sections 2,3 and 8 of the H&SaWA and the PPE regs. Get the unions buy in and you should be home and dry.
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Posted By John Murgatroyd
Sign:
EYE PROTECTION AREA.
EYE PROTECTION MUST BE WORN.
No access to that area without eye protection.
If that means they cannot do their jobs, first offer them alternative jobs....sanitary operative etc....if they don't want to do that then point-out to them that it is a disciplinary offence.
Go the 3 ways to solving problems and give them a grievance notice....the ball is in their court then.
You could also complain to the union and suggest they appoint some other people to be safety reps, like ones interested in their own safety.
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Posted By MichaelM
John
Having had a similar situation with respect to an employee being unable to wear prescription safety spectacles, there can be an optical effect whereby distortion can occur.
It would be more constructive to ask an optician to have a look at this guys eyes and if the optician comes back saying that there is a problem get the optician to help source a suitable pair of safety spectacles. This would be beneficial even if they are not prescription safety spectacles.
Michael
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Posted By Fred Pratley
John,
A useful method getting around shop stewards "resistance" is to question wheter or not they are going to be proactive and encourage the people they represent to use PPE or not. In their position a SAFETY representatives (a union rep is a safety rep by law, and they probably went on union safety training in company time), they have a duty of care tp ensure safety rules are followed.
Regards Fred
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Posted By Robert.
The "new" safety culture should be endorsed from the top.
I've seen it written in a thread many moons ago that PPE is not a personal choice but a condition of emloyment. You obviously have identified a "significant " hazard, which, the general management agrees with, and it needs to be managed, union or no union.
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Posted By jackw.
Hi, not very helpful TU reps and they should know better. perhaps a call to their full time official may help. Legal - risk assessment says PPE must be worn then they and others are in breach of the duty to co-operate with the employer and to wear supplied PPE.
I recall a company that operated near Glasgow (Caterpillar tractor company) they had a large Machine shop. Their policy... every one entering the area must wear safety glasses regardless of what they were doing - e.g. just passing through. This included from the MD down. They had a policy of 1 strike and out. if you were caught not wearing your safety glasses, no matter the reason, more than once, you got fired. might sound harsh but apparently they never had a serious eye injury in the workshop.
My view they don't do it voluntarily then make them..i.e. manage safety.
cheers.
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