Plant, equipment and machinery
Many injuries occur in the meat retail industry from using machinery such as:
- bandsaws
- mixers
- sausage machines
- mincers
- gravity and horizontal feed slicers
- bacon slicers
- meat tenderisers
- forklifts
Ways to control hazards
Here are some ways to reduce or remove risks when using plant, equipment and machinery in the meat retail industry.
- When using a bandsaw, be careful when cutting small portions of meat (for example, pork chops) as your hand moves closer to the blade.
- Adjust the bandsaw blade guard as close as possible to the cutting table to reduce the cutting area of the blade exposed to you.
- Knee- or foot-operated mushroom stop buttons should be located close to you when you are using a bandsaw, for emergency use.
- Limit continuous operating time on the bandsaw, as it is mentally and physically demanding.
- Provide a system of portioning jigs to enable small pieces of meat to be cut.
- Ensure bandsaw trays are large enough to hold the pieces of meat to be cut.
- Ensure the feed throat of a mincer or mixer is designed to stop you from touching the worm. Older machines may need to have the feed throat extended and narrowed, or a restrictor plate fitted and linked to the drive motor.
- Fit delivery guards that stop you touching the cutter knives. You should not be able to fit your fingers through guard holes.
- Fit a hopper guard or lid to stop access to the mixing paddles and worm. This guard/lid should link to the power supply to the motor.
- When using a mincer or mixer, use a push stick that cannot touch the worm to force meat down if the feed throat gets blocked.
- With slicers, use blade sharpeners with the guards in place. The slice thickness plate should be zero unless the machine has a detachable sharpener.
- When using a slicer, attach a suitable last-slice device or meat pusher to the carriage to stop your hand slipping onto the blade. The meat pusher should have a handle.
- Power driven bacon slicers should not be used for cutting slippery, small or unevenly shaped food that cannot be held or clamped to the carriage.
- A large plate guard located at the front of the slicer offers protection when using a power driven bacon slicer. The plate, other guards and the sharpener should be linked to the blade motor.
For more ways to reduce the risks from using plant, equipment and machinery, see the plant, equipment and machinery area of this site or the electrical safety - working around electricity area.
Last updated October 5, 2005
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