Last edit: 25/07/2023
The essential step in any risk assessment of the machinery is the systematic identification of reasonably foreseeable hazard, hazardous situation and/or hazardous events during all phases of the machine life cycle, i.e:
- transport, assembly and installation;
- commissioning;
- use;
- dismantling, disabling and scrapping.
Only when hazards have been identified can steps be taken to eliminate them or to reduce risks. To accomplish this hazard identification, it is necessary to identify the operations to be performed by the machinery and the task to be performed by person who interact with it, taking into account the different parts, mechanisms or functions of the machine, the materials to be processed, if any, and the environment in which the machine can be used.
The designer shall identify hazards taking into account the following.
Human interaction during the whole life cycle of the machine
All reasonably foreseeable hazards, hazardous situations or hazardous events associated with the various tasks shall then be identified. In addition, reasonably foreseeable hazards, hazardous situations or hazardous events not directly related to tasks shall be identified.
Possiblenstates of the machine
- The machine operates normally;
- The machine does not perform the intended function (malfunctions).
Unintended behaviour of the operator or reasonably foreseeable misuse of the machine
Examples include loss of control of the machine by the operator, reflex behaviour of a person in case of manfunction, incident of failure during the use of the machine, lack of concentration etc…