Inspection initiative results: Machine guarding

Overview

During a health and safety initiative focusing on machine guarding from February 1 to March 29, 2019, Ministry of Labour inspectors:

• conducted 737 field visits with 129 support role activities
• visited 602 workplaces
• issued 2,998 orders and requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, including 98 stop work orders

During inspector visits, there was also a focus on electrical hazards, lockout and blocking of all forms of hazardous energy.

Inspectors checked that employers were complying with the OHSA and its regulations at industrial workplaces. This included checking that employers were protecting workers by taking suitable action to identify and control hazards.

The goals of the industrial health and safety initiative were to:

• raise awareness of key health and safety hazards at industrial workplaces
• verify that requirements were being met
• increase workplace compliance with the law
• prevent injuries and illness that could arise from unsafe work practices
• provide help for employers on workplace safety

Machine guarding hazards

Workers can be exposed to several hazards when machines are not properly guarded during operation, maintenance, repair and other activities in industrial workplaces. These hazards can result in serious injuries such as amputations of limbs, or death.

Electrical workers can also be at risk of a major electrical hazard if improper lockout procedures are used when working on energized electrical equipment.

In 2017, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board received 2,829 claims from workers for lost-time injuries related to machine guarding and electrical hazards in the following groups:

• 2,107 caught in or compressed by equipment or objects or collapsing material
• 92 contact with electric current
• 630 rubbed or abraded by friction, pressure or jarred by vibration

Examples of the nature of these injuries that resulted in workers having to take time off from work include:

• 173 amputations or enucleations (the traumatic removal of an organ, such as an eyeball, in its entirety)
• 15 burns (electrical)
• 57 electrocutions, electric shock
• 403 fractures

Full report

Workplace inspection initiatives

Inspection initiatives are part of our Safe At Work Ontario compliance strategy. We publicly announce to the sector(s), in advance, that we will be doing an initiative, although individual workplaces are not notified in advance. The results of the initiative are posted online. Inspectors' findings may affect the number and level of future inspections of individual workplaces.

Inspectors may also refer employers to health and safety associations for help with compliance and training.

Initiative focus

Inspectors checked on specific safety issues, such as:

• guarding: Inspectors checked that employers ensured exposed moving parts, pinch points and other hazardous locations on equipment had guarding devices. Inspectors also checked that employers had conducted a pre-start review, when required, in factories.
• locking and blocking: Inspectors checked that employers had ensured workers were following lockout procedures to prevent machines from starting when the machines were opened or when guarding devices were removed, and that equipment was blocked to prevent accidental movement, when required.
• electrical hazards: Inspectors checked that employers were ensuring the power supply to electrical installations, equipment and conductors was disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before or during any work being done on or near live exposed parts of installations, equipment or conductors.
• power line contact: Inspectors checked that employers were taking every reasonable precaution to protect workers who were at risk of coming into contact with an overhead power line while performing maintenance work on a roof or a roof repair.
• worker and supervisor health and safety awareness training: Inspectors verified that employers had their supervisors and workers complete basic mandatory supervisor and worker health and safety awareness training.
• internal responsibility system: Inspectors checked that a health and safety representative or joint health and safety committee, if required, was in place and that they were functioning as required under the OHSA.
• policies and programs: Inspectors checked that employers had policies and programs in place to protect workers from hazards in the workplace.

Inspectors took suitable action if violations were found under the OHSA or its regulations. This included:

• writing orders to employers, supervisors and workers so they comply with legal requirements
• issuing stop work orders requiring employers to comply with legal requirements before work could continue
• providing resource information to support compliance

Inspection activity summary

This is a summary of the number of visits to workplaces and orders issued:

• 737 field visits with 129 support role activities
• 602 workplaces visited
• 2,998 total orders and requirements issued
• 2,945 orders issued for violations under the OHSA and its regulations, including 98 stop work orders
• 53 requirements issued to provide an inspector with workplace information
• an average of 4.98 orders and requirements issued per workplace visited
• an average of 4.07 orders and requirements issued per visit

Order analysis

During the initiative, the most frequently issued orders under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) involved employers’ failure to:

• maintain equipment, materials and protective devices in good condition [section 25(1)(b)] — 294 orders or 9.81% of the total orders and requirements issued
• take every precaution reasonable to protect workers’ health and safety [s. 25(2)(h)] — 208 orders or 6.94%
• post a copy of the OHSA in the workplace [s. 25(2)(i)] — 101 orders or 3.37%
• prepare a health and safety policy for the workplace [s. 25(2)(j)] — 72 orders or 2.40%

The most frequently issued orders under Regulation 851: Industrial Establishments were for employers’ failure to:

• prevent access to a moving part [s. 24] — 291 orders or 9.71% of the total orders and requirements issued
• prevent access to an in-running nip hazard [s. 25] — 213 orders or 7.10%
• thoroughly examine a lifting device [s. 51(1)(b)] — 146 orders or 4.87%
• keep a floor or other surface free of obstructions, hazards, and accumulations of refuse, snow, or ice [s. 11(a)] — 67 orders or 2.23%

The most frequently issued orders under O. Reg. 297/13: Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training were for employers’ failure to:

• provide worker training [s. 1(1)] — 112 orders or 3.74% of the total orders and requirements issued
• provide supervisor training [s. 2(1)] — 91 orders or 3.04%

Sector analysis

Inspectors visited workplaces in various sectors.

Observations

During the initiative:

• the highest percentage of orders and requirements were issues in the wood and metal fabrication sector with a significant total of 38.2%. A high percentage of orders and requirements were also issued to workplaces in the vehicle sales and services (8.8%) and food, beverage and tobacco (6.8%) sectors
• 21.1% of all orders and requirements were issued for machine guarding violations
• 4.6% of all orders and requirements were issued for lockout and blocking violations
• an average of 4.07 orders and requirements were issued per field visit

Conclusion and next steps

Continued effort is needed to improve the health and safety of workers who operate machines with exposed moving parts and in-running nip hazards.

During routine inspections of workplaces in Ontario’s industrial sector, the ministry will continue to focus on machine guarding and electrical hazards. During visits, inspectors will continue to check that employers are ensuring:

• machines are equipped with, and guarded by, a device that prevents access to a moving part that may endanger a worker’s safety
• machines are equipped with, and guarded by, a device that prevents access to a pinch point
• equipment, materials and protective devices are maintained in good condition
• workers and supervisors complete the required basic occupational health and safety awareness training program
• the power supply to electrical installations, equipment or conductors is disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before or during any work done on or near live exposed parts of installations, equipment or conductors

The ministry will continue to raise awareness of hazards involving unguarded machines and electrical hazards.

A key to workplace health and safety in Ontario is the workplace’s internal responsibility system (IRS). One of the primary purposes of the OHSA is to facilitate a strong IRS in the workplace. To this end, the OHSA lays out the legally required duties of all workplace parties – employers, supervisors, workers, constructors and workplace owners. Workplace parties' compliance with their duties is essential to the establishment of a strong IRS in the workplace. This is because everyone – including employers, supervisors, workers, health and safety associations and the government – has a key role to play in taking responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. This is essential to preventing worker injuries and deaths.

Everyone in the workplace is encouraged to work together to identify and control hazards involving machine guarding.

Help for employers

Please contact our health and safety partners for more information on workplace safety.