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Plant and Machinery Safety

At St Joseph's School, we manage the risks associated with plant and machinery at the school. We maintain the safety and welfare of staff, students, and visitors as our priority in the use of plant and machinery.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, the board as the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) and any operators of plant or machinery take all practicable steps to make sure machinery in the workplace is in safe working order, operated correctly, and adequately stored to reduce the risk of injuries or harm. If machinery or plant at the school is potentially hazardous, a risk assessment is carried out to determine the level of risk it presents.

We follow the hierarchy of controls set out by Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016. If hazards cannot be eliminated or isolated, we aim to minimise the hazard by:

• using personal protective equipment
• monitoring worker health and the working environment
• using safe operating procedures
• providing training to operators
• using safe systems of work.

See Risk Management.

Plant

The board provides, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe plant and associated structures, and ensures they are in good condition. The board ensures that plant at the school does not pose unnecessary risk to the health and safety of any person, including the risk of long-term health effects.

All plant is inspected regularly, and the school keeps a maintenance log detailing the type of plant/equipment, location, serial or identification number, work carried out, date, time, and workers involved.

Machinery

The board has a responsibility to ensure that machinery operators are appropriately trained and supervised, and use safe working practices. The school provides protective clothing and equipment as necessary, and has an accident reporting system to log and follow up on any accidents, injuries, or near misses.

Storage and maintenance

• Appropriately trained staff are responsible for the storage and maintenance of all machinery and equipment in their designated area.
• Machinery is stored safely and securely, and students are not allowed in the machinery storage area.
• Machinery is kept clean and well maintained, and repairs are attended to as soon as possible.

Machinery use

• Machinery is used appropriately for its intended purpose.
• Students only have access to machinery when appropriately supervised.
• Rooms containing machinery are locked when unsupervised.
• The appropriate safety equipment is stored with the machinery and must be used by the operator. This may include ear protection, safety glasses, gloves, and footwear.

Electrical equipment

All electrical equipment used at St Joseph's School is maintained to ensure it meets health and safety standards. If powerboards are used, the school follows safety guidelines to ensure their appropriate use. Electrical equipment is tested as required to meet New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3760: 2010.

Resources

• WorkSafe | Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa: Safe use of machinery
• Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga: Safe use and testing of electrical equipment testing in schools

Release history: Term 1 2023, Term 4 2019, Term 1 2018