The focus of the European Healthy Workplaces campaign was on safe maintenance in the workplace.
Safe Maintenance Campaign 2010
The Safe Maintenance Campaign was launched in summer 2010 and ran until late 2011.
The campaign was highlighted during the annual European Week for Safety and Health at Work in October.
Why Safe Maintenance?
Proper maintenance is essential for eliminating hazards and managing risks at the workplace. Lack of, or inadequate maintenance can cause serious and deadly accidents.
Maintenance related accidents are a cause for concern. Data from recent years tells us that in the manufacturing industry some 25 to 30 per cent of all fatalities were as the result of maintenance activities.
Without proper maintenance things can go dramatically wrong in the workplace. Regular maintenance is essential to keep equipment, machines and the work environment safe and reliable. It helps to eliminate workplace hazards.
Lack of or inadequate maintenance can lead to dangerous situations, accidents and health problems. Maintenance is a high risk activity. It has to be performed in a safe way!
Hazards During Maintenance
Undertaking maintenance activities can potentially expose the workers involved (and others) to all sorts of hazards.
Some of the major hazards commonly encountered during plant and building maintenace are: disturbing asbestos, falls from height, isolation and permits to work, falls of heavy items and selection of contractors.
Reduce the Risks
All these risks can be minimised by having:
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a structured approach based on risk assessment
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setting clear roles and responsibilites
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safe systems of work and clear guidelines to follow
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adequate training and equipment
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the involvement of workers in the risk assessment in the risk assessment and maintenance management process
Find Out More
You can find out more by following the link from this page to the HSE Safe Maintenance website and also the link to the campaign pages on the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work website.
