Occupational Health and Safety Policy – May 2013
In Accordance with Australian Men’s Shed Association Anglesea and District Men’s Shed.
Guidelines
Gentlemen,
Our shed exists for men to have fun together and enjoy the fellowship that membership brings.
However, nothing could be less ‘fun promoting’ than a person being injured, or worse, in our Shed. More so, if the injury was due to non-compliance with safety guidelines, or knowing that we may have contributed to this happening, because we personally failed to follow Safety guidelines.
Membership of our Shed comes with one prime responsibility: SAFETY; not only for ourselves, but also for our fellow members, some of whom may be significantly less experienced than we are, with the use of tools and machinery.
Consequently, each and every member has a duty of care to provide the best example we can, of safe practice each and every time we use the facilities. This means we must ensure we are fully aware of the guidelines and commit to following them rigorously.
Remember: We do not have to meet Production Quotas.
: We do not have a vindictive, production hungry boss.
: We do not have to rush at the expense of Safety.
: We do have to take time to work and act Safely…because, at the end of the day, nothing else really matters more than going home just as healthy as, and hopefully happier than, when we arrived.
Recognizing that all of us are human, it is entirely possible we may forget to follow safety practices from time to time, but this is not what this statement is about.
This statement is about any member who chooses to ignore the Safety guidelines we have adopted.
Because failure to follow safety guidelines has so much potential for very serious consequences, the following steps will be implemented immediately.
Any members wishing to continue using ADMS machinery and tools, must agree to, and abide by, the following points of policy.
There will be no exceptions; the safety and well being of each off us is at risk, so all of us must comply.
Safety Guidelines.
Anyone using tools and machinery in a way that does not comply with Shed guidelines shall have this fact brought to their attention immediately by any member upon becoming aware this is so. In the spirit of making our Shed a safer place for everyone, each of us should both welcome such a reminder and be prepared to offer one when necessary.
No member is to use or operate any machine owned by the ADMS, fixed or portable, unless they have been approved as ‘Qualified’ by one of our designated trainers. (Though previous experience will be taken into account by the trainer, it has no effect on the need for qualification for use of ADMS equipment.)
Accepting qualification for use of a machine means you agree to the Safety Guidelines for that machine and will:
Wear all Safety Equipment stipulated for the use of that machine, and
Ensure anyone ‘assisting’ you, or being trained by you, on that machine, also wears the appropriate Safety Equipment, while this is so.
In most cases, in a spirit of fellowship, a member will respond very positively to Safety Practices. However (and hopefully very rarely) an individual member may feel strongly enough about his personal practice that he continues to not comply with guidelines; this not acceptable. The current Safety Practices are to be followed by the objecting member. He should raise his objection with a Committee member for scrutiny by the Safety Committee, whose decision will then be final.
Any member who damages, or becomes aware of a damaged machine or tool, must immediately:
Disconnect power to that machine and fix an ‘Out Of Service’ tag to the power plug to prevent its use by other members.
Report the damaged machine to a Committee member immediately for assessment and or repair.
Damaged Hand Tools must also be ‘tagged’ and reported.
No member, however technically competent, is exempt from these guidelines. The Shed Committee has a duty of care to ensure full compliance with them by all members.
For whatever reason, if a member continues to not follow Shed guidelines (which will be apparent to all of us) he can expect that his right to use ADMS tools and machinery will be withdrawn by the Shed Committee.
Setting an example of best practice in this area is the goal for all of us. Having such a privilege withdrawn is unlikely to enhance a member’s standing in our Shed community.
Minimum Personal Protective Equipment required to be worn within the ‘Work Shop’ area is:
Safety Glasses – to be worn at all times by members using Hand tools or Powered Hand drills.
Hearing protection – to be worn as ‘noise’ conditions demand.
Footwear: ‘Work’ boots or shoes are recommended and preferred, but may not be practical for all members. In those cases, footwear of a strong leather upper and ‘solid/substantial’ sole construction, which fully encloses the foot, is to be worn: no Thongs, Sandals or shoes/boots with fabric uppers.
Clothing should be suitable for a work shop environment.
Each person is responsible for cleaning up their work area. We understand this cannot always be complied with, in which case it is expected members will ‘do the right thing’ by someone else who finds themselves in the same situation, or some sod has pinched your wood and you can’t continue with your work so you might as well clean up.
Machine Maintenance: In order to maintain a ‘known standard’, members are not to carry out repairs or maintenance on ADMS machines or tools unless they are approved to do so by the Shed Committee.
I have read and understood the above guidelines, and by signing this document, I agree to abide by the Guidelines set out above.
(Compiled by the ‘Anglesea and District Men’s Shed’ Committee.)
Anglesea & District Men's Shed 