During the manufacture of metal items, the risks are many. Following a risk analysis, Dinamic Laser developed an accident-prevention plan to cope with all of the risks.

The tasks

The fabrication of metal items is a manufacturing process that has five phases.

First, the cutting, during which the items are cut by means of guillotines and trimming machines. Then comes the punching during which the punching operations are performed on the items by means of stamping machines, dotting machines, and laser. Then comes the profiling phase involving folding and threading machines. Then comes the assembly phase, during which the welding operations are performed. Finally, at the end of the production line, there is the finishing phase, at which all the items of the company arrive. A polishing machine does the polishing.

The risk

The risks are varied and multiple:
- falls due to the accumulation of materials sliding on the floor as well as the lack of space between the machines;
- excess of effort due to the weight of certain items;
- cuts during the handling of the items and the different machines;
- risks of auditory traumas caused by falling materials;
- eye lesions due to the projection of particles;
- risk of dermatoses caused by the handling of various products.

The solution and the method

On the basis of the evaluation of risks, adequate corrective measures were taken in order to reduce or eliminate the totality of risks. To be assured of the application of the corrective measures, the company devised an organizational measure. An internal accident-prevention service was created consisting of the person responsible for preventing on-the-job accidents and by workers trained in a basic course for preventing on-the-job accidents.

The function of this accident-prevention service is to see to it that, in each phase of activity of the company, the safety measures set by the company are respected. The fact that the workers themselves supervise compliance with these measures has turned out to be very beneficial. Indeed, they know perfectly how each job is performed. The workers also have to see to it that no new risks develop in their work places.

This system rests on the vigilance of all the workers. In each unit, the workers can be confronted with a series of incidents that they can report if they observe an anomaly. The committee studies all the observations made by the workers in order to derive from them measures to improve the working conditions.

In addition, the workers can also find in the different departments an explanation of the risks that each machine can present during the performance of the job so that the personnel are warned about the risks to which they can be exposed.

The effectiveness of the results

The results of the measures taken to improve on-the-job accident prevention have demonstrated the effectiveness of these measures when one compares the first quarter of 2002 with that of the preceding year. The on-the-job accident decreased by more than 50% for the period observed, which is very positive and encourages the company to continue the accident-prevention work in order to reduce further the number of these accidents.

The participation of the workers

This result was obtained thanks to the cooperation of all the workers of the company, who participated very actively in all of the corrective measures and in the recommendations made by the safety and health committee and integrated by the internal accident-prevention service established in the company.

The workers have been made very aware. All of the workers collaborate in the work done by the by members of the internal accident-prevention service.

The costs and benefits

The benefits are particularly apparent in terms of the reduction of the percentage of the number of accidents and on the level of the involvement of all of the workers in the application of the preventive measures within the company.

Entrepreneur's testimony The company is proud of the effectiveness of its accident-prevention method together with the quality that guarantees the best results during work. The company has a superior technician in quality in the prevention of the risks of on-the-job accidents who is responsible for managing all safety matters in the company. This person manages prevention matters in the company, in close cooperation with the Committee for Hygiene and Health at Work in which the workers participate.