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Product category: Engineering Education, Resources and Standards
News Release from: Faraday Plastics
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 10 March 2003

Machinery code of practice aids health
and safety

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Brokered by Faraday Plastics, the UK thermoforming sector has agreed a machinery code of practice which is set to boost its health and safety performance.

Brokered by Faraday Plastics, the UK thermoforming sector has agreed a machinery code of practice which is set to boost its health and safety performance After discussions held between Chris Flint, HM Principal Inspector and his team at the Health and Safety Executive, and with technical and trade groups representing the thermoforming industry an agreement has been reached in published form - intended to prevent injuries caused by machinery used in the sector

The new agreement covers the safeguards required to prevent gravity fall of clamp frames and other raised machine parts in both thermo and vacuum forming machines produced prior to 1999.

Machines manufactured after that date are already covered under BS EN12409.

The industry came together under the auspices of Faraday Plastics late in 2002 to address the concerns expressed not only by the press but by moulders throughout the industry.

Martin Woodley of Faraday and Rapra who has headed up the working group says.

"This is a first for the thermoforming sector with all the major machine manufactures and re-sellers working closely together to address an issue of mutual concern.

The fact that we have also had the support of the HSE and the trade associations in drawing up the agreement has been a tremendous bonus".

Woodley confirmed that the next phase of work would be to communicate the document and its recommendations to the moulders who are using this older equipment.

"All of the machinery representatives and the trade bodies are committed to putting the document on their web sites and carrying out a mailing to their clients or members and we hope that the processors will come on board by carrying out a mailing on our behalf", he says.

"Such is the interest in the issue", he adds, "that we understand that the German authorities will be taking a serious look at the agreement with a view to introducing it in their market".

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