Inadvertent starts causing accidents

Abstract

The increasing use of automation in industrial production has in many cases reduced accidents. However, it has also caused new safety problems such as inadvertent starting up of machines and production systems. An inadvertent start is a starting event of a technical system or a part of it, which produces an undesired function or movement. The study of inadvertent starts was based on accident reports of the National Board of Labour Protection. 105 accidents caused by inadvertent starts were treated in the research. The aim of the studv was to determine which factors and conditions brought about inadvertent starts in production systems. The study showed that the most problematical branches of industry were the metal, timber, food production and paper industries. Presses, conveyors and guillotine shears were typical machines where several inadvertent starts had occurred. The most dangerous work phases were elimination of blockages and, in particular, repairing conveyors. The event triggering an inadvertent start was generally caused by a worker. Frequently the cause was a wrong or hazardous working method. The lack of communication between workers, or a “human error” also often had an effect on the accident sequence. In order to prevent inadvertent starts measures must always be made to ensure that the stopped system definably remains stopped. A safe method of preventing an inadvertent start is to disconnect the machine from its power sources and make sure that nobody can turn on the power.