~ Wood Machining Training

 

Excerpt from the HSE website

Poor training causes accidents

A recent HSE study of woodworking accidents found that:

• a quarter of those injured under the age of 25 had received no specific training or instruction for the machine they were working on.
• In small firms (< 25 employed), half of those injured had received ‘on the job’ training only.

Employers have a legal duty to ensure that those who use wood equipment have received adequate training for health and safety, including training in methods of work, the risks created and the precautions to be taken.

Supervisors and managers of people using wood equipment also have to be adequately trained for health and safety purposes.

Training costs money, but untrained wood machinists are more likely to have an accident and the consequences will cost you more!

Frequently asked questions about training of wood machinists

Who by law needs to be trained?

Anyone who uses woodworking machinery – including machine operators and assistants (those helping to feed or take off), and those supervising or managing them - are required by law to be adequately trained for the purposes of health and safety.

Why do managers and supervisors need to be trained?

Although they may not need the same level of technical expertise as a fully trained skilled machinist, they:

• must be able to recognise unsafe practices and be familiar with modern standards.
• need to understand how to organise the flow of work so that it minimises handling and high-risk tasks, e.g. planing short lengths of timber.
• may, without up-to-date training, pass on bad habits and short cuts which increase the risk of accidents.

Can young people (under 18 years old) be trained to operate woodworking machines?

Yes.  But young people may only operate high-risk woodworking machinery during training if:

• it is necessary for their training;
• a competent person supervises them; and
• the risk of injury has been reduced as far as possible.

High-risk woodworking machines are:

• any hand-fed machine;
• sawing machines, however fed, with a circular saw blade or saw band;
• planing machines, however fed, used for surfacing;
• vertical-spindle moulding machines, however fed.

Young people need careful supervision when being trained because they are less familiar with the risks and may be hesitant about asking questions.

Do you need to send your employees to a college for training?

No, although there are many good training colleges delivering first class training who can help you to meet your legal duties to train your staff. 

But even after completing an external course the operative may well still need familiarisation (on-the-job) training in the workplace to learn the specific tasks of their work.

Can I provide in-house training?

It is perfectly acceptable for companies to use the expertise of their own staff and follow an in-house training scheme. 

Whoever gives the training, eg a supervisor or manager, they must be competent in:

• the safe operation of the class and type of machine;
• the type of work or operation to be done;
• the risks and measures to control those risks.

Trainers should preferably be technically qualified to operate the machines they are giving training on.  They need to be good communicators and have up-to-date knowledge of the legal requirements.

I would like to use a specialist trainer but how do I know if they are any good?

Many companies bring in a training provider so that their employees are trained-up on their own machines.  Choose a training provider in the same way as you would make any other purchase. Start with a clear idea of your needs, Consider the experience, qualifications and skills of the trainer and their understanding of health and safety requirements.

Do I need to provide refresher training?

Yes.  Skills can decline over time, particularly if not used regularly.  And standards change from time to time.  Regular uses of machinery should receive refresher training at least every five years, irregular users at least every 3 years.

Mark Elliott trained as an apprentice wood machinist and has taught wood machining for many years and has been an NVQ assessor in elements of wood machining. Mark is also a Graduate member of the Machine Woodworking Association, and has the Licentiateship of the City and Guilds