HSE NI issue dicing machine safety alert

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) have issued a safety alert relating to dicing machines used in the food industry.

They have raised concerns over guarding issues on these machines after a worker recently suffered life-changing injuries following an incident where they were using a dicing machine which did not have adequate guarding.

This safety alert seeks to remind all those in the food industry to ensures that they have appropriate controls in place to prevent serious injury to those operating, cleaning and maintaining dicing machines. 

The HSE NI are advising all companies using dicing machines with moving parts and blades to ensure they have adequate controls in place. This includes:

• ensuring a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is in place which covers the operation, cleaning and maintenance of the dicing machine;
• checking that the machine complies with the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 1999/305;
• documented pre-use checks of the machine by a competent person, that checks all the machines safety features;
• ensuring fixed guards enclosing dangerous parts of the machine are adequately secured;
• providing adequate information, instruction and supervision to all relevant persons involved in working with the dicing machines.

For more information, see: Safety Alert - Food Industry. Guarding issues on dicing machines.