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Implications Surrounding the Provision and Installation of Replacement Woodworking Machinery

Daniel Piasecki

Firstly, apologies if this is not the correct location for this query!

To provide some background:

I'm a building services engineer working for a local authority and have received a query from one of the community groups that operate within our borough:

The community group provides a facility for service users with various special educational needs, to attend and participate in various indoor and outdoor activities such as basic gardening, cooking and woodworking. 

The service is a great benefit to the users but unfortunately as with all services which are mainly funded by local authorities, money is quite tight. As a result of the lack of funds, the service providers often purchase equipment via fundraising, one such piece of equipment that has been purchased in this way, is an electric double-bevel sliding mitre saw which was purchased by the staff from a large DIY retailer. This equipment was purchased by the staff to replace a faulty mitre saw which is mounted to a bench within their carpentry workshop.

After reviewing the woodworking / carpentry workshop arrangement, I would be inclined to say that the workshop appears to be a classroom workshop type arrangement which has been designed for the space and incorporates various emergency measures such as emergency stops.

My query:

The service providers have purchased the replacement saw, and are now requesting that the council's building services department make arrangements for a contractor to attend, to replace the existing (hardwired saw) with the newly purchased saw.

As the existing arrangement appears to have been designed to suit the teaching space, I have reservations that simply cutting the plug top off of the new saw and wiring it into the existing fused connection could expose the users and also the service providers to a multitude of H&S issues. 

In the initial instance, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires equipment to be suitable for the actual work it is provided to do. I can't guarantee this with the new saw, as the unit appears to be more suited to DIY. I also can't guarantee that the safety measures put in place for the original appliance are suitable for the new appliance.

I'm more inclined to engage with a specialist workshop provider but wanted help on justifying my position / reservations. Can anyone point me in the direction of suitable guidance or regulations in this field?

Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Parents
  • +1

    You, well the users really, may invalidate the guarantee that comes with the new saw using it in that way, but on its own that is not especially dangerous. The biggest safety consideration will be to do with how fast the blade stops if the power is cut and the security of guards etc 
    This is likely to be much better on a new device, DIY or commercial, than an older one. Is there any merit in leaving the plug on, and fitting a socket to the outlet where the old saw went, so it can be unplugged for cleaning etc, and then the instructions for use can then be followed as originally written ?

    Portable tools used by DIYers, jobbing handymen and professional builders are all supposed to be designed to meet the same safety standards, what varies greatly is how  good a line they cut, how well balanced they are,  and how long they last. Some cheaper models do make you wonder though.

    Who is responsible for deciding who can use what tool ? I presume someone is already in charge of the workshop? Beyond the basic electrical aspects it is not yours to worry about on your own, there should be rather more happening in the way of risk assessment and user training etc, there should be someone suitable already involved, I hope.

    Mike

Reply
  • +1

    You, well the users really, may invalidate the guarantee that comes with the new saw using it in that way, but on its own that is not especially dangerous. The biggest safety consideration will be to do with how fast the blade stops if the power is cut and the security of guards etc 
    This is likely to be much better on a new device, DIY or commercial, than an older one. Is there any merit in leaving the plug on, and fitting a socket to the outlet where the old saw went, so it can be unplugged for cleaning etc, and then the instructions for use can then be followed as originally written ?

    Portable tools used by DIYers, jobbing handymen and professional builders are all supposed to be designed to meet the same safety standards, what varies greatly is how  good a line they cut, how well balanced they are,  and how long they last. Some cheaper models do make you wonder though.

    Who is responsible for deciding who can use what tool ? I presume someone is already in charge of the workshop? Beyond the basic electrical aspects it is not yours to worry about on your own, there should be rather more happening in the way of risk assessment and user training etc, there should be someone suitable already involved, I hope.

    Mike

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