Working safely

General rules for working with machines that have moving or rotating parts. The room and machine instructions come first.

Before you start

• Plan and organise the job.

• Don't use dangerous machines when you are tired or unfocused.

• No headphones.

Clothing and hair

• No loose clothing: ties, scarves, loose sleeves or skirts.

• No jewellery.

• Tie back long hair and long beards.

• Closed-toe shoes; no sandals.

• No gloves on most machines. The exceptions are few, and the machine instructions say so.

While working

• Don't rush.

• If something feels sketchy, step back and think it through.

• "I'm just going to…" is how many accidents start.

• Let dropped things fall. There is no safe way to catch a falling knife.