Risk Assessment of New Production Equipment

The modernization of production facilities and the purchase of new lines inevitably present HSE specialists with the task of integrating this equipment into the existing safety system. Often, even modern machines from foreign manufacturers do not fully meet the internal standards of the enterprise. In this webinar, Andrey Tolstopyatov, Head of the HSE Department at Formatsiya LLC, discusses a practical approach to risk assessment and the modification of production equipment in the food industry.

Safety Criteria at the Procurement and Acceptance Stage

Risk assessment begins before the machine is actually put into operation. Using his enterprise as an example, the speaker shows how establishing basic requirements for the manufacturer helps reduce the number of hazardous zones even at the ordering stage. When the equipment arrives at the site, an initial audit is conducted based on key criteria:

• Design of protective guards: checking the height (at least 180 cm), tightness, and the absence of gaps that allow the operator to access moving parts.
• Safety of manual mode: control of starting systems. If the machine allows one-handed starting with an open guard, a modification to a two-hand control system is initiated.
• Integration of lockout systems: analysis of components for the future application of LOTO procedures and the installation of autonomous aerosol fire extinguishing systems in electrical cabinets.

Practice of Technical Equipment Modification

Even with a manufacturer's warranty, enterprises are forced to find compromises to increase the level of safety. The presentation details the process of systematic modernization of the equipment fleet. Identified weaknesses, such as faulty or easily bypassed limit switches, are replaced as a priority. Increasing the height of protective screens not only prevents physical access to the danger zone but also reduces the level of noise exposure at the workplace, and helps localize heat emission from heating elements.

Risk Visualization and Work with Personnel

A two-level system is used to record the assessment results. The official protocol with the calculation of probability and severity is used for management decisions. For line personnel, visualized risk maps are developed with photographs of specific components and descriptions of safe actions. The speaker emphasizes that the dry text of instructions is not effective enough, so visualization becomes the main tool during the internship and training of operators. All identified non-conformities and modification tasks are transferred to a digital environment, which ensures transparent control of deadlines and responsible persons.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to formulate safety requirements for the manufacturer before purchasing a production line?
• What to do if new equipment is supplied with an unsafe manual start mode?
• How to visualize risk assessment protocols so that they are truly understandable to operators?
• How to organize the process of modifying protective guards and limit switches in an operating production facility?
• How to involve technical specialists and line managers in the hazard identification process?