Industrial work often involves the use of plant and machinery. This exposes employees to a range of risks. For example, they could become trapped or cut themselves. Machine safety is relevant not only when machines are used, but also during their maintenance.

Accidents often occur during machine maintenance, cleaning and repairs. Employees are at risk of becoming trapped or suffering other serious injury. The employer can take various preventive measures:

Technical measures: aimed at machinery and the workplace

For example: has the machine been designed so that maintenance, repairs and cleaning can be carried out safely? Does the machine have a 'cleaning mode'?

Organisational measures: aimed at procedures, working methods and risk assessment

For example: is the risk specified in the risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E), and are the corresponding measures included in the plan of action (PoA)? Have specific procedures, such as lock out, tag out or try out procedures, been imposed for maintenance, cleaning and repairs?

Behavioural measures: aimed at ensuring that employees know what they must do

For example: have employees received sufficient, understandable instructions to enable them to carry out professional maintenance, cleaning or repairs?

Are you taking sufficient measures?

If machinery is maintained, repaired or cleaned within your company, the risks must be identified and included in the RI&E and the PoA. There must also be specific working methods or procedures so that employees can work safely in the workplace. The exact rules that apply depend on the type of work and the associated risks.

Employees may also be at risk of being struck by vehicles (Dutch) or falling from height (Dutch) in the workplace.

Consider work that you have carried out on your instructions, such as maintenance by installation contractors or cleaning by a cleaning firm. The Working Conditions Act applies wherever people work as employees or under a contract for services. If you work through a staffing agency, you have various obligations, as the user, to ensure that agency workers can work for you in fair, safe and healthy conditions.

What do you need to pay attention to as an employer?

What does the Netherlands Labour Authority do?

People who work with machinery face various risks. The employer is responsible for employee safety. The Labour Authority checks whether work is carried out in a healthy, safe and fair manner, and what you are doing, as the employer, to ensure this remains the case in the longer term.