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2 © 2011, Safe Workplace Promotion Services Ontario, publicly known as Workplace Safety & Prevention Services. 1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | www.wsps.ca Preventive Maintenance Identifying Maintenance Hazards The hazards associated with maintenance activities can be classified as follows: Safety Hazards Mechanical – equipment – tools Electrical – live equipment Pneumatic Hydraulic Thermal Combustion Falls – slippery floors – working at heights Health Hazards Chemical Agents – process chemicals – cleaning solvents – unexpected reaction products – dusts – other chemical agents Physical Agents – noise – vibration – other Ergonomic Hazards Biomechanical – lifting, pushing, pulling (manual handling) – stretching, ending (to reach hard to access areas) Work/process design – poorly designed tools – hard to access work locations – ill fitting personal protective equipment – complex procedures Many of these hazards are interrelated. Examine your process, the layout of your process area, and the process equipment used, to determine the exact nature of the hazards likely to be encountered during your maintenance activities. For example, maintenance work carried out in confined spaces carries a greater risk of critical injuries and acute exposures to chemical and physical agents. These risks are associated with equipment and materials in the space itself and from nearby operations. Fatalities are quite common. controlling Maintenance Hazards Ideally, the hazards likely to occur during maintenance activities should be addressed in the planning stage. Process Selection Depending on the nature of the process, special precautions may be needed to protect workers when disassembling and cleaning equipment. Consider this factor when you make a decision to select one process over another. Also consider the following factors which contribute to the level of risk of your maintenance activities: How easy temporary structures are to erect How easy they are to access Support and reassembly of components of large scale equipment Use of hoists and mobile working platforms Safe use of ladders especially near live electrical equipment How much disassembly is required to access affected equipment

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