Schools’ Health and Safety Handbook
Section9.3:Code of Practice for Secondary Design and Technology
Risk Assessment WW02:Planing and Thicknessing Machine
February 2007
Risk Assessment WW02:
Planing and Thicknessing Machine
ESTABLISHMENT
DEPARTMENT
WORK ACTIVITY
HAZARDS
WHO MIGHT BE
HARMED
(EMPLOYEES)
SCHOOL TEACHING SECONDARY DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGY
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
USE OF PLANERING AND THICKNESSING
MACHINE
 In certain circumstances, the work piece in a
planing and thicknessing machine may kick-back
towards the operator.
 Any electrical faults may cause electric shock
 Hands and fingers may be seriously injured if they
come into contact with the cutting tool
 Clothing and dangling jewellery may become
entangled in the cutting tool.
 Wood dust may be inhaled which may cause lung
diseases over a period of time
 Exposure to noise from the machine over time may
cause permanent hearing damage
 Accidental starting of the machine can present a
serious hazard
 Unauthorised use of the machine can present a
serious hazard
Design and Technology Teachers
Design and Technology Teaching Assistants
Design and Technology Technical Assistants
WHO MIGHT BE
HARMED
(NONEMPLOYEES)
Children
Visitors
Contractors
IS ANYONE AT
SPECIAL RISK
Persons working alone
Inexperienced teachers or other employees
Persons who have not been trained and certificated
within the past five years.
Persons who use the equipment infrequently
Unauthorised users, for example, site manager,
caretakers
Switchgear
 The machine must be provided with a means of
isolation using a fused switch-disconnector on or
adjacent to the machine
 The fused switch-disconnector must be controlled
by a starter incorporating overload protection and
RISK CONTROL
MEASURES
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Schools’ Health and Safety Handbook
Section9.3:Code of Practice for Secondary Design and Technology
Risk Assessment WW02:Planing and Thicknessing Machine
February 2007
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no-volt release
It must be possible to lock the machine off when it
is not in use to prevent unauthorised use.
A locking device may be incorporated in the
machine.
The key must not be left in the lock when the
machine is unattended.
Emergency Switchgear
 The machine must be provided with a conveniently
positioned, foot operated, red mushroom headed
emergency stop switch, on a yellow background, or
other suitable control device that can bring the
machine to rest within 10 seconds.
 The emergency switch should be labelled with an
emergency stop sign/symbol.
Cabling
 All cabling should be armoured to protect it from
damage
Space and Floor Area
 There must be sufficient space around the saw
bench so that the timber being worked on can be
handled safely.
 The DfES Guidance should be followed. This area
should be clearly marked with yellow tape or paint.
 There should be sufficient space around the
machine to prevent the operator being knocked by
passers by.
 The floor of the work area must be level and nonslip.
 The floor must be kept free of loose material such
as wood shavings and saw dust which could make
it slippery.
 The floor should be cleaned at least once daily
using a cleaning technique which minimises the
spread of wood dust such as an industrial vacuum
cleaner fitted with a fine dust filter of mesh size not
greater than 0.1 microns.
Guarding
 The motor, drive belts and wheels should be
guarded by fixed guards removable only with the
use of a tool.
 The upper part of the machine including the in-feed
and out-feed rollers, should be guarded to prevent
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Schools’ Health and Safety Handbook
Section9.3:Code of Practice for Secondary Design and Technology
Risk Assessment WW02:Planing and Thicknessing Machine
February 2007
accidental access to the cutter block and feed
rollers.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
 Eye protection should be worn machine.
 The eye protection should be stored near the
machine.
 A protective workshop coat should be worn
 All PPE must be regularly cleaned, maintained
and repaired and replaced when necessary.
Control of Noise
 Planing and thicknessing machines can produce
noise levels of around 100 dB(A). A noise
assessment of personal daily exposures should be
carried out by a competent person.
 Hearing protection should be worn when using the
planing and thicknessing machine.
 A sign should be displayed near the machine
indicating that hearing protection must be worn.
 Hearing protection should be stored near the
machine, be properly maintained, correctly worn
and be repaired and replaced when required.
Hair and Clothing
 Substantial, non-slip, flat healed shoes which
cover the whole of the foot, should be worn when
using this equipment. Trainers do not give
adequate protection
 Loose clothing must be secured and long hair
must be tied back.
 Dangling jewellery must not be worn
 Gloves and bandages should not be worn
Anti Kick-Back Device
 An anti-kick-back device should be fitted over the
whole working width of the machine.
 The width of the anti-kick back fingers should be
between 3 mm and 8 mm for machines with a
useful working width less than 260 mm and
between 8 mm and 15 mm for machines with a
useful working width of 260 mm and above.
Risk of Ejection of Thin Workpieces
 The risk of ejection of thin work pieces when they
come into contact with the cutters can be reduced
by using sectional feed rollers. Feed roller sections
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Schools’ Health and Safety Handbook
Section9.3:Code of Practice for Secondary Design and Technology
Risk Assessment WW02:Planing and Thicknessing Machine
February 2007
should not exceed 50 mm in width.
Setting of Cutting Tools
 The radial cutting edge of the tool should not
project from the block by more than 1.1 mm. Care
should be taken to ensure that knives are secure
and correctly set.
 Tools should be clearly and permanently marked
with the following information.
 the name or trade mark of the manufacturer or
supplier
 “man” if manual or hand fed
 the minimum clamping length and
corresponding blade thickness
Push Stick
 A push stick should be used to push short work
into the machine.
 Hands and fingers must be kept well clear of the
blade.
Bridge Guard for Surface Planing
 For surface planing, an adjustable bridge guard
with the following characteristics must be used.
 The bridge guard should be lockable in any
position without the use of a tool.
 The height of he bridge guard should be
adjustable from ) 0 mm to 75 mm above the
outfeed table. height adjustments should be
continuous, not in steps.
 The width of the bridge guard should be 100
mm for cutterblocks up to and including 350
mm and 120 mm for cutterblocks over 350
mm.
 The edge of the bridge guard should be set as
close as possible from the upper surface of the
workpiece on the infeed table side, and no
more than 3 mm on the outfeed table side.
Thicknessing
 For thicknessing a guard that does not impede
discharge of the waste should be fitted to prevent
access to the cutter block.
Use of Planing and Thicknessing Machine
 The planing and thicknessing machine may only
be used by competent, trained employees who
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Schools’ Health and Safety Handbook
Section9.3:Code of Practice for Secondary Design and Technology
Risk Assessment WW02:Planing and Thicknessing Machine
February 2007
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have been trained in accordance with the Health
and Safety Training Standards in Design and
Technology published by the Design and
Technology Association.
They must hold documentary evidence that they
have completed this training successfully within
the past five years.
Planing and thicknessing machines should not be
used when or where the user could easily be
distracted.
Planer thicknessing machines will usually be
located in the wood preparation room rather then
the workshop. If they are located in the workshop,
they must not be used when students are present.
The planer-thicknessing machine must NOT be
used by pupils
Control of Wood Dusts
 Planing and thicknessing machines produce
significant quantities of wood dust and must be
fitted with and interlocked dust extraction system.
 The dust extraction system must be fully tested
annually by a competent engineer and a written
report produced.
 Copies of reports must be kept for 5 years. It is
advised that they are kept in a clearly labelled ring
binder.
 These records should be kept available for
inspection
 The dust extraction system must be emptied
regularly to enable it to operate at maximum
efficiency and care must be taken that the dust is
disposed of safely and is not allowed to escape
into the air where it may be inhaled.
Safety Rules
 Safety rules for the use of the machine should be
displayed near the machine where they can easily
be referred to
Servicing and Maintenance
 The planing and thicknessing machine must be
included in a planned programme of servicing and
maintenance by a competent engineer. This
should include electrical safety checks.
 Records of servicing and maintenance must be
kept for at least five years and should be available
for inspection by health and safety officers and
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Schools’ Health and Safety Handbook
Section9.3:Code of Practice for Secondary Design and Technology
Risk Assessment WW02:Planing and Thicknessing Machine
February 2007
subject advisers/consultants and other authorised
persons.
Manufacturer’s Instructions

A copy of the manufacturer’s instruction book
should be kept by the machine.
FURTHER ACTION
REQUIRED TO
CONTROL RISK
ACTION BY
PERSON
ACTION BY DATE
DATE REVISION
OF ASSESSMENT
DUE
ASSESSED BY
DATE
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