Restrict or prohibit movement of on-site machinery

If on-site machinery has the potential to cause harm to the public, personnel or other emergency responders, it may be necessary to restrict or prohibit its movement.

On-site machinery operators should be made aware of the presence of personnel and other emergency responders, and the extent of restriction or prohibition in place.

It may not be possible to restrict or prohibit movement of on-site machinery. If this is the case, all emergency responders should be made aware of any on-site machinery that continues to operate and exclusion zones set up where necessary.

As personnel may attend incidents at industrial sites while there are no on-site staff present, it may be beneficial for fire and rescue services to maintain a directory of people who are competent to move on-site machinery. These people could be requested to attend the site if the responsible person is unable to provide on-site staff within the timeframe required.

It may be beneficial to arrange for a competent person to move any on-site machinery not being used in the incident to an alternative location, where it will not have an impact on, or become involved in, the incident.

Machine rooms or spaces

It may be necessary to access machine rooms or spaces in order to restrict the movement of on-site machinery. If necessary, advice or assistance should be requested from the responsible person. Access ways should be:

• Safe
• Free from trip hazards or obstructions
• Suitably and sufficiently illuminated
• Provide appropriate hand holds and stepping points
• In good condition

There should be adequate and suitable guards in place within machine rooms or spaces. All exposed rotating shafts, sprockets and chains should be guarded, as should exposed electrical equipment.

Control measures for working in machine rooms or spaces, especially if a casualty is involved, are provided in:

• Search, rescue and casualty care – Control the movement of involved machinery
• Search, rescue and casualty care – Release of casualty trapped by machinery

Robotic systems

To minimise the risk of accidents involving robotic systems, the following safeguards may be in place:

• Physical barriers that include gates with electrical interlocks, so the operation of the robot stops when the gate is opened
• Back-up devices, such as motion sensors or light curtains
• Barriers between robotic equipment and any free-standing objects to prevent people from getting caught between the robot and a pinch point
• Adequate clearance distances around all moving components of the robotic system
• Remote diagnostics so that the maximum amount of troubleshooting can be carried out from areas outside the operating range of the robotic system
• Adequate illumination in the control and operational areas
• Clearly visible marks on floors or working surfaces that indicate the zones of movement of the robotic system

Robotic system safeguards should not be breached unless there is justification to do so, such as there being a threat to life. The tactical plan should include the potential for robotic systems to malfunction, resulting in unexpected movements or other hazards that are not controlled by existing safeguards.

Lifts

Control measures for working in or near lifts and their associated machinery, especially if a casualty is involved, are provided in:

• Search, rescue and casualty care – Isolate the power supply to lift machinery
• Search, rescue and casualty care – Move the lift car to a place of safety
• Search, rescue and casualty care – Entering a lift shaft to rescue a casualty

Use of escalators in an emergency

BS EN 115-1: Safety of escalators and moving walks – Construction and installation recommends that escalators should not be used in an emergency. Escalators should not be included when calculating the requirements for means of escape in an emergency situation.

There may be cases, subject to special regulations, where this does not apply. For example, in metro systems, escalators and moving walkways may be the primary escape route or emergency exit.

Escalators may remain in service, if they are not affected by the emergency, according to a predetermined emergency strategy. Therefore, it is not essential to restrict or prohibit their movement unless they are affected by, or could impact on, the incident.

Use of moving walkways in an emergency

During the design of the building, moving walkways may have been included as a foreseeable means of escape and may be used, while stationary or remain in service, according to a predetermined emergency strategy. Therefore, it is not essential to restrict or prohibit their movement unless they are affected by, or could impact on, the incident.