TABLE OF CONTENTS Ever since machinery was first developed to help man with his labours a heavy price in injuries and damage has been paid for the convenience. In the early days of the Industrial Revolution when labour was cheap, little regard was paid to the pain and suffering of injured workers. But the late 18th and the 19th centuries saw great changes in social attitudes and a growing recognition of the value of the people who worked the machines. This resulted in great strides being made in ways and means of providing protection for them. The enormous advances in technology made in more recent years have brought new hazards that have required new techniques to be developed to provide the degree of protection that society now expects employers to provide for their employees.
This part deals with some of the principles involved in providing safeguards, gives basic examples of common hazards and how they can be dealt with. It explains the process of hazard and risk reduction through the carrying out of risk assessments and how the findings can be used to determine safety integrity levels.
