Describe the methods and techniques used to accurately document and communicate all the safety measures, precautions, and necessary actions to be taken for machinery that will be moved or relocated within a facility.

Moving or relocating machinery within a facility presents a unique set of safety challenges. Accurate documentation and clear communication of all safety measures, precautions, and necessary actions are paramount to ensure that the relocation is done safely, and the machinery is put back into operation correctly. It’s not just about moving the equipment, but ensuring that it's reinstalled and used safely in its new location. Here’s a breakdown of the methods and techniques used:

The first and most crucial step is to conduct a pre-move risk assessment. Before any machinery is moved, a comprehensive risk assessment specific to the relocation process must be completed. This assessment should identify all potential hazards associated with the moving process, and all the necessary precautions to eliminate or mitigate these hazards. The assessment should include, but not limited to, the identification of all energy sources of the machinery, the steps required to isolate these, the size and weight of the machinery, the route it will travel through the facility, any obstacles or hazards along the route, the required lifting equipment, and the potential for damage during the move. It must also identify the hazards associated with the new location. For example, if a machine is being moved to a different floor, there may be concerns about the weight limits of the floor, or if a machine is moving to a new location it may create new pinch points for other workers. This assessment should be documented and must form the basis for planning the move.

Once the risks have been assessed, detailed documentation of all safety measures and precautions is required. This documentation should include: a detailed step-by-step plan for the move, starting from preparing the machine for removal to setting up and testing it in its new location. The documented plan should include all necessary precautions, all required PPE for the different stages, and all specific steps to isolate energy sources and to verify that the energy sources are properly locked and tagged out (LOTO). For example, this should include all procedures for disconnecting all electrical and hydraulic systems and the steps to safely discharge any stored energy in those systems, or if there are specialized systems such as chemical feeds or thermal systems, those must also be listed and specific LOTO procedures must be included. It must also include procedures for how to move the machinery through any corridors or doorways, as well as how to handle unexpected issues such as damaged equipment, and what action to take. The document must be clear, concise, and easy to understand and should include photos and illustrations to clarify any difficult steps.

A crucial part of documentation is the creation of a machine-specific relocation checklist. This checklist must be used at every stage of the process to ensure that all steps are followed correctly. The checklist should include all of the pre-move activities, such as verification that all fluids have been drained and are accounted for, all disconnects have been safely made, and all the safety devices have been removed, safely stored, and tagged. It should also include the specific tasks that must be completed at the new location, such as verifying proper grounding and alignment of all parts, reconnecting all electrical and pneumatic lines, confirming correct functioning of all components, and testing all safety mechanisms. For example, the checklist could include items such as “Verify all hydraulic lines are disconnected and capped”, “Check emergency stop buttons are properly reinstalled”, and “Verify light curtains are in proper working order”. Each checklist item should require a signature and date to show that each task has been completed.

Clear communication is key throughout the entire process. Before the move, a pre-move safety meeting should be conducted with all personnel involved, including machine operators, maintenance staff, riggers, and safety personnel. This meeting should cover the details of the move, the identified risks, the safety precautions, and any emergency procedures. All personnel must be made aware of their roles and responsibilities. The meeting should provide time for questions, and concerns must be addressed. During the move, the communication must be ongoing, and there should be a clear method of reporting any issues or changes. For example, if a new potential risk or hazard is identified during the move, the work must stop until the new risk has been assessed and procedures have been updated. If there are multiple teams involved in the move, they must be able to communicate with each other to ensure the safety of all workers.

The new location must be prepared before the move starts, to avoid any issues when moving the equipment. Before moving the equipment, the new location for the machinery must be prepared to accept the equipment. This preparation must include checking the suitability of the floor, proper electrical connections, and appropriate space for operation and maintenance. This must be checked and verified by qualified personnel before the equipment is moved. A pre-installation checklist of the new location must be done to ensure all preparation has been completed. For example, an electrical engineer should ensure that the electrical connections are rated to the machine load, and if the floor is suitable to take the machine’s weight. Once everything is verified, and the pre-installation checklist is completed, only then should the machine be moved to the new location.

Once the machinery has been relocated, a post-move verification must be conducted to ensure that it has been reinstalled safely and is operating as intended. This should include the use of a post-installation checklist to check that the machine is correctly aligned and secured to the floor, all necessary connections are correctly made and there are no leaks or faulty electrical connections, and that all safety devices are operating correctly. Testing all emergency stop buttons and safety interlocks are a crucial part of the post move check. The process should also verify that all original safe work procedures and risk assessments still apply, or that new procedures and assessments have been performed to accommodate any new issues.

After verification of the equipment is complete, a post-move safety review meeting must be held with all affected personnel. This meeting should review the entire relocation process, identify lessons learned, and gather feedback for future relocations. The discussion should focus on how to improve the process, identify unexpected issues, and to learn what went well and what should be changed in the future. This meeting will help to improve the relocation process in the future, and to make it as safe as possible. It is essential that all issues, feedback and changes are documented.

Finally, training is essential, and all workers who will be working on the machinery in its new location must receive training on the safe operating procedures, any new risks, and on any new safety measures. This training must be comprehensive, and it must be provided before the machinery is operated. For example, if the machinery has a slightly different process in the new location, or requires new PPE, the training must include that new information. The training must be documented and must be specific to the new location.

In summary, accurately documenting and communicating all safety measures, precautions, and necessary actions during machinery relocation requires a comprehensive process. This includes a pre-move risk assessment, detailed documentation of all procedures, checklists, clear communication, preparation of the new location, a post-move verification, a safety review meeting, and thorough training. These measures ensure that all relocations are done safely and that machinery is operated safely in its new location.