MAN-MACHINE MATCH-UP

What is Man-Machine match-up?

It is the interaction between an assigned employee
and the machine at a workplace. It assesses the risk
with high severity and is usually fatal.

MMM Objective

 Evaluate / identify MMI hazards

 Document existing controls – Risk rank hazards
 Recommend additional controls – Risk rank
hazards
 Establish a consistent process to assess and
control MMI risk.

Design and manufacturing – get it right from the

start
The best time to make machinery safe is at the
design stage. Designers of machinery must take all
practical steps to ensure that what they design does
not become a hazard to anyone building, installing,
using, maintaining or repairing it.
Designers, manufacturers and suppliers of
machinery and personal protective equipment have
legal duties; these are explained in OSHS of DOLE
Equipment designs should meet relevant Philippine
and international standards.
The designer’s responsibilities which are to ensure
machinery:
 Is ergonomically sound
 Has conveniently placed power controls
 Will not be a source of harm
 Meets relevant Philippine and overseas standards
 Will be safe for its intended purpose during
manufacture and during its operating life
 Is safe when it is decommissioned and disposed
of.
Choosing and buying
Machinery that is designed from the outset to
remove hazards should reduce costs for employers
due to less need to:
 Purchase personal protective equipment
 Install extraction systems for fumes or particles
 Install extra guarding
 Buyers and hirers can include conditions about
the safety of the machinery in the purchase
contract. Examples include:
 Goods/machinery will meet all relevant safety
laws.
Use of machinery – the employer
Employers are responsible for the health and safety
of their employees and any other people who can be
harmed by the actions or inactions of their
employees. Employers must, as far as practicable:
 Keep workers safe from hazards at work by
identifying and managing hazards
 Make sure work done is safely
 Provide protective clothing and equipment
 Train and supervise workers so they can work
safely
 Provide an accident reporting system and follow
up on any accidents, injuries or near misses
 Develop procedures for dealing with
emergencies.
If an employer can only minimize a hazard, they  PPE – Improve visibility of pedestrians
must monitor the environment and the health of
employees.
Reviewing

Participation and consultation
For the safe system of work to be robust, anyone
who could come in contact with the machine should
be consulted. This includes:
 Operators
 Supervisors
 Health and safety representatives
 Maintenance staff
 In-house engineers
 Any health and safety experts.
Hazard management
Before a safe system of work can be put in place,
employers must identify and assess all hazards, such
as:
 The work environment (e.g. layout, lighting,
ventilation)
 Human factors (e.g. people’s capabilities, shift
work, fatigue)
 The use and maintenance of personal protective
equipment.
Every safe system of work needs regular reviewing
to take into account:
 Advances in technology
 Incidents or accidents
 Any new hazards identified
 New industry standards and guidance
 Whether the hazards are still controlled
 Monitoring of the environment and/or health of
operators.
Any proposed changes should involve anyone
previously consulted on the safe system of work.
The system and any changes need testing before
they are included in the safe working system and
approved by the duty holder.
REFERENCES
[1]Kilgore, B. (2015). Man-Machine Interface Risk
Assessment. Retrieved March 7, 2019, from
EnSafe Inc.:
https://ppsa.memberclicks.net/assets/ConferenceP
resentations/2015/2-%20bayless%20kilgore.pdf

Then they must develop a way to control each [2]WorkSafe New Zealand. (2014). Safe Use of
hazard, such as: Machinery. Wellington.
 Safe operating procedures
 Job or task safety analysis
 Effective and safe maintenance
 Cleaning and blockages procedures
 Procedures for unexpected events, like power
outages.

MMM Benefits
 Engineering Controls – Improve segregation
between man and machine – Physical barriers
– Consistency in physical standards

 Administrative Controls

 Warning – Improve alert/awareness of mobile

equipment – Training and communication –
Warning signs, lights, alarms, etc.