Foreseeable errors in the use of foot controls on industrial machines

Foot controls are a productive actuator for many tasks on reciprocating action industrial machines such as power presses, spot welders and press brakes. However, amputations sometimes occur when a foot control is inadvertently depressed when an operator reaches into the danger point of the machine. This report uses occupational injury statistics, workplace observations and a review of selected literature to propose a model of inadvertent use of foot controls. This model serves as the basis for conducting a subsequent machine safety simulation experiment in a metal products fabricating factory. Primary model elements are unmediated hand movement, mental slips associated with task rhythm, and loss of balance. To avoid injury due to inadvertent use of pedals, workstation designers may wish to consider using automated or hand control devices in lieu of foot controls. Alternatively, if foot control is the selected method for actuation, then they may wish to consider mitigating the error-inducing effects of machine tooling problems and repetitiveness by using safeguarding which is difficult to circumvent or redundant safeguarding devices at the point of danger.