Wearing of jewellery on the factory floor

Can we stop our employees’ from wearing jewellery on the factory floor at our site?

There are no specific requirements under the Occupational Health & Safety Acts (Western Australia and Victoria) and the Model Work Health and Safety Act (all other jurisdictions) prohibiting the wearing of jewellery while operating machinery.

An employer, as part of their duty of care requirements, must take all steps as 'reasonably practicable' to identify, control and make employees aware of any potential risks associated with tasks they may be required to perform.

Therefore, employers should, as part of the risk assessment process, consult with the relevant parties (manufacturer of plant, Safety Committees, Health and Safety Representatives, employees etc.) to identify potential risks of wearing such jewellery and the safe operation of machinery.

For more information on the risk assessment process see our Introduction to risk managementarticle.

The dangers of wearing jewellery while operating machinery

Some dangers to consider in this scenario include:

• dangling jewellery (necklaces, bracelets) can become entangled within moving parts, causing injury to the wearer, and potentially to others within nearby vicinity.
• rings can become trapped causing a crushing injury.
• if performing electrical work, jewellery can also act as a conductive instrument.

Further information

For more information, please contact us or call the Workplace Advice Line on 1300 55 66 77.