Design & Technology

Health and safety

Health and safety is an integral part of designing a product. First you need to ensure that the product can be made without causing any danger to anyone, second that the product itself will be safe to use, and third that it can be disposed of without causing any harm.

Identifying and reducing the risks

A designer needs to consider the following aspects of health and safety when designing:

• safety during the making of the product
• safety of the finished product when it is used
• safety of the finished product when disposed of after use

If there is any likelihood of someone being harmed through the making, use or disposal of the product, then you should consider re-designing it.

Safety during the making of the product

A laboratory

To ensure safety during making, a designer needs to consider the following:

• Will any of the materials specified cause harm to the maker?
• Will any of the processes to be used cause harm to the maker?
• Will any of the finishing techniques used cause harm to the maker?

Safety of the product when it is used

A safety belt

To ensure safety of the product when it is used, the designer needs to consider the following:

• Will the product be strong enough to support the loads involved?
• Are the materials suitable for the purpose? No adverse effect, toxic harmful etc.
• Are all hazards sufficiently guarded (electrical insulation, moving parts, folding components, etc)?

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