Machine Safety
Although many machinists are skilled professionals,
knowing how to interact safely with powered machinery is essential.
No matter what level of expertise you have it’s easy to lose focus and in a split second
find yourself facing serious or even life threatening injuries.
The statistics are very real - every year hundreds of people are injured or killed working
around powered machinery so safety should always be your highest priority.
Clearly the most effective method for preventing machine related injuries is to eliminate the
potential for hazardous exposure.
To be able to work safely it is imperative you follow some very important procedures.
We will be talking about two key ways to prevent machine-related injuries.
Providing employees with proper training.
And using guards to prevent intentional or unintentional contact with the moving parts of the machinery.
Training should be provided by someone who through a combination of experience and education
has clearly demonstrated the ability to operate the machinery safely.
This may be an internal employee, an outside specialist, consultant or other safety professional.
Employees should be trained on the following principles:
Number 1: How to properly and safely operate the machinery.
First and foremost, always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for each machine.
If not used according to the manufacturers' specifications many of these machines can
be extremely dangerous.
Number 2: How to properly complete inspections.
All machines need to be serviced and repaired.
And though many machines look identical,
manufacturers often build in subtle and unique differences using a variety of complex parts.
Be sure to understand what those differences are so the machine can be operated safely.
Number 3: How to shut the machinery down.
It may be the last thing on your mind,
but it will be the first thing you’ll need to know if there is an emergency!
Number 4: If employees are asked to clean and repair the machinery they must be provided
written lock out tag out (LOTO) procedures.
These instructions should be communicated clearly and placed within close proximity to each machine.
Now let’s take a closer look at guards.
Machine guarding is a good method for creating a physical safety barrier
between the worker and the machine.
Guards are designed to protect and prevent employees from having contact with any moving
parts of the machine while the machinery is powered up.
Proper Guards on Machines can truly save lives by preventing people’s clothing, hands and/or
hair from getting caught in the machine.
It is NEVER safe to operate machinery without properly working guards so if you notice a guard is missing,
damaged or becomes inoperative while you are working, shut the machine down immediately,
and have the guard inspected and evaluated to see what can be done to make
the machine safe for operation again.
The same result can also be achieved through engineering controls, like lasers or sensors,
where the machine or job set up prevents the employee from potentially dangerous exposure.
Either way in order for the machine to be safe, everything with a moving part must be guarded.
It’s important to note that even if your machinery is old no "grandfathering" law exists.
In other words, it still has to be equipped and operated with guards.
So if your machine didn’t come with a safety guard, know that guards can often be ordered
separately by your employer or made in-house, to retrofit existing machines.
As you can see the benefits of machine safety practices are numerous.
With proper training and the right equipment you’ll be able to keep your health and work
productively manufacturing products for a long time.
For more information on machine safety resources go to the safety and seminars section on StatefundCa.com.