Guarding techniques have improved
dramatically in recent years, and most modern machines come equipped with
guards. Does that mean we don’t have to worry about machine safety any more?
Before you answer, take a look at these actual incidents:
A worker was rotating a part on a set of
rollers, and his hand was caught between the part and roller, causing serious
injury.
A worker reached into a machine while it
was running to pull out a piece of metal; his arm was caught between the part
being machined and the cutter. His arm was amputated.
A trim press operator was trying to free a part from a die when the press recycled and caught a finger between the dies. The finger was crushed.
Despite advances in technology,
machine-related injuries persist.
Perhaps that is why OSHA has taken a renewed interest in citing
employers for machine-guarding violations. In one recent case, an employer removed
the factory-installed guard on a 36-foot shear for the convenience of allowing
continual use of the machine. Describing it as a significant hazard to
employees, OSHA fined the company $67,000.
Within a month, OSHA was on the case again,
citing another employer for over $65,000 in penal-ties after an employee suffered
a severe hand injury on a crimping machine. Investigation revealed that the
machine had many unguarded parts, including chains, sprocket wheels, in-running
nip points, and rotating parts.
Be an OSHA inspector
If you’re worried about OSHA showing up at your doorstep, you should be. Amputation hazards are on the agency’s hit list and is a special emphasis program that targets certain hazards and industries for inspection. Anyone with machinery should take prudent precautions now.
The best way to approach machine safety is to conduct regular inspections. Put yourself in the shoes of the OSHA inspector and take a walk-through of your facility. Check each machine and look for exposed moving parts, including meshing gears, in-running rollers, reciprocating parts, chain and sprocket drives, cams and rollers, belts and pulleys, flywheels, cutting or abrasive surfaces, cooling fans, conveyors, rotating couplings and shafts.
Check the guards on the machines. Some
common methods of safeguarding machinery are barrier guards, electronic-eye
shutdown devices, beam scanners, interlocks, and enclosures. If you notice any
guards that are broken or missing, tag the machine "out of order" and
get it fixed.
If the machine guard is missing or you are
unhappy with the design of the current system, you might consider fabricating
your own guard. For instance, you may want to use transparent polycarbonate so
that the operator can see the process through the guard. Your operators will be
less likely to bypass the guard if you make the work process easier for them.
Before making any modifications, however, get written approval from the
equipment manufacturer and keep the documentation for your records.
Dangerous
times
The most hazardous situation is when the
operator is adjusting the machine or removing jammed work or broken parts. This
is the time when most injuries occur. Make sure your workers know the specific
steps for powering down and locking out the ma-chine before attempting to
service or adjust it. If they have not received special training, they are not
considered
authorized personnel under OSHA’s lockout/tagout rule.
Instead, your operators should know not to
at-tempt to service the machine themselves, but to call an authorized employee.
Make sure that all of the switches and valves that control the machines are
clearly marked. Check to see if there are emergency stop switches which should
be located on or near the machine so that it can be turned off quickly if a
malfunction should occur.
Common sense tells you that loose clothing
worn around rotating machinery can get caught and pull the operator into the
machine. Don’t let your workers wear long, loose sleeves, hanging drawstrings
or tassels, ties, scarves, and open jackets. The same restrictions should apply
to long hair, jewelry, and gloves. Have a dress code and put it in writing.
There are, however, certain types of
personal protective equipment that your operators should wear. These include
safety glasses and face shields or goggles if particles could fly through the
air or hazardous or hot liquids are being handled. Use safety shoes if heavy
materials are being placed in and out of the machine.
No matter how well designed your guards
might be, they are totally useless if your workers try to bypass them.
Emphasize at your training sessions that removing guards or disengaging
interlocking devices to make the work easier or faster is just too risky. Here
are some other safety precautions to pass on to your workforce:
Read the
instruction manual and know exactly how your machine operates.
Follow the
instructions carefully and never leave the machine running unattended.
Clamp work
securely to the machine as needed.
Make sure to
remove chuck keys before turning on the machine.
Keep clear of
the moving machine parts by using a push stick or push block to guide the
material.
Look for unsafe
conditions and report them. If a guard is missing or cracked, don’t operate the
machine.
Keep the floor
and work area around the machine clean. Clear away spills, chips, and debris.
You don’t want to slip and fall into the machine.
Use approved
lockout/tagout procedures for all maintenance operations.
Don’t use the
machine if you are sleepy or have taken any medications that may affect your
judgment.
Tell your
employees that in the final analysis, we are the masters of the machines. Let’s
keep it that way!
Find out if any
safety features are impractical, and discuss options.
Take a walk through
the shop and point out the safety features and guards of each machine.
Hand out copies
of lockout/tagout procedures and operating instructions and review them.
Remember! The machine is only as safe as the person who is operating it!