An infinite variety of machines have been created over time and with one objective: to generate significant amounts of energy and to modify it for the purpose of doing work for the machine’s directors, or humans. We are intricately connected with our machines – ask anyone with a power lawnmower, a washing machine, or an automobile: we would not be us without our technology. As far back as the caveman who first fashioned an arrow to replace a rock in the hunt for lunch, mankind has used whatever level of technology he could master to help ease his daily labors and to help bring his dreams to life. And for almost as long as we've had machines, we've had the government monitoring safe use through osha trainings and regulations. And for many of these machines that's been an important part to making sure the machines are used safely.
But, to mangle an old saying, every silver lining has a cloud. Machines can present their own threats to the humans who operate them, and must be designed so as to protect operators from the very energy the machine was designed to create. To guard a machine is to shield, fence in, or cover any hazard-producing portions of that machine, usually found in one or more than one of three main areas:
· The point where energy is released and work is performed on the material: cutting, shaping, punching, etc. Any point at which power is transmitted to the working part of the machine: pulleys, belts, couplings, spindles, cranks or gears; or any other moving parts of the machine.
Any projectiles which result from the machining process: bits of wood, metal, or glass, even dust from cutting or polishing; objects which accidently fall into the machine can become deadly missiles.
Machine guards are designed for specific applications, so that they come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes. Guards are frequently fixed in place and integrated into the machine itself at the time of manufacture, which can be an ideal solution. Another great solution is to install presence-sensing devices which stop the machine when one of its humans comes too close to the dangerous parts.
Machine guards can be fixed in place, interlocked, adjustable, and even self-adjusting. To be effective, guards must prevent contact between the worker and the machine, must be and remain stable while the machine is engaged, and must be able to prevent objects from falling in. They must be easy to service and safely lubricate. Of course, guards themselves must create no new hazards of their own, nor interfere with the proper operation of the machine.
But having perfectly designed safety guards in place is only part of the solution. Injury prevention also requires that machines and guards are inspected regularly and that missing or malfunctioning guards are immediately fixed. Workers must also know the machine they are working with and understand its quirks and potential hazards. Machine operators are less likely to bypass the use of protective guards if they are trained to exercise due caution and follow safe work practices.
Engineering controls which act to eliminate the hazard at the source and do not rely on the operator’s behavior to be effective can present the most reliable means of protection. However, such controls are not always available, or perhaps not able to provide total worker protection. In such cases, machine operators need to wear protective clothing and/or make use of personal protective equipment such as hard hats, safety glasses or goggles, ventilators, gloves, or protective footgear, including hard-toed boots and boot shields. At the same time, workers should avoid clothing that may create hazards of its own – gloves that could become caught in the machine for example, or loose-fitting shirts that could become entangled in moving machinery. Jewelry is always dangerous; more than one worker has lost a finger or hand when his ring or watch has been caught and pulled into moving machinery.
In summary, employers should provide safe equipment and machine-specific training to operators and provide them with appropriate personal protective equipment. Supervisors should ensure the day-by-day actual use of machine safeguards, and workers should operate machines only with all safeguards in place – all of which adds up to promoting a culture of safety in every workplace.
No comments:
Post a Comment