Lesson 5: More Safety Precautions

MORE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

There are some other precautions you need to follow in order to promote safety in the machine shop. Let’s take a look at them:

1. If you need to clean chips or dust away from a machine or work bench don’t use your bare hands; use a brush. Brush the chips, dust, and other waste material into a dust pan and empty them into a special container. Never try to slow down or stop a machine with your hand; let it stop by itself.

2. Be careful in the use of compressed air. Compressed air should not be used to blow dust or chips away – that could fill the air with harmful dust for everybody in the room. Also do not use compressed air to dry off your skin. Compressed air can blow tiny particles of metal or chemicals into your skin and cause poisoning. The correct use of compressed air is to power certain tools.

3. To keep machines running well, they need to be cleaned and oiled. After a while you will need to collect several oily rags. These are a danger for starting a fire. They should be kept in a special metal container with a lid on it.

4. If you need to list something heavy, get some help. The weight that can be safely lifted varies from person to person, but any weight over 50 pounds usually requires help. Know how much you can safely lift. When you lift, use the right methods: Bend your knees, not your back; squat down and then straighten up; keep your back straight. Protect your feet with heavy shoes and your hands with gloves.

5. Keep your work area and the floor clean from dirt, dust, drips, spilled oil and liquids. Keep your area neat, with tools and equipment arranged neatly.

Sometimes you see workers have tools, blueprints, scrap parts, and many other things out on top of their workbench. This is not an efficient way to do things, and it will be more difficult to finish your work. There is a danger of pushing fragile measuring instruments onto the floor; the accuracy of these tools can be ruined by dropping them on the floor. It is best to have determined places in which tools will be stored each time. When they are not being used, they should be kept in their places.

6. Carry materials that is over six-feet long in a horizontal position. This is to prevent breaking or hitting the ceiling, the lights, or anything else over head.

7. Never carry sharp tools, like screwdrivers or drill bits, in your pockets. Carry them in your hands with the points downward.

8. THE CAUSES OF ACCIDETNS AT WORK:

a. Some workers who are new don’t know the safety rules and they cause accidents because of ignorance. All workers should learn the safety rules and follow them.

b. Some workers who are experienced cause accidents also because they are in a hurry and they want to take short-cuts.

c. Other machinists can cause accidents because they are distracted; they are worried about things at home; they are worried about lay-offs; or they are thinking about someone they love. They need to concentrate on their work by paying attention to what they are doing.

d. Some people don’t care about safety and don’t think they’ll ever have an accident. They have a careless attitude which carries over into their actions.

e. Please also remember that many of the chemicals that you use are very valuable. Using the machines safely and carefully will help them to last longer. If you damage a machine through carelessness, you and the company can lose a lot of money

f. When you start working in a new place, like the Machine Shop classroom or at a company, you should learn where the fire alarm, the fire extinguishers, and the exits are.

g. Some new workers can’t, or don’t, read safety signs like there:

A. “Danger, High Voltage” means to be careful of electricity.

B. “Positively No Smoking” usually means there is a danger of fire, or they want to keep the air clean.

C. “Safety First – Turn off machine when not in use” is the same as our rule – turn off the machine when you leave it or if you are not using it.

D. “Fire Lane – Keep Clear” In a large building, a pathway through the machines is made so fire equipment can be taken anywhere. This lane should be kept clear.

E. “Danger, Keep Hands Clear” is a sign that you might see near a machine with dangerous moving part.

When you start to work at a new location, you should take some time to read these safety signs, and ask question about safety.