Industrial safety engineering

Module 4
SAFETY IN POWER PRESSES

 Power operated presses are involved in thousands of accidents every

year that could have been avoided with proper safe work practices.
These accidents can be fatal and many incidents cause serious injuries
such as broken bones and amputation.
 Power presses that shear, punch, form, or assemble metal or other
material by means of tools or dies attached to slides. Power presses can
be mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic. In mechanical power presses,
tools and dies are mounted on a slide or ram, and move away from the
stationary bed containing the lower die
Causes of power press accidents
 The main causes of power press accidents are lack of training, lack
of effective guarding, and bypassing of guards.
 Untrained operators using complicated and potentially dangerous
machinery are a threat to themselves and their coworkers.
 No employee is to operate a power press without training on safe
operating techniques. Guards between the operator and the point
of operation must be designed to prevent the operator from
reaching under the ram during the downward stroke.
 If guards are not used or not working properly, an accident is likely
to occur. Unsafe working conditions can be created if an employee
attempts to bypass press guards and interlocks, or reaches in to
clear a part while the press is running.
Prevention of power press accidents

 Close cooperation between machine operators and management, perhaps

through a labor/management health and safety committee with authority to
inspect the workplace, will help prevent accidents.
 Employers must ensure that power presses are operated and maintained
according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Often, a manufacturer
ships machinery without proper guarding. Therefore, the employer must
ensure that proper guarding or safety devices, or both, are installed on a new
power press before putting it into operation.
 Employers must establish and follow a program of periodic and regular
inspections of power operated presses to ensure that all parts, auxiliary
equipment, and safeguards are in a safe operating condition and adjusted
properly.
 Employers must provide effective training to ensure employees who inspect
and maintain power operated presses are competent to do so.
 Employers must also train operators on how to operate a power press safely
before the operator begins any such work, and must provide adequate
supervision to ensure the operators are following procedures correctly
Safety in Turning, Boring, Drilling &
Grinding
 Turning:- Turning is the most common lathe machining operation.
During the turning process, a cutting tool removes material from the
outer diameter of a rotating workpiece. The main objective of turning
is to reduce the workpiece diameter to the desired dimension. There
are two types of turning operations, rough and finish.
 Lathe boring is a cutting operation that uses a single-point cutting tool or a
boring head to produce conical or cylindrical surfaces by enlarging an existing
opening in a workpiece. For nontapered holes, the cutting tool moves parallel
to the axis of rotation
 Drilling is a metal cutting operation by rotating and pressing a multi-
point cutting tool to cut a straight-circular hole in solid materials. A
multi-point cutting tool is known as a drilling bit. Standard drill bits in
various sizes are available in the market.
 Grinding is machining process that's used to remove material from a
workpiece via a grinding wheel. As the grinding wheel turns, it cuts
material off the workpiece while creating a smooth surface texture in
the process
Safety precautions/Rules
 Always wear an full face shield while wood turning. Material being turned
rotates at high speeds and could cause serious injury if it comes off the lathe.
Normal eyeglasses do not offer adequate protection.
 Wear appropriate hearing protection, especially during extended periods of
turning.
 Wear dust masks when required.
 Do not wear gloves, loose clothing, rings or jewelry around the neck that can
hang outside one’s clothing. Clothing should be comfortable but not so loose
that it can catch on the machine or get entangled with any rotating parts or
the wood being turned; shirts should be tucked in and long hair tied back.
Wear short sleeves, or roll long sleeves up past the elbows.
 Wear protective footwear when required. Wear closed-toe shoes or boots in the
workshop.
 Do not leave a running lathe unattended – leave only after the lathe has been
turned off and it has come to a complete stop.
 Make sure you understand operating instructions before attempting to use any
tool or machine
 Understand where the start and stop buttons are located on the equipment you
are using.
 Ensure that all cutting tools and blades are clean, sharp, and in good working
order so that they will cut freely, not forced
 Use good lighting so that the work piece, cutting blades, and machine controls
can be seen clearly. Position or shade lighting sources so they do not shine in the
operator’s eyes or cause any glare and reflections.
 Keep work area free of clutter, clean, well swept, and well lit.
 Prevent unexpected distractions
 Always keep fingers behind the tool rest when turning. Serious injury
could result if your fingers get caught between the tool rest and your
turning stock.
 Select a speed that is appropriate for the job. Operate at speeds
recommended by the manufacturer. Select a low speed and use a
moderate cut depth to prevent splinters from flying out during
roughing operations.
 Before starting the lathe, make sure that the workpiece is mounted
securely between the drive center of the headstock and the live
center of the tailstock or is held securely with a four-jaw chuck
 Avoid awkward operations and hand positions where a sudden slip
could cause your hand to move into the cutting tool or blade.
 Do not use compressed air to remove sawdust, turnings, etc. from
machines or clothing.
 Never operate a lathe or any other power tool if you are ill, tired,
distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.