6 Machine Tool Safety Tips

At the workplace, there are various machine tools that are used to make work easier. Most employees, however, do not understand the safety risks and hazards that these machines can pose while being used. Cuts, possible amputations, and other equipment-related injuries can occur while people are operating machines. This blog helps you look at some safety tips you can use to be safer when operating machine tools.

Put on Protective Gear

Protective gear is a particular type of clothing designed to keep users of machines safe while working. There are several types of personal gear you can wear while using appliances, such as face shields, hand gloves, glasses, masks, and shoe covers, to mention a few. Face shields are used to keep your face safe by keeping your eyes, mouth, nose, and ears away from germs and contaminated substances.

On the other hand, the glasses will keep your eyes safe from too much light that could harm your cornea and pupil, resulting in long-term eye loss. We all know the crucial roles of masks during the pandemic, which help prevent viruses and germs from contacting our bodies. Masks are also essential to persons who work in dusty areas and prevent such people from inhaling contaminated air.

Also important, always make sure that your protective gear is always clean and stored in an order which will prolong their life span. Moreover, you have to make sure you provide your employees with the right kind of protective gear. For example, employees using the gun drilling machines will require hearing gear to prevent possible loss of hearing.

Train Employees on How to Use Machine Tools

Many accidents that we experience at the workplace are due to ignorance, where most people do not know how to operate machines. As a result, many get unnecessary burns and cuts from machines that could have been avoided if they were trained on using a given piece of equipment. There is no end to learning, and at the same time, prevention is better than cure. While buying machines, they come along with a manual explaining how the device will be used. Moreover, most machine and equipment dealers go the extra mile of installing the machines properly in your premises and also offer training on how the machines should be used.

During the training on how to use machines, your staff will gain the technical skills and knowledge on machinery operation. To train employees on how to use machines, you can contact professional trainers or have one of your skilled employees train the rest of the employees on how specific tools should be used.

Regular Tool Inspection

Regular inspection is a crucial strategy to ensure your tools and equipment are always safe for use. Inspections allow us to identify potential problems that your machine might be experiencing and fix such issues before they evolve to become significant hazards. Moreover, machine inspection is necessary if you discover that your appliances are underperforming, as they allow you to determine the causes of breakdowns in your machines.

Inspections are the best strategy that you can always use to ensure you have peace of mind and confidence while your employees are working. For any workplace injury or accident, the law requires you to compensate the employees and cover the injured employee’s medical expenses. By conducting frequent inspections, you can be guaranteed that your employees are safe while using machines.

Set Clear Rules

It’s crucial that you have rules on how the machine tools should be operating. In your rules, specify people that should use certain types of machines and how you expect the machines to be used. Additionally, constant communication regarding the usage of machines, especially when they are broken down, should be communicated to employees immediately. Besides this, employees should always inform their supervisors when any part of the machine is defective.

Proper Machine Tool Storage

Storing your machine correctly will cut the cost you will use on maintaining and servicing your equipment. Moreover, storing your equipment correctly will significantly reduce the accidental risks that such machines can cause. Notably, machines with sharp cutting edges should be stored with the pointing edges pointing downwards to prevent any accidents. Your storage room should be well arranged and well lit as this will prevent breakages and accidents arising from your employees stumbling on objects and machines.

Keep the Machines Turned off While Not in Use

The last tip is always to make sure you turn it off while not in use since this could result in electrical problems such as a blackout in the firm and fire in worse scenarios. Machines tend to keep running while they are left connected to the power source, and this leads to overheating of their processors and coolers, which could cause. Thus it’s crucial that you ensure that every machine is turned off after it has served its purpose.

The Bottom Line

Machines tools could increase organizational efficiency and productivity when used adequately and become very destructive and injurious when mishandled. In the sections provided above, you will find the top four practical tools and machinery safety tips that you can begin to apply today as you work with any machine tool.