This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
ISHN logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
ISHN logo
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Editions
    • Archives
    • Buyer's Guide
    • Subscribe
  • Topics
    • Environment
    • Environmental Health and Safety
    • Government Regulations
    • Health
    • Industrial Hygiene
    • Occupational Safety
    • PPE
    • Product Case Studies
    • Psychology
    • Safety Culture
    • Training
    • Transportation Safety
    • More Topics
  • Construction
  • Oil & Gas
  • Columns
    • Editorial Comments
    • Best Practices
    • Positive Cultures
    • Training Strategies
    • Closing Time
    • FR Protection
    • Thought Leadership
  • Products
  • Conventions
    • Convention Companion
  • Multimedia
    • eBooks
    • Infographics
    • Photo Galleries
    • ISHN Podcasts
    • Your Digital Mentor Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • ISHN YouTube Videos
  • More
    • Awards
      • 2020 Readers' Choice Awards- Submit Products
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
    • ISHN Store
    • Product Case Studies
    • Product Innovations
    • Showrooms
    • Vendor News
  • Advertise
    • Contact
Home » Guard against these 8 manufacturing hazards
Best PracticesEnvironmental Health and SafetyFacility Safety

Guard against these 8 manufacturing hazards

What are your residual risks?

manufacturing hazards
August 28, 2018
Jonathan Piel
KEYWORDS dust hazards / Fall Protection / noise hazards / safety culture / safety hazards / workplace hazards
Reprints

Preventive safety evaluations help protect personnel and equipment, cut costly downtime and losses, and minimize liability exposure. These are often known as Residual Risk Reduction or R3. This article highlights common areas of hazards in a manufacturing facility, and some potential solutions to explore.

Maximizing safety

Automated machines and robotic cells present a safety risk at the point operators must interact with the process, such as robotic welding or automated pallet shrink-wrapping. Safeguarding systems may include a combination of physical barriers, safety sensors, and advanced drives. Light curtains or other presence-sensing devices may be used to halt the process if interference is detected.

Some applications require more, such as a barrier to contain process-driven hazards such as fluid splatter/mist, weld smoke, sparks, intense flash, and light debris. A high-speed and automated machine safety door can meet these criteria and, help maintain a smaller footprint by eliminating the extra buffer needed for light curtains to create a safety zone. Manufacturers may offer a safety interlock option to meet PLe/Cat-4 safety requirements when combined with appropriate logic and conformance to risk assessment.

Beyond automated work cells, hazards also exist between operator and machining center. The manual opening and closing of a machine’s safety door can lead to repetitive shoulder injuries. Automating machine door operation can make machines more efficient and easier to use, but they pose a source of danger for personnel during loading/unloading.

Machine OEMs have employed automatic machine door actuators to reduce injuries from repetitive door operation and crushing incidents. Door actuators reverse automatically when objects are detected in their path and include the technology for implementing a safe force and speed limit for horizontal doors.

Fall protection

Large machine tools such as planer mills often are installed partially below floor level, resulting in potentially hazardous pits. Often, workers must remove pit grates or slats to service the machine. These are time-consuming to move, and slats require elaborate support structures that complicate maintenance tasks. An efficient alternative is a rugged pit safety cover that rolls-up and provides a continuous walk-on duty surface. Pit safety covers can be manually retracted or machine-driven.

Chemical tanks associated with metal finishing and other industries create open tank hazards, fume exposure, and are increasingly regulated for environmental emissions. Owners are pursuing cover systems which lessen the fume exposure and reduce the size and operating cost of ventilation systems. Covers can be made of steel or lighter materials such as polypropylene to withstand corrosive fumes. Roll-up cover manufacturers will work with the specific application to ensure a proper-fit/retrofit.

Hands & arm protection

Rotating parts or small automated compartment doors can cause injury. If contact is unavoidable, these incidents between human and machine must be gentle enough to not cause injury. A slip clutch or torque limiting device between the rotating part and the driveshaft allows the part to be stopped at a predefined torque without causing injury or damage to the driving motor. An application example is a disabled-access system that automates door opening and closing. The slip clutch permits door obstructions without causing injury or damaging the drive motor.

Scissor lift mechanisms, skillet lines, tilt tables, and similar equipment represent potential sources of injury because pinch points can be created when these mechanisms move. One way to protect against these hazards is to enclose moving parts with rigid skirting to deter personnel from reaching into hazardous areas. Bellows are a type of lift skirting that accommodate a wide range of motion and numerous platform sizes. Protective skirting can also improve machinery aesthetics and keep dirt and debris away from the lift mechanism.

Ball screws and other linear motion devices on industrial applications like lathes are often exposed. This can create a catch hazard for hand, hair, and loose clothing. Several solutions include roll-up barriers, telescopic covers, and telescopic springs which prevent accidental or opportunistic contact with moving parts. These solutions have the dual benefit of operator protection and protecting the linear motion guides.

Dust and sound

Large CNC machining centers require special effort to minimize the impact of dust and sound on surrounding work areas while still allowing access for loading and unloading large workpieces and tooling. In one application, a 5-axis machining center incorporates a retractable roof cover over its enclosure to answer both needs. Machine roof covers contain debris and airborne contamination without creating interference or obstructions in the machining center’s travel.  Further, machine roof covers can be made from translucent material, which allows additional light to penetrate the enclosed area enhancing operator visibility to the process.

Subscribe to ISHN Magazine

Jonathan Piel is VP Business Development at Dynatect Manufacturing, Inc. Dynatect manufactures automated machine barrier roll-up doors, door actuators, and flexible guarding that moves with the machine.

Learn more at www.dynatect.com

Related Articles

Georgia paint manufacturer exposed workers to amputation, electrical hazards

Ohio workers exposed to lead, other hazards

Subscribe For Free!
  • Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • ISHN eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Today's News

2 young part-time UPS workers killed in California

Today's News

Steel worker injured at Indiana plant

incident investigation

How to investigate a worksite incident

ambulance

Buffalo Wild Wings manager dies after exposure to toxic cleaning product fumes

Tesla

Report finds worker injuries are “routine” at Tesla’s Nevada plant

ISHN Readers' Choice Awards 2020 product submissions


Events

March 7, 2019

Safety and Wellness: The Combination that Drives Engagement and Profitability

On Demand Attend this webinar for the keys to success, as well as mistakes to avoid, when targeting safety and wellness with a Recognition & Reward Program.

View All Submit An Event

ISHN Podcasts


ISHN Podcasts

ISHN Magazine

ISHN1219_cover.jpg

2019 December

Among the articles in the December 2019 issue of ISHN Magazine, we have expert insight on selecting the right respirator, a link to the 2020 Buyers’ & Resource Guide, 10 safety mistakes that can land you in a courtroom, and much more.
View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • List Rental
    • Safety A-Z
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Market Research
    • Web Exclusives
    • Privacy Policy
  • Want More
    • Connect
    • Subscribe
    • Survey And Sample

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing