Safety First – Manufacturing Safety Tips

Manufacturing Machine Safety Tips

When working with large machinery and intricate parts, it’s vital for the operator to understand how to work with every last part of the machine that they are expected to operate. Not only is a complete knowledge of how the machine works incredibly important to manufacturing efficiency, but using each part safely will prevent potential injury.

Here, we will discuss common machine parts used for extrusion and converting, and how to stay diligently safe when using them. Preventing and avoiding common hazards are key.

 

Working with Blades and Cutters

Working with sharp edges will always present a safety concern for the obvious reasons. Injuries that commonly occur while using sharp blades are cuts, punctures, and amputations, all of which we want to avoid!

Our products are designed for cutting and converting, providing you with clean, high-quality cuts and holes. As such, we know the dangers of working with sharp edges. We have a Safety Committee that’s dedicated to ensuring we uphold a level of safety not just for our shop floor workers, but also our office staff. Safety is not a matter we take lightly. As such, we follow our “9 Safety Rules” to live by and we encourage you to follow safe practices as well:

  1. Use knowledge, skills, and common sense to avoid accidents and injuries
  2. Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect against workplace hazards
  3. If you see something that needs addressed, notify a Safety Committee member or supervisor at once
  4. Pay attention to safety rules and signs
  5. Use safe lifting techniques, ensuring your back is protected
  6. Safely handle hazardous chemicals, paying attention to SDS standards
  7. Operate machinery and equipment correctly, with guards and protective gear in place. Follow proper lockout/tagout procedures
  8. Attend all annual safety meetings and training sessions
  9. Take the safety information you learn at work home with you and teach your family how to prevent accidents and injuries

We take safety seriously and that’s why all our products are packaged with guarding or protective packaging. Our units come with manuals and labels, further calling out possible hazard areas.

Additionally, we’ve been working hard to better enhance our handling process.  Our safety enclosure box for lightning units now allows you to safely make changeovers without ever exposing your hand to the blade. We’ve also been working on noise reduction to better protect your ears.

 

Plastic Extrusion

This can be a dangerous process due to the heat and pressure involved in the process. Other hazards include heavy lifting, entanglement, slips, and contact during heating.

There are ways to deal with these hazards effectively, and they include using ear, eye, face and hand, and heavy lifting protection. Also, it’s important to never wear loose clothing or jewelry so they won’t get caught in moving machinery parts. Keep rollers running as slowly as possible, with an emergency stop within reach of either hand. Always follow company protocol and rules. If you’re not sure what those specifics are, speak with your manager or ask Human Resources.

 

Eye Care Awareness

Are you wearing eye protection when on the shop floor, or even when performing tasks at home that could lead to eye injury? Is it the right kind of eye protection for the job to ensure that you get maximum protection against eye hazards? Remember, taking good care of your eyes is one of the most important health precautions you can take.

 

Making Safety Top Priority

These are just a couple examples of machinery and parts produced by Pearl Technologies that require extensive training in safety protocols. There are other resources, such as Workplace Safety North, that will help your company to identify machinery hazards and how to deal with them. As a manufacturer, top priority should always be keeping yourself and your employees educated and safe.

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