Safe strategies: Safety, Standards & Compliance

Machine shops can be dangerous places, but a combination of planning, housekeeping and the proper safety equipment reduces the risk of injuries, audits and lost time.

When you look at a machine tool, it can be easy to forget how mind-bogglingly terrifying it can be. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of high-powered machinery designed to drill, cut, scrape, ream or otherwise violently remove metal from workpieces in the form of chips. The reason it’s easy to forget that is because of the rigorous and constantly updated safety regulations that govern how machines are built. Obviously, machinists have a healthy respect for their machines, but no matter how careful a shop is, accidents happen. However, steps can be taken to prevent them.

Folding Guard partitions ensure equipment at Brazilian automotive manufacturer Webco are up to all current safety codes.

“Safety is a big deal,” said Keith Jennings, president of Tomball, Texas, manufacturer Crow Corp. and a CTE columnist. “We don’t want anybody getting harmed in any form or fashion because we care about our employees, but from an insurance and financial standpoint, it’s expensive. It creates drama and stress, and it causes your insurance premiums to increase.”

Crow Corp. hasn’t had an employee miss work due to injury in several years, Jennings continued. He attributes this to two main points: training employees with an established safety plan and keeping the shop floor clean, organized and well-maintained.

A Man, A Plan

Crow outsources its payroll and human resources, as do many machine shops. The company hired Paychex, which offers a safety department and consultant service to its customers, providing physical and digital materials and keeping owners up to date with the latest information regarding workplace safety.

“We make sure our supervisors have access to all the material and can use it when needed,” Jennings said. “We also get lots of posters and visuals that emphasize safety best practices and potential hazards to avoid. We make sure safety is something people are aware of and thinking about.

“If we hear of a certain type of safety issue that’s relevant or pressing or OSHA develops a new requirement, the company issues a safety alert and incorporates that information into our plan,” he continued.

A well-defined organizational system—and ensuring employees stick to it—keeps parts and tools from cluttering the shop floor at Crow Corp.

Ultimately, though, he admitted that a shop can hang as many posters, conduct as many safety meetings and mandate as much training as it wants, but accidents still happen. Jennings said: “It doesn’t matter how careful you are, human beings just do goofy stuff, even when they know better. So, another part of our plan is to make sure our managers and supervisors are well-trained. That way, when they see employees being careless or unsafe, they can hopefully step in before an incident occurs.”

In addition to a safety plan, machinists can keep themselves current on safety policies and procedures through ongoing training. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills Inc. (NIMS) not only offers a measurements, materials and safety introductory-level standard, but incorporates safety into all its machining credentials.

“In all of our credentials, there are two components,” explained James Wall, executive director of NIMS. “The first is being able to actually demonstrate the skill, and the second is a written test to make sure people have all the relevant technical knowledge behind that particular content area. So, if someone’s doing a CNC programming credential, there will be questions about safety issues that pertain specifically to CNC, but there could also be something about safety glasses and power lockout/tag-out mechanisms, which would apply to any situation in a shop environment.”

Good Housekeeping

The other pillar of shop safety, according to Jennings, is shop housekeeping. Crow’s machine shop features painted floors, bright lighting, ample space around machines and—perhaps most importantly—as little clutter as possible.”

“A lot of shops don’t have a lot of extra space, which means they’re limited in how they can arrange things,” Jennings noted. “I’ve visited shops that are a safety hazard simply because they lack adequate space to properly arrange and store everything, which can really impact the quality of housekeeping and maintenance. We’re limited in our shop’s total space, but ensure we arrange equipment with plenty of space around the machines. You need enough adequate space to move around, check things and perform maintenance, all very important.”

Housekeeping might be a bit of a vague term, but Jennings has a simple philosophy: He doesn’t want employees working in a shop environment that he as an owner wouldn’t be happy working in. Painted floors look better and they also brighten up the shop and are easier to keep clean. Good lighting ensures machinists aren’t straining their eyes, but also makes potential hazards easier to spot. Keeping a shop clean makes for a good first impression on customers and also minimizes the number of potential problems in the shop.

Painted floors, bright lighting and adequate space for movement without clutter are key elements in how Crow Corp. keeps its machine shop safe.

“Another important safety factor a lot of shops overlook is simply purging clutter once every year or two and thoroughly cleaning,” he said. “Guarding and safety practices are important, but you can’t underestimate the positive impact of good housekeeping.”