Machine Facility Safety Tips that Operators Should Know

The importance of the safety of the machine shop can’t be overstated. Most of all, managers and facility owners must make sure that their operators and workers are safe during their day-to-day operations. Moreover, machine shop safety problems can affect the health of a business, particularly when issues are neglected for a long time. In this article, we will be discussing some of the machining facility safety tips for 4th axis CNC equipment, such as turning machines safely, milling machine safety, and more. After reading those, you’ll determine more about why you should follow them.  

Guarantee everybody deals with an emergency 

The key here is to train all of your workers in case an emergency takes place. Basic emergency and first-aid procedures and fundamental machinery operation must be a staple of all training procedures, such as retraining and onboarding. Keep in mind that there’s no guarantee that the right person will be placed in the right place at the right time to stop an injury or accident. Hence, it’s always recommended to let all of your workers be aware of how to respond to such instances. 

Machine tool safety is just as essential 

Just like how closely you inspect the machine itself, this must also be done to your machine tools. Make sure that the tools are not chipped or cracked, and that they will still be sharp and honed. Moreover, the operator must also confirm that tools are fastened and loaded properly, and have been cleared out of debris since being used last time.   

Make sure that the right people are observing and operating 

Workers only need to operate equipment on which they are approved to do so and, for which they have been trained. This can also be applied for any machinery, from the simplest to the most complex.  In a manufacturing facility, any equipment can cause harm most especially if it’s improperly used. Remember that there are instances where a process or machine is being monitored, that observer must also be approved and have the proper training to determine which to identify.   

Make a checklist of CNC safety precautions for the inspections of pre-operations 

Determining any problems even before they get the chance to take place is one of the greatest means of promoting the safety of the CNC machine. This is greatly obtained by performing a pre-inspection before the start of the machining process, which guarantees that the equipment is prepared to operate safely and properly. Though this does not have to be a complete operational check, just a fundamental item checklist to check can greatly be beneficial. Such a checklist may include the following: 

• Ensure that guards and safety measures are intact 
• Visually check all moving parts and surfaces 
• Recheck and make sure that the direction of the spindle is right 
• Verify if the machine has been spot-cleaned for debris after being used previously. 

• Make sure to eliminate any present debris 
• Inspect whether the machine isn’t in operation as of the moment to avoid injuries during loading.