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Cape Peninsula University of Technology

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Manufacturing Engineering

Safety

It’s my responsibility
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1. SAFETY MEASURES

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The tools and machinery that you are going to use are very dangerous if you do not know
how to use then properly. Before you attempt to do any work, make sure that you know the
safety measures specified for each tool and machine. These safety measures are designed to
protect you, your fellow workers and the equipment you use.

Most accidents happen because people are negligent and do not know how to prevent
accidents, so you must develop safe-working habits very soon. You prevent most accidents
if you are responsible and always consider the well-being of the people you work with. Be
aware of your fellow workers and their safety as well as your own and remember that it is
important for you to have a professional attitude towards your job and working environment.
We will now discuss some of the safety measures that will help you develop safe working
habits.

1.2 What is an Accident?

It is an unplanned and uncontrolled event caused by unsafe acts or unsafe conditions and can
be traced to carelessness or negligence on someone's part. Accidents do not happen; they are
caused. Accidents occur because people do not know how to prevent them.

There are six factors involved in the sequence of events which lead to and follow an accident:
 Lack of control
 Personal and work factors
 Careless acts and unsafe conditions
 The accident itself
 Costs involved
 Injury and damage to property and interruptions to production

1.19.1 General duties of employees

Subject to the provisions of section 28(1) of the Act, and without derogating from any other
specific duty imposed on an employee by the Act or the regulation, every employee shall-

(a) Take reasonable care for his own health and safety as well as those who may be
affected by his actions.
(b) Carry out any lawful order given to him and shall obey the safety rules and
procedures laid down by his employer or by anyone authorized thereto by his
employer, in accordance with or for the proper observance of the provisions of the
Act or the regulations or in the interest of safety.
(c) Where a situation that is unsafe at or near his workplace comes to his attention, as
soon as possible report such situation to a safety representative or to his employer.
(d) Report any incident, which has affected his health or safety or has caused injury to
himself, to his employer or H & S not later than the end of the shift in which the
incident occurred
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1.3 Accident prevention
Accidents in the workshop can be
prevented by paying particular
attention to the following:
 Unsuitable clothing
 Unsafe conditions
 Unsafe acts
 Notices and safety signs
 Hand tools
 Machines
 Electricity
 First aid
 Eye protection and other
equipment

1.4 Personal safeguarding

An overall is the most practical, as well as the safest form of clothing for general workshop
purposes or when working on site. However, to be completely effective, further precautions
must be taken as shown in the next table:
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1.5 Types of machine guards

Injuries caused by machines are usually severe and permanent, but such accidents can
generally be prevented. Machine guards are most important because the danger posed by the
machines can often be reduced or removed altogether by mechanical safeguards.

There are three basic types of machine guards:

 Fixed
 Interlocking
 automatic
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1.5.1 Characteristics of an effective guard

 It must provide maximum protection
 It must block access to the danger zone during operation
 It must be corrosion and fire resistant as well as repairable
 It should not create hazards such as splinters and pinch points
 It should comply with the requirements of the department of labour
 It should be a permanent part of the machinery without weakening its structure
 The guard should not affect the efficient operation of the machine
 It should be strong enough to withstand wear and tear

1.6 What are unsafe acts

Unsafe acts can be described as follows:
 Working at dangerous speeds
 Working without authority
 Failing to secure machinery and materials
 Rendering safety devices inoperative
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 Arranging or placing objects in unsafe positions
 Fooling around with, teasing or abusing work mates
 Using equipment carelessly or failing to use the correct equipment
 Adjusting or working on equipment which is moving
 Taking chances
 Standing too close to moving machinery
 Not using safety equipment
 Not wearing protective clothing

1.7 What are unsafe conditions

Unsafe conditions are any departure from accepted standards which, if not rectified, may
cause accidents resulting in injury or damage. The following can be considered unsafe
conditions:
 Unsafe construction
 Disorderly and haphazard planning
 Inadequate guarding
 Lack of machine and other guards
 Defective working conditions such as rough sharp or slippery surfaces
 Bad factory layout with inadequate or badly marked walkways and exits
 Overcrowding in workshops
 No personal protective policy
 Unsafe ventilation and lighting
 Unsafe storage of hazardous liquids and materials

1.8 Main Reasons

Whilst there are many reasons why accidents happen it has been established that there are a
few main reasons why they occur: -

Poor housekeeping is probably the most common reason for accidents. Here we can list
things like slippery floors, letting things lie around where people can trip, fall and injure
themselves seriously, working with cluttered or untidy workbenches where things can fall
down and hurt people etc.
Loose clothing also causes a lot of accidents. Rotating parts of equipment can easily catch
clothing that is too big or the person can be pulled into the machine.
Horse play / playing the fool is responsible for many an injury and sometimes the death of a
friend. An unsuspecting colleague can easily be pushed into or caused to fall into moving
equipment resulting in serious injury or death.
Inaccurate setting up or the improper use of tools led to many accidents. Equipment parts
may work loose and can go flying when the machine is on top speed, hurting or even killing
somebody. If a wrong tool is used or the tool is not used properly it may slip and injure the
person using the tool.
The lack of knowledge (how to operate a machine), as well as the bad attitude (people who
don’t care) of workers leads to many accidents. If a person is not trained how to operate a
machine, he/she is very likely to cause harm to themselves and to innocent people. People
who don’t take safety seriously are often a threat to their own safety as well as the safety of
others around them.
The environment can also be the cause of accidents. Here we are talking about poor
ventilation, poor lighting, excessive heat etc. These poor conditions can make workers loose
concentration, which in turn may lead to accidents.
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1.9 The effects of accidents

Generally when an accident happens time and money is lost due to fellow workers who stop
out of curiosity, sympathy or even to try and assist the injured. First aid staff and management
assisting the injured also lose time. Management has to spend time investigating the cause of
the accident, rescheduling the work and in some cases may have to spend money training
someone else for the job.

Some other serious effects may be that a person may be permanently disabled or even killed.
When a person is disabled it affects the lives of family members. In the first place it may
mean extra hospital bills. In addition the disabled person may require special care or special
equipment e.g. wheel chair, which are additional expenses.
This may be very traumatic for the family as well as for the injured person. Some people may
not be able to accept their new condition and may resort to suicide.

When the person is killed it also affects his/her family quite seriously. The death of a loved
one is always hard to accept. The killed person may have been the sole breadwinner of the
family. His/her death now leaves the family not only with the high funeral costs, but also with
no future income.

An accident may also affect the company financially. They may have to pay compensation to
the injured person. In some cases they may have to employ someone to do the injured
person’s job while he/she is in hospital, bearing in mind that the injured employee must also
still be paid.

When an accident happens, machines may get damaged. It may cost a lot of money for
repairs or even to replace a damaged machine. Sometimes the damaged machine may lead to
loss of production because spares are not readily available. The damaged machine may feed
other machines down the line. Therefore, if the machine is waiting on spares it affects the
whole factory. This may lead to employees working short time and even to a business having
to close its doors.

The morale of the other employees may also be affected. This may especially be the case if
someone is seriously injured or even killed due to an unsafe condition that has been
repeatedly reported to the employer who ignored it. Workers may now feel that the employer
doesn’t care for their safety and therefore in future will not deliver their best performance.
They may even embark on a work-to-rule or just go slow. Nobody will be prepared to go the
extra mile for an employer who does not care for his workers. This in turn may affect the
production/output, which in turn affects the company’s profits.

1.10 METHODS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS

 Checking and improving machine safety e.g. guarding (see sec1.5)

 Improving work processes / procedures
 Giving proper job instruction to improve skills
 Ensuring training in safe work practices
 Providing general safety education
 Striving to change or reinforce attitudes towards safety
 Appointing the correct personnel who can meet the physical and mental demands
 Provide training to personnel to perform new jobs
 Retrain those who moved from one job to another
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 Always set a good example by obeying safety rules
 Give acknowledgement to all safety achievements
 As a last resort discipline those who break safety rules
 Providing personal protective equipment and ensuring that it is used when necessary
 Appointing safety representatives / committee

1.11 GENERAL SAFETY MEASURES

Act responsibly and always consider the well being of other people working with you.

 Always wear protective footwear to prevent heavy objects injuring your feet when you
work. Ordinary shoes do not provide enough protection.
 Wear a shop coat or overalls. Make sure that you roll your sleeves up or that you fasten
the cuffs because loose clothing can get caught in moving work pieces or machines.
 Wear safety glasses when you use machines, portable power tools and when there is
possible danger to your eyes. Safety glasses will stop pieces of metal or liquids from
harming your eyes.
 Wear gloves when you move large work pieces with sharp or rough edges, or when you
handle liquids that can harm your skin.
 Always sweep or brush chips and shavings from your work area. Do not handle them
with your bare hands.
 When you work with flammable gas or liquids, make sure that there is enough
ventilation in the workshop or around your workplace.
 Never smoke in the workshop. There are usually fumes of spilt liquids and gases in
workshops and smoking can start a fire or an explosion. This can then cause serious
injuries or death.
 Make sure that there are no liquids or scrap materials on the floor around your
workplace.
 Always have rubbish bins in particular places of the scrap materials you collect when
you sweep the floors and machines.
 Wear a hard safety hat when you work in an area where there are overhead cranes.
 Make sure that regular maintenance is carried out on all electrical equipment.
Immediately report any faulty equipment to your supervisor.
 Do not block access to fire-fighting equipment
 Make sure that you have fire-fighting equipment readily available for emergencies.
Check that:
 The expiry date on the fire-fighting equipment has not lapsed; and
 The safety seal is not broken.
 Make sure that you know where the first-aid kit is kept.
 Do not run or play games in the workshop.
 Never eat or drink in a workshop
 Never lock emergency exits

1.12 SAFETY MEASURES WHEN USING HAND TOOLS / MACHINERY

Each different machine has particular safety measures, which you must know. There are
the following general rules, though, that you must follow when you work with
machinery:
 Use each tool to do the task it is meant for.
 Keep the sharp edges of tools pointed away from you, towards the back of you
workbench.
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 Keep your tools clean, dry and free of oil.
 Take care of your tools, for example have a storage place for each tool and service them
regularly.
 Never carry tools, which have sharp edges in your pockets.
 Do not use your tools incorrectly or carelessly.
 Be aware of your work area.
 Always look for the “Emergency Stop” button on the machine before working on any
power driven machine
 Make sure that you know how to operate the machine and how to stop the machine in an
emergency.
 Clean up excess oil or grease on or near bearings and grease caps.
 Replace the machine guards before you switch the power on if the guards were removed
to repair or adjust the machine.
 Keep the floors; passageways and space around machines clear of small objects and
machine accessories.
 Work inside the marked boundaries of the passageways and walkways between machines
and equipment.
 Make sure that there is a place for each machine tool; accessory or attachments that you
use so that you can store them after you use them.
 Make sure that your work piece is properly secured before you switch the machine on.
 Never leave tools on machines – if they get caught in the machine they can damage the
machine and the work piece.
 Do not sit on, or lean against, a machine.
 Do not leave a machine unattended while it is operating.
 Do not touch the work piece or take measurements while the machine is operating.
 Lock-out electrically before doing any repairs on a machine
 Ensure in-running nip-points on rotating/reciprocating machines are guarded to prevent
objects from being pulled into the machine
 Do not wear gloves when performing machining operations
 Keep long sleeves away from rotating/moving machine parts- roll them up
 Keep long hair tied behind the head or wear a hair net or cap
 Never leave the chuck key in the chuck (on the lathe)
 If you suspect electrical trouble with a machine, turn it off immediately
 Do not keep a liquid gas cigarette lighter in your pocket when welding
 Make sure there are no flammable liquids or oily rags nearby when you are welding
 Never weld in an enclosed area without proper ventilation - you could be overcome by the
fumes
 Never wear clothes made from flammable synthetic material in a workshop – sparks may
ignite the clothing that may burn rapidly, causing serious burns on the body.

1.13 COLOUR CODING

This is the exercise where objects are painted a certain colour. They are important to identify
certain safety features in a factory environment.
Colour codes identify:
 Dangerous parts of machines
 Areas where it is safe to walk / work
 Danger zones
 Fire-fighting equipment
 Contents of Pipelines
 Electrical equipment
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1.14 EXAMPLES HOW COLOUR CODING ARE PRACTISED.
Contents of pipeline / feature Colour code
Air………………………………………. Arctic blue
Acids…………………………………….. Jacaranda
Alkalis………………………………… Dove grey
Oils……………………………………… Golden brown
Gases other than air…………………… Light stone
Steam…………………………………… Silver or Aluminium
Water…………………………………… Brilliant green
Fire-fighting…………………………… Signal red
Walkways……………………………… Yellow
Danger zones……………………………. Red and white (candy stripe)
Electrical equipment…………………….. Orange

1.15 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A FIRE

Once a fire has started, it produces sufficient heat to

maintain its own combustion reaction and sufficient heat HEAT FUEL
to spread itself.

There are 3 essential elements needed to start a fire or

keep it going. OXYGEN
Removing one of these elements will extinguish the fire.

1.16 MAIN CLASSES OF FIRE AND COMMONLY USED EXTINGUISHERS

A fire extinguisher is a piece of equipment used for putting out fires. Different types of fires
need to be dealt with in different ways. There are various types of fire extinguishers namely:-
 Fire hoses with pressurised water
 Fire hydrants
 Foam extinguishers for fighting oil and chemical fires
 Carbon Dioxide extinguishers used on burning gasses and vapours
 Dry Powder extinguishers used for small fires involving flammable liquids.

Class Fire Type of extinguisher

A Wood, paper grass, tobacco and Water, foam, dry powder, Halon1211
other organic materials

B Flammable liquids & greases e.g. ordinary foam, Halon 1211, CO2, dry
alcohol, benzene, oil, paraffin, powder,
petrol etc.

C Electrical fires Halon 1211, carbon dioxide, dry powder

In the event of a fire, there is a certain procedure that should be followed to prevent injury.
Rescue -allows try to rescue anyone that might be in danger
Alarm -sound the alarm to notify others
Contain -contain the affected area
Extinguish -use the correct equipment to put out the fire
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1.17 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION

Prevention is always better than cure and fire prevention is better than fire fighting. Fires are
caused by:
 Rubbish left lying about that may catch alight.
 Unwanted materials such as wood shavings, off-cuts left lying around.
 Highly flammable materials left open and on floors.
 Bad electrical fittings and joints.
 Do not drape clothing or other materials over heaters.
 Ensure that there are no flammable liquids or other materials around when using
welding equipment.
 Water is a good conductor of electricity and therefore should never be brought into
contact with live wires.
 Keep exits and stairways clear and unobstructed.
 Dispose of cigarette butts carefully.
 Keep flammable liquids stored in closed metal containers.
 Keep matches away from children.
 Ensure that the correct type of fire extinguishers is available and accessible.
 Familiarise yourself with fire fighting equipment.
 Flammable liquids float on water; therefore water should not be used to extinguish
burning flammable liquids as it can only spread the fire to other areas. It can also
increase the intensity of the fire.

1.18 MACHINERY AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY ACT, 1983

Notice in respect of machinery other than a boiler under Regulation 9 (2) of General
Machinery Regulations, 1988:

1. Every employer or user of machinery is required by law to provide safety equipment

in connection with machinery and it is an offence for any person to fail to use such
equipment properly or to interfere with him or her.
2. No person working in close proximity to moving machinery shall wear any loosely
fitting outer clothing, any jewellery or ornament, any watch or key chain, any long
loose-hanging hair or anything which may be caught up in the moving parts of such
machinery.
3. Unless an apparatus approved by an inspector is used, no driving belt shall be shipped
or unshipped whilst machinery is in motion, except in the case of a light belt that may
be shipped on the coned pulley of a machine tool in order to alter the working speed of
such tool.
4. Machinery in motion shall not be cleaned, repaired, adjusted or oiled by a competent
person when it is impracticable to stop such machinery.
5. No person other than a competent person shall enter the safeguarded area of
machinery in motion, and then only if it is impracticable to stop such machinery.
6. No person under the influence of alcohol or drugs shall enter any premises where
machinery is used.
7. Any accident or other incident, which threatens or is likely to threaten the safety of
employees, shall be reported immediately to the employer, or user of machinery.
8. No person supervising machinery and no person operating machinery shall, without
the permission of his superior, authorise any other person to do his work.
9. Any person intending to start a machine shall before doing so satisfy himself that no
other person is endangered.
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1.19 REGULATIONS FOR THE METAL INDUSTRY

The following regulations are taken from the Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 85 of
1993 and apply to all persons from the metal industry. If you are from the metal industry, you
will have to know what these rules mean.

1.19.1 General duties of employees

Subject to the provisions of section 28(1) of the Act, and without derogating from any other
specific duty imposed on an employee by the Act or the regulation, every employee shall-

(e) Take reasonable care for his own health and safety as well as those who may be
affected by his actions.
(f) Carry out any lawful order given to him and shall obey the safety rules and
procedures laid down by his employer or by anyone authorized thereto by his
employer, in accordance with or for the proper observance of the provisions of the
Act or the regulations or in the interest of safety.
(g) Where a situation that is unsafe at or near his workplace comes to his attention, as
soon as possible report such situation to a safety representative or to his employer.
(h) Report any incident, which has affected his health or safety or has caused injury to
himself, to his employer or H & S not later than the end of the shift in which the
incident occurred

1.19.2 Revolving machinery

Unless moving or revolving component of machinery are in such a position or of such

construction that they are as safe as they would be if they were securely fenced or
guarded, the user shall cause-
(a) Every shaft, pulley, wheel, gear, sprocket, coupling, collar, clutch, friction drum or
similar object to be securely fenced or guarded;
(b) Every set screw, key or bolt on revolving shafts, couplings, collars, friction drums,
clutches wheels, pulleys, gears and the like to be countersunk, enclosed or
otherwise guarded.

1.19.3 Safeguarding of machinery

(1) Every employer or user of machinery shall-

(a) Ensure that all machinery used by him, is suitable for the purpose for which it is
used, and that it is installed, operated and maintained in such a manner as to
prevent the exposure of persons to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions
or circumstances;
(b) In particular cause every exposed and dangerous part of machinery which is within
the normal reach of a person to be effectively safeguarded by means of insulation,
fencing, screening or guarding, except where an inspector has granted written
permission for the omission of such safeguarding;
(c) Ensure that all safety equipment is kept in good working condition and is properly
used; and
(d) Ensure that the quality of material used in, and the construction, of the machinery
or safety equipment is suitable for the purpose for which it was intended.
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(2) Where machinery constitutes a danger to persons, the employer or user of

machinery concerned shall cause the premises in question to be enclosed, and
where such premises are intended the designated entrances to such premises shall
be kept closed and locked.
(3) Unless he has been authorised thereto by the employer or user of machinery, no
person shall remove any safety equipment that relates to the machinery in question.

1.19.4 Operation of machinery

(1) An employer or user of machinery shall ensure that every person authorised to operate
machinery is fully aware of the dangers attached thereto and is conversant with the
precautionary measures to be taken or observed to obviate such dangers.
(2) If a person operates any machinery that requires constant attentions in order to
avoid accidents, he shall under no circumstances leave his post while such
machinery is in operation, unless a person who is authorised and competent to
operate such machinery relieves him.
(3) An employer or user of machinery shall ensure that any machinery which requires
constant attention in order to avoid accidents is under the supervision of a
shiftsman, who shall at all times be present on the premises while such machinery
is in operation, and no person shall attend to or operate such machinery, except
under the general supervision of a shiftsman.
(4) No person supervising machinery and no person operating machinery shall, without
the permission of his superior, authorise any other person to do his work.
(5) If machinery threatens or is likely to threaten the safety of persons when it is
unexpectedly set in motion or made electrically alive, the employer or user of
machinery concerned shall take all reasonable precautionary measures in order to
ensure that such machinery cannot be set in motion or made electrically alive, and
any person intending to set such machinery in motion or make it electrically alive
shall take all reasonable precautionary measures in order to ensure that the safety of
a person is not threatened or likely to be threatened.
(6) If machinery in operation threatens or is likely to threaten the safety of persons, the
person supervising or operating such machinery or the employer or user of
machinery concerned shall stop such machinery or cause it to be stopped.

NOTES
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