Machines are at the heart of modern production. However, as productivity increases, machines in turn bring dangers to the production site. Traditionally, it has been considered that doing proper control of machine hazards costs money and affects productivity. In addition, workers may remove guards or refuse to use personal protective equipment when operating or working around machines, and then again, many companies simply don't pay attention to machine safety, or even have a negative attitude toward the safety aspects of machines. In fact, it is entirely possible to eliminate machine hazards and increase production at the same time. Even if guards have to be installed, it doesn't necessarily mean spending more money or reducing productivity.
How do you manage production equipment safety? Seven measures for good safety management of production equipment
I. Productivity check of machines
Go around the factory and observe the following:
1. Is there a particular machine that is causing sluggishness or blockage of production
2. Is there any machine that operates slowly due to filler or rejection devices
3. Is there any machine that is causing fear or danger to the machine or the production process? Any fear or hesitation due to machine or process hazards
4. Any machine guards that have been altered, removed, or destroyed
If the answer to any of the above questions is "yes," then the following guidance will help to deal with the issues of machine productivity and safety.
II. Eliminate Hazards, Install Protective Devices, Use Personal Protective Equipment, Always Do It In This Order
Accidents not only cause financial losses, but also cause pain and suffering. However, it is not easy to avoid accidents in a workshop where there are many hazards. It requires a good strategy.
The best way to do this is to eliminate the hazards altogether. Does this sound unlikely? If you can't eliminate the hazard, then install guards around it. But guards must be carefully designed or they will get in the way. Use personal protective equipment as a last resort, and if it is necessary to use personal protective equipment, then make sure that the proper use of the equipment is monitored from time to time:
1. Replace hazardous machinery with less hazardous machinery or processes
2. Set up guards around the hazardous area
3. Provide personal protective equipment until the hazard has been eliminated or guarded.
3. Buy safe machines
When ordering a new machine, take special care to emphasize the safety of the machine's construction. Hazardous processed parts should be in a position where they will not harm workers, and in particular, the point of operation must be free of hazards.
Automated and mechanized filling and unloading devices will not only eliminate hazards, but will greatly increase productivity. Consider ordering a machine with such devices, as they are not expensive relative to the cost of the entire machine, but their presence or absence can make a big difference in improving productivity.
Four, the use of filling and unloading devices to increase productivity and reduce the risk of machine
Many machines (especially stamping presses) are limited in productivity by the speed at which processed parts can be filled into the machine and unloaded from the point of operation. In the absence of a filling and rewinding device, production rates will be affected by the speed at which workers can maneuver, the complexity of the job, the type of guarding, and the necessary safety measures. Without automated and mechanized stuffing and un-stuffing devices, the worker would lay out the stamped parts, then allow his hands to avoid the machine's cyclic operation, after which he would remove the stamped parts, and finally remove the finished stamped part from the machine. In reality, only 20% of the time is spent on machine production. This does not take into account the removal and replacement of point-of-operation guards when they are not automated. With filler and rejection devices, productivity is much higher.
However, the filling and rewinding method also takes into account safety measures. Extreme care should be taken in carrying out equipment installation, in installing and commissioning the packing and rejection system, in removing packing faults and in doing lubrication and maintenance. Also great care and attention should be taken when evaluating new packing and depriming devices.