The most common hazards associated with the metalworking industry are noise, vibration, fire, airborne contaminants, and musculoskeletal overload caused by working in a forced position. During annual inspections in metalworking enterprises, labour inspectors often see work equipment without protective devices, and uninspected lifting equipment and lifting devices. Shortcomings are often also found in safety marking as well as the marking of passageways and dangerous places (trestles, differences in floor height). The provision and use of the necessary personal protective equipment (safety footwear, hearing protectors, goggles, helmets) is also a major issue and too little attention is paid to the use of chemicals in the workplace.
Machinery
Accidents in metalworking enterprises often happen when using machinery. There is no need to use forces greater than the machine’s, situations should be resolved using common sense. The prevention of accidents already starts with the purchase of machinery, the study of the user manual, and the preparation of effective safety instructions. The most affordable way to prevent occupational accidents is to provide safety training and instruction to new employees upon employment.
In addition to daily checks of the working order of equipment by users, the working order of the equipment should also be checked regularly as part of internal control of the working environment to ensure the safety of machinery. The safety guards or devices of machinery should never be removed as it can result in the employee being injured.
Welding
Welding is a process often used in the making of metal structures in the metalworking industry. During welding operations, it is crucial to ensure that all oxygen and gas cylinders and combustible liquid tanks are kept far enough away so that sparks or flames cannot reach them. All cylinders must also be properly secured. Fire extinguishing equipment must be kept at an easily reachable distance, ie not more than 10 m from a workplace involving open flame.
Harmful gases and fumes
The welding process produces welding fumes that contain harmful compounds. To remove welding fumes, the pipeline of local exhaust ventilation should be installed as close to the welding site as possible. In some cases, it may be necessary to use respiratory protective devices.
Lifting operations
Accidents during lifting operations can be caused by dropped or slipped loads due to improper configuration of slinging or inappropriate lifting accessories. Lifting equipment must be in good mechanical condition – the only way to ensure this is by regular inspection. In addition, lifting equipment and accessories must be provided with clearly legible technical information. Operating devices must be clearly labelled for the user and function buttons must be sharp, ie work smoothly without any delay.
Noise
Even short-term loud noise produced by various devices, compressors and exhaust ventilation in the working environment is harmful. If workers are exposed to noise levels above 80 dB(A), workers must be given hearing protectors, and in the case of noise levels above 85 Db(A), workers must be obliged to wear hearing protectors. The best solution in terms of health is to purchase equipment that produces less noise and to separate noisy operations from quiet ones.
Hazardous chemicals
In order to handle chemicals safely, each chemical labelled as a hazardous chemical in the company must be accompanied with a safety data sheet containing information about the properties of the chemical, the use of personal protective equipment as well as first-aid measures, where necessary. The workstation of a chemical user must be equipped with an emergency eyewash station at a marked location so that the chemical could quickly be washed off the person in the event of an accident.
Passageways
Falls can occur, for example, due to oily floors or manufacturing waste. Therefore, it is essential for the workplace to be kept clean and tidy and for workers to wear protective footwear to prevent slipping. It is also important to think about the layout of workstations, storage areas, and passageways.
Safety signs
Safety signs must be used to provide information to employees about what to do or what not to do in a certain area or situation. The entrance to the danger zone must be clearly marked to indicate that an area where a certain hazard (moving vehicle, high load) may be present is ahead. Similarly, all signs that indicate the requirement to wear personal protective equipment must be clearly visible. It is important to think about where the first aid equipment and the 112 sign are located. Great consideration must be given to the visibility of the markings indicating the location of first aid equipment.
Lighting
It is necessary to ensure that the workplace is equipped with proper lighting, as poor lighting can damage eyesight and create additional stress. Moreover, poor lighting also contributes to the occurrence of occupational accidents.
Welfare provision
In addition to healthy working conditions, employers must also provide appropriate welfare facilities to employees. As the work in the metalworking industry is dusty and dirty, it is necessary to provide employees with facilities where they can change, wash, eat, and rest. The rest area must be equipped with chairs fitted with backrests.
You can read and watch more here: https://tooelu.ee/en; https://youtu.be/Opqlqkyrhyo
In February, we are carrying out targeted inspections in metalworking enterprises.
