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General Safety

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Shop Safety

The basics of shop safety such as machine guarding, operating procedures, and training.

Things to Consider

Basic Shop Rules

  • Safety is your top priority when using the shop. If you are not sure what you are doing, “ASK.”
  • Make sure you are properly trained on any piece of equipment before you use it.
  • Wear appropriate clothing and personal protective equipment:
    • Long pants, closed-toe shoes, side shield safety glasses
    • Pull back and secure long hair
    • No lanyards, loose clothing or jewelry.
    • No headphones, earbuds, etc. wired or not.
  • No food or drink allowed
  • Shop security and access:
    • No one is allowed in the shop without proper training – only authorized individuals are allowed to use equipment
    • It’s best not to work alone
    • Some shops have specific access policies – check with the shop supervisor
  • Watch out for distractions or other conditions that take your focus away from your work.
    • If you find a piece of equipment is not working properly, unplug or disconnect the equipment and notify the shop supervisor immediately.
    • Don’t remove or bypass safety features such as guarding and emergency stops.
    • Housekeeping – Keep it clean.
    • Emergency Procedures
      • Be familiar with emergency stops on all equipment
      • Know where the emergency exits are located
      • In the event of an evacuation, if it is safe to do so, turn off processes (water, flames, etc.), collect personal items, and calmly exit the building using the nearest exit. Proceed to your assigned evacuation assembly point. If you do not know the location of your evacuation assembly point, ask the shop supervisor
      • If you are injured (even a minor injury) – seek medical attention, notify the shop supervisor.

 

Resources

(Note: links go to OSHA guidance documents which are PDFs on our current site):

OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: TABLE SAW
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: SHEAR
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: SHAPER/ROUTER
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: SCROLL (JIG) SAW
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: SANDERS
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: RADIAL-ARM SAW
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: POWER ROLL FORMING AND BENDING MACHINE
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: POWER PRESS BRAKE
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: POWER PRESS
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: PORTABLE TOOLS
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: PLANER
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: MILLING MACHINE
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: LATHE
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: JOINTER
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: IRONWORKER
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: GENERAL MACHINE SHOP SAFETY
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: DRILL PRESS
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: CUT-OFF SAWS
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: COMPACTING AND BALING EQUIPMENT
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: COMPACTING AND BALING EQUIPMENT
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: CNC TURNING MACHINE
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: BAND SAW
OSHA MACHINE SHOP GUIDANCE: ABRASIVE WHEEL GRINDER

Resource Center

Explore a wealth of information, guidelines and tools designed to foster a safe campus environment.