When it comes to troubleshooting problems on-site, safety is of the utmost importance. Not only should proper testing equipment be used while diagnosing and performing preventative maintenance, but proper safety equipment should always be worn by the person performing the troubleshooting. There are countless precautions that can be taken to drastically increase the safety of everyone around. There are, however, a few items that should always be kept on-site in order to safely work on and troubleshoot different types of machines.
On-site must-haves:
Safety glasses are one of the most common forms of safety equipment. These handy glasses are used to prevent damaging material (chemicals, shrapnel, flash burns, etc.) from entering one’s eyes. OSHA requires this form of safety, and, if personal protective equipment compliance standards are not met, severe penalties can be administered accordingly.
Lockout/Tagout should always be used when any sort of powered down troubleshooting is being conducted. This is a significant piece of safety equipment that is used to lock the power source off on the unit being inspected. Any time a unit’s power needs to be kept off, it is highly recommended to lock out the breaker box to avoid anyone accidentally turning the power on while somebody else is working on the unit
Warning labels should always be instituted within any workplace. Potential dangers can be avoided with proper warning labels and in some cases, a proper warning label can save lives.
Optional:
Where permitted, Safety toe / Steel toe boots are often required when working in any sort of area with heavy equipment. These are very important in a CNC involved workplace as drive units controlling these machines can be quite heavy and are not the easiest to remove and move around. These shoes are often required to protect against any potential dropping which may lead to bodily harm.
Earplugs should be used, but are not always a requirement, when working in an area with a lot of sound disruption. Prolonged exposure to very loud noises can potentially lead to hearing damage but can be prevented through the use of proper ear safety equipment.
