- overalls : cotton - is in my opinion the best for engineering, they are much better when it comes to doing hot work e.g. welding, grinding and gas axing. Paper disposible overalls are terrible when it comes to engineering or anything to do with heat because they are so flimsey, they are however good for dealing with fiberglass, they allow air to flow through them whilst stopping the microscopic splinters. Nylon overalls are much the same as the cotton ones just not as durable.
- safety glasses : safety eyewear covers a broard variety of safety equiptment e.g. welding masks, welding goggles, grinding visers, safety goggles, tinted and clear safety glasses. All are used for different activities.
- steel cap boots : Steel cap boots have to be worn around an engineering environment, there are various styles of boot as well incuding slip on, lace up and steel cap gumboots.
- earmuffs/earplugs areimportant if using equipment which is harmful to your hearing or grade 5 or higher.
- you need gloves if you are exposed to either hot substance or chemicals which may damage your skin
PPE is not only what is on your body it is knowing the environment you are working in e.g. where is the first aid box, where the emergency shower is, where is/are the fire extinguishers and what type are they - Co2, water, dry chemical/powder, wet chemical and foam types.
In any trade your hands are going to always be at risk so it is important that we as tradesmen know how to use tools correctly e.g. using the right type of hammer to persuade bearing housing (if it is 2 parts).
Alot of health and safety is common sense, most people would know to keep your hands/fingers away from blades and points e.g. on a haksaw, scribers, milling machine bits, lathe cutting tools, moving drill bits and powered machinery like mounted grinders, linishers and buffers.
Health and safety on a drill press -
- Wear safety glasses.
- Make sure the adjustabe platform where your work is held is at the right height.
- Keep fingers clear of drill bit
- Make sure you know where the stop/start buttons are
- Keep the drilled area clear.
- Use a clamp or vise to stop work from spinning.
- Lubricate drill your bit when drilling through metal.
- When drilling metal pulse the pressure on the bit so that the swarf can break out of the bit when the presssure is released
- Keep drill bits clean and sharp. Blunt drills break alot.
Heath and safety on the lathe and milling machine -
- always wear industrial strength eye protection
- try to wear short sleved shirts when operating the lathe otherwise try to wear a tighter pair of overals, because the rotating metal could easily pull you into the machine
- steel cap shoes when ever you r in the workshop
- remove all jewlery as it can get caught and pull you in or damnage something special e.g. wedding ring
- tie back long hair because the lathe will scalp you if you get tangled
- always, always remove the chuck after use - if you don't you'l end up wearing it
- keep fingers clear of rotating work and the cutting tool
- if you need to use a file on the lathe make sure it has a handle because if it doesn't it could bite ad force the sharp end deep into your hand
