Reprinted from the ACJ - March, 1994
Being the plant engineer here at Johnson Manufacturing Company requires me to wear many hats. There are the technical service, personnel aspects, formulation, environmental compliance, comic relief, etc. But the most exciting part of the job is the hands on repair and troubleshooting in the plant.
This aspect is not only adventurous for me but tends to raise the excitement level of the guys in the plant as well. As soon as I head to the maintenance shop for tools, the odds makers get busy. Bets are placed fast and furious. Will he cut himself? No, maybe a deep bruise? A burn maybe? Odds are 2:1 that blood will be involved… Meanwhile some caring individual dials 9-1- and stands by, for the next 1.
Now I'm here to say that it is not that bad. OK, an occasional nick or scratch or head trauma. But nothing that has involved worker's compensation. Some would say that I am clumsy, accident prone maybe. I take the position that it is a dangerous world out there in the shop and it takes a brave soul to venture in.
You notice I haven't even mentioned chemical mishaps. That is because over 9 out of 10 accidents in the shop are caused by physical hazards and not by chemicals. The focus today will be on the physical hazards you deal with in the course of your work day.
The physical hazards in an automotive shop are endless. Hand tools, power tools, fixtures, hoists, stairs, railings, slippery floors, co-workers, bad coffee...
Misuse or bad luck can result in cuts, bruises, burns, bumps on your head, falls, back injuries and so on. Because of the extent of possibilities the best we can do here is touch briefly on a few of the hazards and try to gain some insight into the proper assessment of the dangers in the shop.
I have suggested in the past what I call the "little kid" approach to hazard assessment. Pretend you are following your young son, daughter, or grandchild around the shop. "Don't touch that, it's sharp!", "Be careful, you will get burned," "Don't slip, the floor's wet," "Get down off those stairs!", "Go find your mother." If you walk around your shop with this type of outlook the dangers will present themselves.
Hand tools (screw drivers, hammers, ice picks, pliers, torches, etc.) probably cause the highest number of accidents but usually the injuries are minor. A good pair of gloves can prevent a lot of these type of injuries. The old adage "The right tool for the right job" is pertinent here.
But in reality that is not always possible. Show me a man who has never opened a can of paint with a screw driver and I'll show you a guy with too many tools. If you have to use the wrong tool, step back and think about the added dangers. Then take the necessary precautions.
Small power tools like drills, saws, and grinders present dangers that should be obvious. Take a look at what would happen if the tool slipped from where you are working. Will it hit gas lines, air lines, or flesh? Always check your backdrop.
Bench grinders and other machines with open wheels, drives or chains and belts add an additional hazard to worry about. I wear a tie at work and my hair is shoulder length. As I approach a bench grinder two things happen. One, there is a large increase in the side bets placed by the guys in the shop.
And two, I pull my hair back and remove or tuck my tie into my shirt. Long hair, ties, necklaces, loose sleeves are all accessories to injury. Never leave anything dangling down when you are working on machinery or with equipment that may grab it and pull you in.
With fixtures or larger equipment, like presses and hoists, the dangers are similar but the injuries can be more severe. Make sure the safety has latched on the hoist. Never remove guards or safeties from equipment. Think ahead of what would happen should you slip or the equipment malfunction. Cover yourself for the unexpected. Sure a double palm button on a piece of machinery is an inconvenience but a serious injury is a pain (bad pun, I'm sorry).
Protection is a matter of common sense. Wear safety glasses at all times. Wear the right type of gloves. Secure all loose jewelry, clothing and hair. Earplugs can help avoid hearing injuries.
Keep an eye on coworkers. A dangerous situation may be obvious to you but not the guy struggling with the situation. Also watch where you are going. I have permanent bumps on my head from walking into a raised hoist.
So far our discussion hasn't dealt with the building itself. Stacks of boxes can fall on someone. Balconies without railings are a fall waiting to happen, as are spills left on the floor. Stairs and ladders should be kept clean and dry.
Equipment must be kept mechanically sound. Electrical sources should be grounded and isolated from flammables. Compressed gas cylinders should be chained upright and stored in a proper area. Garbage should be removed from the work area in a timely fashion.
Work around the shop in a confident but cautious manner. Make sure that everyone is properly trained and familiar with the equipment and the associated hazards.
Here at Johnson's we have formed a safety committee. Once a month the group gets together and makes a list of safety problems or concerns around the plant that have surfaced during the last month.
Even in a small shop a meeting of this nature can reveal easy to rectify safety problems. At the very least it keeps everyone thinking about safety and doing their work accordingly.
Going to the same shop everyday, using the same equipment, doing basically the same tasks can lead anyone into a state of complacency. Don't take the hazards too lightly. Always assess the situation as if something may go wrong.
If your own personal safety isn't enough of a motivator, keep in mind that OSHA has been looking for physical and equipment violations for a lot longer than chemical violations.
They are very comfortable with equipment inspection and very proficient at finding faults and assessing fines.
I have just been told that one of the presses in our plant has gone down and needs repair. So I will end here and go see what I can do to help.
Gentlemen, place your bets!
The above article was written by David M. Brown, Chief Engineer of Johnson Manufacturing Company, Inc. and is published by JOHNSON with the expressed approval of the National Automotive Radiator Service Association and the Automotive Cooling Journal. Other reproduction or distribution of this information is forbidden without the written consent of JOHNSON and NARSA/ACJ. All rights reserved.
JOHNSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY
114 Lost Grove Road / PO Box 96 / Princeton, Iowa 52768-0096
Phone 563-289-5123 or Fax 563-289-3825