| Tools
and Materials |
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| Work Equipment
and the Employer |
 The
employer should ensure that any machine, tool,
installation or other work equipment made available for
the use of seafarers is suitable for the work in hand and
for the conditions in which that work is to be carried
out, and that it is so maintained that it may be used
without impairing health or safety.
If it is not
possible to remove a health or safety hazard, appropriate
measures should be taken to ensure that the risk is
minimised. For example, the maintenance and use of the
equipment should, where appropriate, be restricted to
designated persons. Adequate information and training in
the safe use of equipment (including, where appropriate,
comprehensible written instructions) should be provided
for all users. |
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| Hand tools |
A tool
is designed for one particular function and no other. It
should be treated with respect. The material of which it
is made is appropriate to the intended purpose but
usually not to others. Files are hard but brittle;
screwdriver shanks bend where levers do not, and pliers
may slip on nuts.
For every
job, the proper tools in the right sizes should be
available and used. Tools used for a purpose for which
they were not designed may cause injury to the user and
damage to the workpiece and the tools.
Damaged or
worn tools should not be used. Handles of hammers,
screwdrivers and chisels should be secure; wooden handles
should be straight-grained, smooth and without splinters.
Punches and cold chisels with jagged heads should not be
used. Cutting edges should be kept sharp and clean. Faces
of hammers, punches and spanners should be true. Repair
and dressing of the tools should be carried out by a
competent person.
When not in
use, they should be stowed tidily in a suitable tool
rack, box or carrier, with cutting edges protected.
Wherever
practicable, a tool in use should be directed away from
the body to avoid injury should the tool or workpiece
slip.
Both hands
should be kept behind the cutting edge of a wood chisel.
A cold
chisel is best held between thumb and base of index
finger with thumb and fingers straight, palm of hand
facing towards the hammer blow .
A saw should
not be forced, it should be pushed with a light, even
movement. |
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| Portable
electric, pneumatic and hydraulic tools and appliances |
Power-operated tools may be dangerous unless properly
maintained, handled and used.
The risk of
electric shock is greatly increased either by
perspiration or in locations which are damp, humid or
have large conductive (metal) surfaces. In such
conditions power tools should be operated from extra low
voltage supplies (not more than 50 volts AC with a
maximum of 30 V to earth or 50 V DC). However even 50 V
can be lethal in particularly severe conditions, when
lower voltages should be used.
Where it is
not practicable to use low voltages then other
precautions such as a local isolating transformer
supplying one appliance only or a high sensitivity earth
leakage circuit breaker (also known as a residual current
device) should be used. The risk associated with the use
of portable electric tools also applies to portable
electric hand lamps. The supply to these appliances
should not exceed 24 volts. (See also "Safe Movement on board
Ship" - 'Lighting'.
Double-insulated tools (where the exposed metal parts are
not designed for earth connection) are not recommended
for use on ships because water (which maybe salt-laden)
can provide a contact between live parts and the casing,
increasing the risk of a fatal shock when the tool is
used.
The power
supply lead and connections should be inspected before a
tool is used; defects should be repaired and the tool
tested by a competent person before its re-use.
The flexible
cables of electric tools should comply with the relevant
British Standard and be provided with proper connections
to the power supply. The tools should be properly
earthed.
The fuse or
circuit-breaker on the line of supply to electric power
tools should be of the minimum rating practicable. This
is most important if double-insulated tools are used.
Electric
leads and the hoses of pneumatic and hydraulic tools
should be kept clear of damage -from nails, sharp edges,
hot surfaces, oil and chemicals etc. Where leads or hoses
pass through doorways or other openings, the doors etc.
should be secured open. Where they trail across decks or
passageways, leads or hoses should wherever possible be
suspended high enough to give clearance over men passing.
Whip-lash
from pneumatic hoses in the event of breakage of
couplings, may be prevented by fitting chain linkages
between sections of the hose or alternatively
incorporating safety valves which close off the lines.
Accessories
or tool pieces should be absolutely secure in the tool.
In particular, retaining springs, clamps, locking levers
and other built-in safety devices on pneumatic tools
should be replaced after the toolpiece (drill, bit,
chisel etc.) is changed. Serious injuries can be caused
if any of these are omitted, since the toolpiece may be
ejected with considerable force when power is applied.
Accessories
or fitments should not be fixed or replaced while the
tool is connected to a source of power.
Where a
safety guard is needed for a particular operation, it
should be securely fixed before work begins; if it is
removed for changing an accessory, it should be replaced
immediately.
During a
temporary interruption of work, power tools should be
switched off and disconnected from the source of power
and left in a safe position with leads clear of
passageways. A check that the switch or control is off
should always be made before the tool is reconnected.
Where the
work operation causes high noise levels, hearing
protection should be worn. Where flying particles may be
produced, the face and eyes should be protected (see "Protective Clothing and
Equipment").
The
vibration caused by reciprocating tools (pneumatic
drills, hammers, chisels etc.) or high-speed rotating
tools leg drills) can give rise to a permanent
disablement of the hands known as 'dead' or 'white'
fingers. In its initial stages, this appears as a
numbness of the fingers and an increasing sensitivity to
cold but in more advanced stages, the hands become blue
and the finger-tips swollen. Those prone to the
disability should, not use such portable power tools.
Others should be advised not to use them continually for
more than a maximum of 30 minutes without a break. |
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| Workshop and
bench machines (fixed installations) |
No one
should operate a machine unless authorised to do so. The
operator should be competent in its use and familiar with
its controls. He should not attempt to use it if he has
bandaged hands.
All
dangerous parts of machines should be provided with
efficient guards which should be properly secured before
the machine is put into operation. Self-adjusting guards
are preferable where the position of the guard has to
relate to the workpiece. Grinding machines should be
fitted with eye screens which need to be renewed from
time to time.
Guards
should be made preferably in solid material. Where they
are of perforated metal, mesh or bars, the openings
should not be large enough to allow a finger to be
inserted to reach a dangerous part.
Controls of
machines and switches for supplementary lighting, where
this is provided, should not be so placed that the
operator has to lean over the machine to reach them.
A machine
should be checked every time before use. It should not be
operated when a guard or safety device is missing,
incorrectly adjusted or defective or when it is itself in
any way faulty.
If defective
in any respect, the machine should be isolated from its
source; of power pending adjustment or repair. Only a
competent person should attempt repairs. Unskilled
interference with electrical equipment in particular is
highly dangerous.
Work benches
should be well lit and some machines may required
individual supplementary lights.
Working
areas should be kept uncluttered and, as far as
practicable, free of litter and spilled oil. Loose gear,
tools and equipment not required for immediate use should
be cleared away and properly stowed .
Swarf (metal
turnings, filings and the like) should not be allowed to
pile up round a machine. The machine should be stopped
for its removal. A rake or similar device should be used
for the purpose, never the bare hand.
A heavy item
of equipment brought into a workshop for repair should be
made secure against accidental movement.
Appropriate
eye and face protection should be worn during chipping,
scaling, wirebrushing, grinding and similar work where
particles may fly; this is a special risk in turning
brass (see "Protective
Clothing and Equipment").
Where
sanding or other processes generate a lot of dust in the
air, dust masks or respirators should be worn (see "Protective Clothing and
Equipment").
Other people
working in the area may need the protection indicated in
either of the two preceding paragraphs.
Before a
lathe or drill is started, the chuck key should be
removed and the operator should make sure that other
people are clear of the machine.
A machine
should be stopped when not in use, even if it is expected
to be left unattended for a few moments only. The machine
should be rechecked on every occasion before being
started up again in case controls, guards etc. have been
altered or moved while the machine has been left
unattended.
Where a
machine is driven by a V-belt in conjunction with a
stepped pulley, and alterations in spindle speed require
a change in the belt position, means should be provided
if practicable for the belt tension to be eased during
that operation; the position of the belt should never be
changed while the machine is running.
Work pieces
for drilling or milling should be at all times securely
held by a machine vice or clamp.
Material
projecting beyond the headstock of a lathe should be
securely fenced. |
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| Abrasive wheels |
Abrasive
wheels should be selected, mounted and used only by
competent persons and in accordance with manufacturers'
instructions .
Abrasive
wheels are relatively fragile and should be stored and
handled with care.
Manufacturers' instructions should be followed on the
selection of the correct type of wheel for the job in
hand. Generally, soft wheels are more suitable for hard
material and hard wheels for soft material. |
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| Ends |
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