Good Safety Engineering Essay Example

Mechanical hazards are those hazards in which the force is transferred by means of the motion of an object or a body. Mechanical hazards are of eight types. Squeeze point hazards is a type of hazard in which two bodies moves towards each other, close enough to squeeze a body part within them resulting in an injury. In pinch point hazard the moving body come very close together (1/2 inch) resulting in pinching of human flesh. Shear points hazard are produced by two moving objects which are sharp and pass over each other. It can trap and cut fingers, hands or any other body part. Nip points are hazard caused by two rotating parts. If a body part is trapped within them, it can lead to crushing of that part. Catch points are either stationary or in motion having rough or sharp edges which can cut or bruise a body part. Sharp point hazards can puncture or cut a body part or any other object which is moving and comes into contact with it. Flying objects are objects with sufficient kinetic energy to cause an injury (Hays, 2012, p. 291). Falling objects cause injury by falling onto a person or his body part. Squeeze point and pinch point hazard can be avoided by providing a guard between the two moving parts. Shear point, nip point, and catch point should either be eliminated or can be covered with a suitable guard to avoid any injury. Unwanted Sharp points such as corners and edges should be filed smooth and rounded to avoid any injury. For avoiding flying object hazard, humans should be prohibited from working in any automated area. Persons working on an elevated surface should barricade their floor to avoid any falling object hazard (Hays, 2012, p. 290-296).
A metal press is a machine that is used to change the shape of a metal workpiece by applying hydraulic pneumatic or mechanical pressure. Data collected on human dimensions are called as anthropometric data (Cloutier & Andres, 2012, p. 329). Anthropometric data is used to help designed the tools and machine to reduce the chances of accidents. In designing controls on a machine like a metal press, the main aim is to design controls in such a way that it is easy to locate and operate. If more than one control is to be operated the controls should be designed in such a way that there exists enough space between them to assure that both controls cannot be used simultaneously. If there are more than two controls in the machine the controls should be placed keeping their importance, function, frequency and sequence of use in mind. If a control is more important and used more often than others it should be placed in a prominent place which is easy to access and operate. Any necessary signs or visuals necessary to mark or label a control should be placed above it (Cloutier & Andres, 2012, p. 353-354). If we are designing a metal press for the 90th percentile and not the 95th percentile, it will mean that there will be less space between the control switches (Cloutier & Andres, 2012, p. 330). This decision should be taken only if the operators are going to be of average build. If the machine is meant for any operator, small guards should be put between all the controls to avoid accidental push of controls. Using above measures a machine like metal press should be designed to avoid any accidental hazard.
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