Hi,

As some of you know I've started a working at a big multinational manufacturing company recently. The division I work at manufactures machinery et.c for the mining sector using modern CNC machinery of all types right down to an old twin head drill press built in the 50's (we've even got a massive old shaper which I'm itching to use).

Obviously with thousands of employee's in Australia they are very safety conscious. In the safety induction the three big things I picked up are:
1. No 9" grinders (won't go there);
2. Must wear cut resistance gloves at all times
3. No personal knives on site - must use company issued non-fixed automatic retracting blades.

The grinder restriction doesn't bother me. I asked about the gloves and the answer was the company has too many hand injuries (the same goes for the knife issue). You must by the book wear gloves all the time. That includes when milling or turning and off hand grinding. At first I was a bit hesitant then when I realized just how dirty everything is I wear the gloves all the time. Which for the first time ever I grabbed swarf coming off the lathe with my gloved hand instead of using the swarf grabber/hook. So I guess even though I know I'm a where of the danger of wearing gloves I still did something that could of really injured me.

The knife thing is what really sh*ts me though. We have retractable safety knives where the blade retracts in 0.2 of second so you can't cut yourself or pretty much anything else! All we really cut is strapping material off crates/pallets. I see blokes using files instead of knives! The knives work like they're meant to for the first couple of days then it's hit and miss until you get a new. Changing the blades (Stanly type razor blades) is actually more dangerous than using the knife.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in WHS and everyone should come home with all their fingers but sometimes I think WHS is just a tick the box exercise.

Ben.


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