Workshop floor safety markings - any best practices? 1

[nick00]

Hello all,

I've been given the task of carrying out the above job, I have a clean workshop floor as my canvas. Trouble is, my Line Manager wants in on the task and has come up with what I think is a silly idea, that's to mark out 'safe areas' around the machine tools, where you don't need to wear PPE.

I don't like it, and I'd rather stick to the idea that if you enter the workshop, you wear your PPE (safety glasses are what I want to see people in most).

In order for me to make him agree, he'll want to see something 'official', so that's why I'm asking you guys if there are any 'best practice' guides out there. Also, it would be good for a bit of guidance for me generally.

If there are no guides you know of, examples of how your workshop does the floor markings would be good, together with reasons for why you do things the way you do (so that I can pass them on to him and he'll leave the silly idea alone)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Nick.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I like to see the personnel aisles marked on both sides with bright yellow stripes. You can buy tape to make the job easier.

The purpose of the yellow stripes is to delineate areas where the HR weenies and any visiting firemen may walk or stand and gawk without getting in the way of any actual work, and with a somewhat reduced probability of being hit by a forklift.

That is completely distinct from the perimeter within which PPE should be required, which should comprise solid walls and closed doors with unmistakable warning signs. The random projectiles generated and launched in any manufacturing operation do not respect stripes on the floor.

Explain to your line manager that there just flat is no 'safe area' around a machine tool.
The forces and velocities are great enough that stuff doesn't just dribble out, and the failure rate is high enough that some day, there will be stuff coming out, fast. ... guaranteed.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Sparweb]

An engineer who has expeience with facilities/plant layouts will surely have some knowledge of safety practices, and references he/she might share with you to back up your opinions when discussing it with your colleagues. I would ask an industrial engineer about this. Someone experienced in the layout of workshops and production facilities, preferably one young enough to be able to spell "OHSA" (or whatever name occupational health and safety goes by in your jurisdiction). There is a forum dedicated to industrial engineering on Eng-Tips where you might find more/better answers.


STF

 

[MintJulep]

How about a letter from your insurer.

 

[JohnRBaker]

That's what I would suggest, get your company's insurance company (the one that carries their liability and/or worker compensation policies) and see what they have to say about this. Or you could hire a safety consultant to give you a 'report' on your current situation and any recommendations to bring it up to 'standard'. My wife's niece is a 'safty engineer' back in Michigan and she's told us a couple of 'horror's stories about what some people try to get away with when they don't think anyone will notice.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigTomHanks]

I would be inclined to give the manager what he wants in this situation. He has to enforce PPE rules and many shops have what he has requested. I find that shop employees/managers are more willing to help me with my problems when I have used their suggestions in the past.

 

[TenPenny]

Often times, asking a question like that of your insurer will suddenly result in site inspections, with resulting policy cancellations or premium increases, which are unlikely to endear you to upper management. I'd be very leery of asking a question like that of your insurer.

 

[boo1]

OSHA also requires that potentially hazardous areas be clearly marked; the location of safety equipment should likewise be marked. Specific colors are designated for different types of areas so that people can quickly and easily recognize the type of danger or warning.

 

[dgallup]

We regularly conduct inspections with our insurance carrier. They are more than willing to work with us, we both want a safe work place. It's a win-win.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

If you are the boss - you can declare and enforce anything you want!! We do not allow anyone without PPE into the work place area .... PERIOD!!!

 

[nick00]

Well, thank you all for giving me your views and the benefit of you experiences - this is really helpful.

I'm pretty new to the job, and I certainly don't want to upset him - but I do want to make things safe and I find as soon as you declare safe areas in a workshop, the standards start slipping - usually with people saying "... I was only going over there quickly to get a..."

Anyways, I have a good relationship with the guy, I'm easy to get along with and I always respect those with more knowledge than me (and those with less, come to that). I will ask some of the other guys that I work with and try to get him to see things my way.

It's really good to get some examples and opinions so than you all!

Nick.

 

[berkshire]

Nick,
If you have not already done so, find somebody in your area offering an OHSA course , i.e. OHSA 10, OHSA 40.
They will cover most of the stuff you are asking about, and a lot of stuff you did not even know, you did not know.
B.E.

 

[redpicker]

Although every manufacturing facility is somewhat different, most of the facilities I have been in in the past 10-15 years have had their floors marked with clear "pathways" marked with yellow stripes where it was permissible to have visitors/VIPs wander around (with an escort) without full PPE. Safety Glasses (as well as hearing protection and hard hats, when applicable) have always been required, but work boots, face shields/goggles, protective clothing, etc..., are not required for such visitors when they stay inside the marked areas. These markings usually took material handling dangers and risk asessment evaluations into account in determining their location.

So, if you want to let your Line Manager "win the battle" without full capitulation, see if you can work out some rules for a "reduced PPE zone". The idea is to keep the visitors to pre-determined areas and still have suitable areas where work can be performed. In my experience, insurance companies like this approach.

rp

 

[1gibson]

If steel toes are mandatory, you shouldn't "need" the lines near equipment. You probably "want" lines anyway to keep visitors out of work areas. If you let people walk the shop without steel toes, the lines tell them where they can't step. This is probably as simplified as you can make it from a pure saftey perspective.

Having siad that, the line manager's idea of "safe" may include avoiding disctraction of machine operators. You can hide a lot of shop supervisor preferences under the safety category, if he wants to keep people away from the machines then help him with his objective. It might not be unsafe for a visitor to lean against the E-stop in the middle of a CNC program, but do you really want to risk it happening? He might want to normalize fork truck traffic by marking isle ways, who knows, but there are plenty of good reasons other than safety.

Walkways will also give the appearance of an organized shop,and impressing visiting clients should be everyone's priority.

 

[MikeHalloran]

<tangent>
Impressing visitors is strategically counterproductive, because they will learn what you are doing, and worse, what you are not doing.

Better to just keep them out.

IMHO
</tangent>


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA