Oh Fudge, That Was Close - A Salutary Lesson

I liked to think that I was safety aware in the workshop. I always wear proper googles, no ties, rings, chains or bracelets and proper shoes. I never, ever wear gloves when operating machine tools. I have a 'phone, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and eye wash available. But that didn't stop me darn near killing myself this afternoon.

I was quickly making some simple washers on the lathe, before sorting myself out for a business meeting tomorrow. While drilling a hole I felt a tug - what the? I looked down and my jersey was wrapping round the feedshaft on the lathe. As one does I instinctively pulled way. But there was no way I was going to tear the jersey. Very fortunately the power control for my lathe is on the right hand side of the saddle right by me, so I was able to knock off the power. I don't think I would have been able to reach the emergency stop button on the headstock. I didn't remember the stamp bar along the bottom, although that was partially hidden by the door of the cupboard under the lathe.

I hold my hand up and say it was all my own stupid fault. The jersey was in poor repair with loose threads; it has gone straight in the bin, as will all the other slightly tatty shirts and pullovers.

So what have I learnt:

Never wear tatty clothing in the workshop

Don't work under time pressure, as in 'I can just get this done' before.......

Close the lathe cupboard so the stamp bar is obvious

Any machine tool can bite and it won't worry about you

Don't lean over the machines to get a better view

Think!

I feel sick thinking about what might have happened; I am sure I would not have been able to stall the motor. And my back now hurts where I tried to pull away.

Andrew

Glad you're OK Andrew. It just goes to show that, however much you think about safety and take care, there is always an opportunity for things to bite.

Russell

The exact same thing happened to an apprentice in my year, he was wearing a smock coat and it caught in the same shaft and pulled him down and away from the head stock of a Colchester Student, his screams had an instructor run over to stop the machine, they had to cut the coat off as it was so tightly bound around the shaft.

Martin P

I'm glad to hear you didn't suffer worse Andrew.

For many years I have incorporated a 'crash bar' type rail across the front of all my machine tools that is coupled into the no-volt release DO:L starter switches. It operates a twist to release breaker switch on a common rail to ALL the machines, wired into the stop circuits.

Just leaning on it does the business.

A worthwhile modification that others might care to adopt

Regards

Brian

Andrew

Amen

best to assume that

these machines are unthinking and uncaring.

and just want to eat you..

at least as a first assumption...

I keep thinking of putting a simple bar (broomstick) right along the lathe at about chin height above the rear shear that is part fo the power chain such that any movement of it cuts the power. It would be in just the position that a panic grab for support would be made instinctively - I think.

If the jumper is wool recover it and put it through the washing machine a few times to create felt for wipers - though it might be too swarfy now.

Andrew:

1) Thank (deity of your choice) that you are ok.

2) Thank you for having the courage to post about your "mistake".

3) I'ts easy to get tied into a machine. I've got worries about the extended shafts of the steppers on my new CNC mill - I did put it as item 5) on my "list to finish" on my blog for this machine (**LINK**) but it's easy to put off until later.

Your posting re-affirms that the removal of redundant rotating shafts is a high priority on this build of mine.

4) I used to work on full size locomotives; one set of geared locomotives that I'd work on on the weekends (no location mentioned, ok?) had a Shay locomotive with the gear covers missing. One of the conductors, who was a really nice guy, slipped off the locomotive and lost an arm (and almost his life) as it got tangled in the gears. I was not there that day.

Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, so thank you for the reminder.

Is this on here ? **LINK**

Thanks for sharing that Andrew.

Not long ago I discovered a very 201st century hazard - I was working on the lathe in a chilly workshop, when I suddenly realised the hood drawstring of my trendy hoody was perilously close to the rotating parts...

I have a nephew who is an ambulanceman and has attended some nasty industrial accidents, quite on a par with the usual car crashes and other reminders of our mortality. Everyone who works with machinery should learn the meaning of the word 'degloved'.

Neil

Neil

A very 'Back To The Future' hazard though I will be long gone by the '201st' century so wont witness it.

It's also one reason that I use paper towelling when I am working with or polishing/cleaning a job while my lathe is running because  if and end does get drawn in or snag it will tear very easily unlike cloth which quickly turns into a crude rope and drags anything in with it.

Cheers

Martin

Edited By Martin W on 02/11/2014 18:15:18

Edited By Martin W on 02/11/2014 18:16:59

Phew, close call, lucky it was the leadscrewshaft.

Just shows we can not be too careful.

I removed the kick stop from my Boxford when I bought it dos it was always in the way. 😳maybe I should put it back😀

Bri

Andrew,

Very glad you're OK. Thanks for telling us about it. There's a tendency to feel detached from things you hear about in the news - it's somehow abstract. When it involves someone you've met it strikes home, yes - it could happen to me.

Bill.

Scary stuff.......

does anyone know where to get the switch gear for the stop / panic bar mentioned.....

I think I'd like to make two--one for the mill and the other for the lathe

have OOgled it but I only find rubbish...

many thanks Frank

Try one of these:- **LINK**

Hello Frank and any others,

I will look to see which it was I fitted and report tomorrow. It certainly didn't cost naything like the one Nick above gave a link to., but it is now years after the event so I have no idea what today's price will be

Brian

Edited By Brian Wood on 02/11/2014 19:31:12

Those of us with inverters that use low-voltage (10 or 12V) e-stop buttons can easily add as many extra stop buttons just by wiring extra normally closed switches in series with the main button. They can also be used for limit switches.

Neil

I must admit I use a leather "gardening glove " when using the drilling machine. While I am aware of the danger in doing this I feel there is a greater danger from the sharp swarf produced when drilling. Apart from bolting everything down to the drilling table, is there any other way of dispensing with the glove and keeping the hand holding the work from being chewed by swarf?

Doug

Doug, clamp it!

Andrew, thanks for posting this. The nearest I'v got to this situation was on a 6" double ended bench grinder. In the morning I'd been using it, came back after lunch and started to use it and the tool rest swung away, and the work, and my finger went down between the tool rest and the wheel. While I'd been away someone else had adjusted the tool rest, but had not tightened it properly. All machines bite, maybe some more than others, but they all bite.

Ian S C

Truly a salutary lesson.

I am only too aware that working alone in a workshop has its dangers so I try to minimize risks. However like everyone else one has bad habits and "blind spots" to obvious hazards. I know it is easy to go on about the over imagination of health and safety experts but safety is not a matter of luck. Perhaps what is required is the publication of list of workshop safe conduct and practices (and please don't include sprung chuck keys).

JA

Frank and any others interested,

Adding to my post yesterday, my switch is a bog standard remote stop switch offering N/C contacts or N/O as alternatives.

It is 65 mm square in bright yellow with a big red button in the centre. Mine was made by 'telemesanique'

but there are bound to be other makers offering the same thing. The crash bar I described is simply a suitable length of Dexion hung from hinges along the bench front with a bolted on finger to push the button when needed. Being at hip height it suits all sizes.

Really simple and equally effective if an operator blacks out, to fall forward into the machine

Regards Brian