What are safety tips for using a sheet metal bending machine?
- Always wear protective gear
- Know the machine
- Warm up the machine before use
- Know the correct placement for the sheet
- Mind your hands
- Handle wet metals with care
If you’re interested in creating sheet metal products, then it’s likely that you will be using sheet metal bending machines. This equipment is used to reshape sheet metal and tubes as required. Correct operation of the equipment is crucial to maintain employee safety and work productivity.
For your people to be efficient operators, you should educate them on the right practices, establish clear instructions, and make sure that they follow them. In this article, we cover the dangers of working with sheet metal and safety tips for using a sheet metal bending machine that you should know.
What are the Common Dangers of Working with Sheet Metal?
There are many ways that equipment operators and manufacturers can get hurt in their line of business. Some of the common dangers of working with sheet metal in particular are:
Cuts
One of the biggest dangers of working with unfinished metal is cuts and lacerations. When a piece of sheet metal goes through its manufacturing process, it’s bent, cut, extruded, formed, and processed by multiple machines.
These processes often create sharp burrs and edges, which are later smoothed out to reduce the chances of a cut. However, running a bare hand on the unfinished product is sure to cause an injury, as sheet metal can easily cut through flesh.
Skin Burns
Another potential injury is skin hazards. Unlike some materials (like wood), metal is highly conducive to heat. If the sheet metal passes through an open flame or comes into contact with another heat source/high thermal energy, then the sheet metal will heat up instantly.
Touching the sheet metal without the right tools can end up in a burnt hand or body. The same goes with cold temperatures — people can get cold burns from sheet metal if they’re not careful.
Respiratory Hazards
Another concern when working with sheet metals is the particulates, which can cause a breathing problem. When sheet metal is cut, bent, or processed in any way, little fragments break off — which is what we call metal particulates. These can gather in the lungs and cause breathing problems, or respiratory illness.
While sheet metal manufacturing is more efficient nowadays, there are still many risks in working in this industry. To reduce accidents, here are some of the safety tips they should know before operating your sheet metal bending machines.
Always Wear Protective Gear
The first and most important safety tip in manufacturing: always wear your protective gear. For sheet metal manufacturing, general personal protective equipment (PPE) is recommended. Personnel should always wear safety goggles, gloves, pants, long-sleeved shirts, and sturdy protective boots. These protect against sharp metal, equipment, and metal particles from entering the airways.
Machine operators should never wear loose-fitting clothes or jewelry when working with sheet metal bending equipment. Those with long hair should always have it tightly tied and tucked in neatly. Otherwise, these can get caught in the machine, causing injury.
Know the Machine
Have you or your personnel used sheet metal bending machine before? If not, then learning how to use it should be the first step you should take. Time should be dedicated to getting used to its operation, allowing people to be familiar with the machine and understand how it works before using it for production/manufacturing.
You can refer to the machine’s instruction manual to get started. Be sure that any tutorials or videos you check online are for your machine’s exact model — most sheet metal bending machines look the same but can have key differences in how they operate. You can also be trained by more experienced manufacturers who know how to handle the device.
Warm up the Machine Before Use
During cold seasons, it’s recommended that you let the machine warm up before use. To do this, simply turn it on and set it in motion for a few minutes before production is scheduled to start. This will help reduce the chances of the machine becoming stressed by sudden changes in temperature. As a result, you’re more likely to get good results from it and also protect workers from possible injury.
Know the Correct Placement for the Sheet
Sheet metal placement is very important. For safe operation, the specimen should always be placed and held at the proper area and a proper angle.
Check if the sheet is parallel to the bender before starting the machining process. Otherwise, the force of the machine may cause the sheet to dislodge from the bending area, which can hit the operator’s body and cause an accident.
Mind Your Hands
Operators should always be mindful of their hands when they use a bending machine. Hands should be kept away from any moving parts to avoid potential injuries. Lack of attention, while the machine is on, can lead to permanent injuries.
Operators should also avoid running their hands (even while protected with gloves) over processed metal, as there may be burrs and sharp edges.
Handle Wet Metals with Care
Wet sheet metal pieces can retain dirt, oil, and other contaminants that can make the surface slippery and difficult to firmly grip. Because it’s easy to mishandle, drop, or lose grip while feeding it into a bending machine, you should always handle wet sheet metals with utmost care.
Key Takeaway
These are some of the most important safety tips for using a sheet metal bending machine. Following them ensures that you have a safer and more efficient project overall.
Another way you can achieve this is by getting in touch with a manufacturing expert, such as Regan Industrial Sales, Inc. We can answer any questions you may have, and even handle your sheet bending project for you. Take a look at our services and products, and message us for a quote!
