Work Safety: How to Protect Your Workers from the Dangers of Industrial Vibrating Equipments
One simple rule in business for increasing profits is to keep your workers happy, satisfied and in good health. But with vibrating equipment in play, there are plenty of things that can go wrong and it is your duty to keep your workers safe. Vibration-induced white finger (VWF), for instance, is one of the health problems related to vibrating equipment. The condition sets in slowly and causes a lot of pain in the end.
Not only can vibrating tools harm your workers, but they can also disrupt business operations when the workers decide to take their complaints to court. So how can you protect your workers from the dangers posed by these equipment?
1. Ensure Your Workers are Wearing Anti-Vibration Protection Gloves
Anti-vibration gloves are not designed to keep your workers warm. Their purpose is to absorb vibrations generated by hand-held vibrating equipment and heavy machinery such as sanders, chainsaws, power drills, pneumatic drills, and grinders.
Furthermore, some tools are sharp, and within a blink of an eye, they can tear through flesh. Even though a machine can still cut through gloves, at least a worker will have a chance to withdraw his or her hand before the machine gets to the flesh.
2. Invest in Better Equipment
The problem could be that the type of machines you are using lack anti-vibration technology. All you need to do is embrace the change in technology and thereby improve the health of your workers. Tools enhanced with anti-vibration technology use different materials such as vibration dampeners to reduce the vibrations transmitted from the machine to the operator.
3. Consider Earmuffs and Earplugs
Some vibration tools also pose a danger to the hearing organ. Sound is measured in decibels, and sounds of high intensity - more than 85 decibels - are considered harmful. When a worker is exposed to noise generated by vibrations for too long, he or she may suffer from noise induced hearing loss.
For instance, a two-hour exposure per day to sounds produced by a chainsaw or a pneumatic drill is enough to trigger the condition. These tools can produce sounds of about 100 decibels in intensity. The best remedy is to purchase earmuffs and earplugs, which can reduce noise generated by vibration equipment by 15 to 30 decibels.
From time to time, do a thorough inspection on your tools. Tools can generate more vibrations due to lack of lubricating oils. Lack of proper lubrication leads to increased friction, and in effect, more intense vibrations. If during your inspections you find that tools need to be replaced, you can purchase new ones from a company like VSS - Vibration Systems & Solutions (Australia).