OkiePC
Lifetime Supporting Member
My employer had me add a bunch of plastic lockable button covers to all the e-stops on some machines. They also have added places to put locks on the doors and hinged guards on most of the machinery in the plant. I believe this to be ignorant and foolish because now we have folks reaching into deadly pinch points to clear jams and perform adjustments with main power applied and the only protection being a control power (e-stop button or safety switch on a door).
I tried to explain to the safety people that this is stoopid, but they insist that they are "going above and beyond" OSHA law by requiring employees to apply their locks to these doors every time they open them. Problem is, now we have folks replacing motors and working on chain drives etc. with the main disconnect closed and their only protection coming from a safety relay (or in some cases a sinking single channel roller operated limit switch!). Some of these (from the 80s) Japanese machines even have the "e-stop" buttons wired only as PLC inputs! Even some of the very knowledgeable maintenance guys have this false sense of security. I have been personally telling operators they can play Russian Roulette with their limbs if they so choose, but I ain't doing it. I opened the panel doors and show them that "See all those drives alive and happy just itching to start? Only thing between you and severe injury or death is this one button contact or that door switch and they never fail, right?"
I don't care if it takes 3 minutes for the PanelView to boot, I lock out the main every time even if my work takes ten seconds.
Help me come up with proof that even production leadership can understand before I have to walk off a really good job (again).
When is it okay to lock out an e-stop button? When is it okay to drill holes in a door and hang your lockout lock on the door?
Maybe I am being uptight, but I have picked up fingers off the floor and rescued screaming grown men from entrapment more than once and I am DONE with that.
I have pored over OSHA law (OSHA suggestions as my last boss stated) but I can't find anything clear enough for the safety people to understand that says this is a no-no.
Thanks,
Paul
I tried to explain to the safety people that this is stoopid, but they insist that they are "going above and beyond" OSHA law by requiring employees to apply their locks to these doors every time they open them. Problem is, now we have folks replacing motors and working on chain drives etc. with the main disconnect closed and their only protection coming from a safety relay (or in some cases a sinking single channel roller operated limit switch!). Some of these (from the 80s) Japanese machines even have the "e-stop" buttons wired only as PLC inputs! Even some of the very knowledgeable maintenance guys have this false sense of security. I have been personally telling operators they can play Russian Roulette with their limbs if they so choose, but I ain't doing it. I opened the panel doors and show them that "See all those drives alive and happy just itching to start? Only thing between you and severe injury or death is this one button contact or that door switch and they never fail, right?"
I don't care if it takes 3 minutes for the PanelView to boot, I lock out the main every time even if my work takes ten seconds.
Help me come up with proof that even production leadership can understand before I have to walk off a really good job (again).
When is it okay to lock out an e-stop button? When is it okay to drill holes in a door and hang your lockout lock on the door?
Maybe I am being uptight, but I have picked up fingers off the floor and rescued screaming grown men from entrapment more than once and I am DONE with that.
I have pored over OSHA law (OSHA suggestions as my last boss stated) but I can't find anything clear enough for the safety people to understand that says this is a no-no.
Thanks,
Paul
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