MVLS Workshop Mhairi Mallon Workshop safety MVLS Workshop Mhairi Mallon

No job is so urgent or important that we cannot take the time to do the work safely.

PPE Required Safety glasses Steel toe cap boots Gloves Face shield (when required) Face/dust mask (when required) Dust coat

Personal Items Long hair must be tied back No loose items of clothing e.g tie No jewellery excluding wedding band No mobile phones on workshop floor No food or drink on workshop floor

Safety signs Hazard/warning signs-Yellow triangle exp. Danger electricity, Danger harmful substances. Prohibition sign – Red circles Exp. No smoking , No Entry.

Safety signs Mandatory sign- Blue circle Exp. Safety glasses must be worn. Fire and First Aid sign – Green rectangle. Exp. first aid box, fire exits.

House keeping House keeping is paramount to safety in a workshop environment. Work area must be kept clear! All tools must be returned to the correct place after use. Work area should be cleaned down and floor swept at the end of work.

Safety data sheets All risk assessments must be read and understood before beginning work. All relevant safety data sheets/coshh sheets must be read and understood. Before beginning work a method statement/procedure statement should be available and understood. This could be in the form of engineer drawings.

Accident reports All accidents should be reported within thirty minuets of the incident no matter how minor this also includes near misses. 4444 is the number for medical attention via the main gate. First aider will always be in the workshop. (Mhairi Mallon/Julie MaGill) Supervision will always be provided! Never work on your own.

Hand tools All tools should be checked before use and carefully inspected. When finished with the tools they should be cleaned and put back where they belong. Any damage of tools should be logged and reported for tools to be condemned or fixed.

Hammers Always use appropriate size and weight of hammer for the job. Always use the correct hammer surface e,g face for striking, craw for removal. Discard any striking or struck tool if tool shows dents, cracks, chips, mushrooming, or excessive wear. Never use a hammer to strike another hammer or a hatchet. Strike squarely with the hammer striking face parallel with the surface being struck. Always avoid glancing blows and over and under strikes.

Hammers

Knives safety Never leave a knife unattended with the blade exposed. Consider using a self-retracting knife with a spring-loaded blade which automatically retracts when the knife is released. Always keep your free hand away from the line of cut. When using a knife to cut through thick materials, be patient - make several passes, cutting a little deeper into the material with each pass. Always use sharp blades. A dull blade requires more force and is more likely to slip than a sharp one.

Pliers safety Always cut at right angles. Never rock from side to side or bend the wire back and forth against the cutting edges. Never use pliers as a hammer nor hammer on the handles. They may crack or break, or edges may be nicked by such abuse. Never extend the length of handles to secure greater leverage. Use a larger pair of pliers or a bolt cutter. Pliers should not be used on nuts or bolts. A wrench will do the job better and with less risk of damage to the fastener Never expose pliers to excessive heat. This may draw the temper and ruin the tool.

Pliers safety

Screwdriver safety Never use a screwdriver as a cold chisel, or for prying, punching, chiseling, scoring or scraping. Make sure the tip fits the slot of the screw; not too loose or tight. Never use a screwdriver on a workpiece held in your hand. A slip could cause serious injury. Never depend on a screwdrivers' handle or covered blade to insulate you from electricity. Never expose a screwdriver to excessive heat or cold.

Screwdriver types

File safety Do not use a file as a pry bar, hammer, screwdriver or chisel. When using a file or a rasp, grasp the handle in one hand and the toe of the file in the other. Do not hammer or strike a file. Do not use a file/rasp without a proper handle fitted.

File parts

Hack saw safety Select correct blade for material being cut. Secure blade with the teeth pointing forward. Tighten the nut until the blade is under tension. Cut using steady strokes, directed away from you. Use entire length of blade in each cutting stroke. Do not apply too much pressure on the blade as the blade may break. Do not twist when applying pressure.

Hack saw Safety

Fire Safety In the event of a fire make work area safe and immediately leave the building through the nearest fire exit and go to meeting point ( outside Davidson link building). If you find a fire immediate raise the alarm using the break glass system or by phoning the main gate on 4444. Do not attempt to tackle a fire unless fully trained to do so and it is safe and manageable.

Fire safety

Workshop safety Work shop first aider should always be present (Mhairi Mallon/ Julie MaGill). Break glass in case of fire located at fire exit doors in workshop. There are 3 main electricity emergency stops in the workshop. There is an eye wash station located at the back of the workshop. There is a First Aid box located in the main workshop area.