Unlawful?

[fplz48c]

I work for a Hydraulic Tong manufacturer and recently we had a visit by our owners from up north. They pointed out that our Door Safety Switches on our machines were not connected and they made the comment to our Safety Coordinator that it was a federal law that the switched had to be in working order and connected so of course the Safety man had the Switches hooked back up.

Now

I've ran Mazak Mill for about 8 years and have never had a machine where opening the doors actually stopped the machine from running.

Question? is this true, is there acctually a law that states this b/c i always thought they were on the machine just as a precaution. I've been in machining like I said for 8 years and no one I know has ever operated a mazak with the door interlocks working. I tell you what that is a big hassle

[cam1]

Up here in Canada whoever is resopnsible for the machine ie. employer is up the creek without a paddle if the machine interlocks are tampered with, especially if someone gets injured. I agree that it's a total pain trying to setup with the doors closed

regards

[JDenyer232]

Originally Posted by fplz48c I work for a Hydraulic Tong manufacturer and recently we had a visit by our owners from up north. They pointed out that our Door Safety Switches on our machines were not connected and they made the comment to our Safety Coordinator that it was a federal law that the switched had to be in working order and connected so of course the Safety man had the Switches hooked back up. Now I've ran Mazak Mill for about 8 years and have never had a machine where opening the doors actually stopped the machine from running. Question? is this true, is there acctually a law that states this b/c i always thought they were on the machine just as a precaution. I've been in machining like I said for 8 years and no one I know has ever operated a mazak with the door interlocks working. I tell you what that is a big hassle

OSHA regulations state that safety devices that came equipped with the machine must be maintained in functioning order. It's not illegal per say to disable the interlocks, but if someone gets hurt and OSHA gets called in, then it becomes a reason for them to fine and or imprison depending on what happened. Personally I leave the interlocks intact on all my machines, I have just learned to adapt to using them. If you can't see through the windows because they are scratched then see if they can replace them. Sounds like the owners are concerned with doing the right thing which is more than some shop owners out there.

Interlocks help protect the operators from unpredicted motion while setting up, controls can and have wigged out and killed people. I asked the company that we bought one of our VMC's from if they could disable the interlock for easier setup, they said no way, they had sold a machine to a company that disabled the interlock and an operator got his head crushed when he accidentally hit cycle start during setup. While the dealer wasn't the one who disabled the interlock there was an investigation and the shop owner was in deep dodo.

Some owners want the most profit at all costs, even if someone needs to break the law, or someone gets hurt. Just my thoughts.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by fplz48c .... They pointed out that our Door Safety Switches on our machines were not connected and they made the comment to our Safety Coordinator that it was a federal law that the switched had to be in working order and connected so of course the Safety man had the Switches hooked back up....

Maybe they were going a bit too far saying it was a federal law, but I think you should feel happy working for a company where the pointy heads stress safety compliance rather than looking the other way.

[DDM]

It's one thing to have the door locks working when you can see what is happening inside the machine but we have several lathes that the glass is so beat up that you can't see a thing so we have to disable the door interlocks. I don't know how your company works but at ours we have a better chance of getting a new machine than in fixing the old one.

Carl

[t.lewis]

Put all saftey concerns in writing and present them to at least 2 higher ups in the company and keep copys. Then you are covered. Glass bad, write it up.

[DouglasR]

Originally Posted by DDM It's one thing to have the door locks working when you can see what is happening inside the machine but we have several lathes that the glass is so beat up that you can't see a thing so we have to disable the door interlocks. I don't know how your company works but at ours we have a better chance of getting a new machine than in fixing the old one. Carl

My Okuma LB-15 has a door interlock system. I replace the glass every 2 years or so. Never a problem setting up and I've worked on this machine since it was new in 1983. Glass for machines is usually not expensive.

[Adam Baker]

Having been a victim first hand, of an incident where interlocks were disabled, I can attest to their use.

I run a production machine thats a 5 axis CNC machine, that utilizes a 2k watt CO2 laser to weld the ends of turbine blades for industrial gas turbine generators.

I'd been w/ the company a few months, and the interlocks had been disabled prior to my starting there, so I wasnt ever taught about the interlocks. I had been running a production batch that had a pause between parts, and I would go into the machine during the pause. During an absence from work one day, this pause was unintentionally removed from the program by a co-worker. Upon returning to work, I was running the machine, and when the machine reached the point where it normally paused, I got into the machine, and put my hand into the active laser. Thankfully it only caused a minor injury, it was still scary, and a real eye opener.

Needless to say, since then, every machine I use, has working & functioning interlocks on them.

[underthetire]

There are not only OSHA rules, there are NFPA rules, CE, and ANZI standards for them. IF the machine came with interlocks, they must be functioning in accordance with the original manufacture. If someone should be injured while working on a machine that has interlocks disabled, the company and the INDIVIDUAL who disables them is open for lawsuit, or criminal charges, or both. This also applies to broken safety windows, or any other damaged or bypassed safety device. I would and never will disable someones interlocks. This years machines (2011) will be even more stringent on interlocks, so be prepared. The days of running your set up part with the door open will be over.