Health & Safety

Attitude: Safety begins when you approach any machine in the workshop. Bringing the right attitude is as important to your safety as the correct safety equipment.

STOP!!!: Make sure you know how to stop the machine before you turn it on. There should be a red kill switch in a prominent location. Familiarise yourself with where these are before you begin. If there is a problem and you have to use the kill switch, ensure that you rectify the problem before resetting and continuing to use the machine.

Appropriate Clothing: There should be a symbol on or near all the equipment in the workshop indicating what PPE, (Personal Protective Equipment), is required for that specific machine. Eye protection is vital while using the pillar drill. Ear protection is also advisable. Ear plugs can be found in despensors all around the workshop. Also ensure you do not have any loose clothing, jewelry or lanyards that could become entrapped in the machine. Wear sturdy shoes in case anything sharp or heavy lands on your foot. If you are drilling pieces of sheet metal larger than the work table, be very careful as the edges can be sharp. It is not advisable to wear gloves while using a pillar drill as they can be an entrapment risk. Use gloves while handling the sheet metal and securing it to the work table but remove them before using the drill. If you require help from someone to support the work piece they must wear eye protection as well.

Secure your work: Ensure that your work piece is secure. If it is a small piece it can be held in a machine clamp and held by your left hand, or better still a G-clamp, leaving both hands free. If you are drilling a bar or tube, use a V-block and clamp it to the table with a G-clamp. If you are drilling pieces of sheet metal larger than the table, ensure that the work piece is clamped to the table and ask for help in supporting the material. 

This is the only occasion where more than one person should be using the pillar drill at once!!! Use a piece of MDF under the sheet metal so that you don't drill into the work table.

Hands Off: When you are drilling, do not be tempted to try and clear the swarf with your hands. 

It is incredibly sharp and can cause serious injury!

Remember!!!

Don’t be afraid to ask if you feel unsure of what you're doing.