








 FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY


Safety first Specified and maintained correctly, small machine


components such as grips, handles and knobs can help towards preventing injuries and accidents – protecting machinery and, ultimately, protecting users, as Marcus Schneck, CEO of norelem, explains


W


hen working with machinery, solutions need to be in place to protect workers from being crushed, trapped, cut or otherwise injured. According to the UK’s Health and


Safety Executive (HSE), however, in the last five years there have been an average of more than 3,100 reports of major injuries every year. But it’s not always the obvious dangers, such as heavy moving parts, that cause the damage.


Minor injuries like strains and sprains also account for many of the reported injuries in the workplace. Injuries like repetitive strain injury can be caused by poor grips and knobs on tools, and injuries can even result from bumping into handles that stick out from machinery. There are, however, a wide variety of standard components available that can help to


prevent these injuries from happening. Take grips as one example. These are available in a variety of shapes and sizes – from


manual clamping star grips to palm grips designed for clamp covers. When selecting a grip, it is important to consider the application. Palm grips, for example, have triangular grooves which allow easy twisting and turning, whether for tightening or loosening. This means they can be installed in hard to access areas behind large machinery or components, so users can easily operate the grip when needed. Another factor to consider is whether the grips are being used where electrostatic


discharge (ESD) is possible. Versions with antistatic properties offer more protection against the occurrence of electrostatic spark discharges, preventing the potential ignition of gases and dusts which could lead to explosions in enclosed spaces. This therefore protects the people in the vicinity, as well as the machinery.


HANDLES & KNOBS Handles are essential in busy manufacturing or engineering environments. These can range from pull handles which are designed to provide easy grip when pulling machinery around, through to recessed handles which are designed to embed into the surface they are attached to. While available in a variety of designs and materials, these are often made from


thermoplastic, making them resistant to high temperatures. These feature a fastening hole in the base to accept the head of a socket or a hexagon head bolt for easy application; and they can also be supplied with a soft inner face, designed to give users maximum comfort when carrying and gripping. Straight or right-angled versions are available. If the handle could potential cause harm to someone walking past, recessed versions can be


used which don’t stick out or obstruct access. Mushroom knobs are arguably the most common type seen in the engineering industry as


they are secure, quick and easy to use. With high ergonomic functionality, the mushroom knob provides a push down function, allowing an easy grip and twist action. Users can, however, sometimes struggle to grasp the knob, due to oil and lubricant in the


environment. Making sure there are no slips when operating machinery is in action is crucial, so choosing knobs with a ‘knurled’ effect means there is less chance of this happening. In addition to ease of use, users often need to be able to differentiate and identify knobs


quickly in order to stop machinery. To help, norelem offers the product in colours such as red to highlight danger, bright yellow, and light grey. Spherical, tapered, conical and ball knobs are also available to suit the application demands.


norelem 14 OCTOBER 2019 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS www.norelem.co.uk 


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60