Mecmesin 432-680, Installation & Operation Manual

Page: 8 / 65

Mecmesin

8 Mecmesin Interlocked Machine Guarding
3. Operator Safety
3.1 Training
Before using either the test stand or guarding, it is essential that each person operating the
equipment is fully trained in the safe use of motorised testing machines and the guarding’s
functionality. Training can be arranged by contacting Mecmesin Ltd or an authorised
distributor.
Mecmesin test stands have the ability to generate forces large enough to cause
permanent injury to human limbs, when placed between the crosshead and the
base. Fingers, hands and other parts of the body should be kept away from the
moving crosshead and shroud opening.
Interlocked machine guards should be considered in all test methods as they
provide additional ingress protection to the end user. This helps to reduce the
risk of injuries occurring due to contact between the test stand and the operator.
3.2 Eye Protection and Protective Clothing
Although a standard Mecmesin interlocked guard will provide some protection against
projectiles that may be ejected when a brittle sample fails, the device has primarily been
designed to provide ingress protection to prevent the operator and other items from coming
into contact with the moving test stand.
For materials or test methods where there is a potential for high energy impacts with the
guarding, Mecmesin recommend consultation with their design team, (directly or through a
local agent) to correctly specify application and safety requirements.
Eye protection should always be used. Ensure an approved pair of safety
spectacles are worn at all times.
Additional personal protection may be necessary if destructive testing or
volatile failure of a test piece is likely. Consideration needs to be given to the
likely behaviour of the samples being tested and the use of any appropriate
personal protective equipment that may be needed.
A risk assessment should be carried out prior to using the test stand to ensure
that all necessary safety measures have been considered and carried out. It is
important to review the risk assessment if new tests or new samples are
introduced.