Occupational Safety and Health Standards in the Philippines

Electric Tool Safety

• Use gloves and appropriate safety footwear when using electric tools.
• Store electric tools in a dry place when not in use.
• Do not use electric tools in damp or wet locations unless they are approved for that purpose.
• Keep work areas well lighted when operating electric tools.
• Ensure that cords from electric tools do not present a tripping hazard.
• Electric tools must have a 3-wire cord plugged into a grounded receptacle, be double insulated, or be powered by a low-voltage isolation transformer to protect against shock.

Portable Abrasive Wheel Tools

• Portable abrasive wheel tools are used for grinding, cutting, polishing, and wire buffing.
• These tools must be equipped with guards that cover the spindle end, nut, and flange projections, and maintain proper alignment with the wheel.
• When using a powered grinder, always use eye or face protection, turn off the power when not in use, and never clamp a hand-held grinder in a vise.
• Inspect abrasive wheels closely for damage before mounting, and perform a sound- or ring-test to ensure they are free from cracks and defects.

Machine Safety

• Machine safety refers to the practices, procedures, and technologies implemented to ensure the well-being of individuals and the safe operation of machinery and equipment.
• The primary goal of machine safety is to prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities that may occur during the use, maintenance, or repair of industrial machines.
• Causes of machine-related accidents include improper maintenance of machinery.
• Machine failure can occur even with careful inspection, but it is less likely to occur if the operator checks the condition of the machine seasonally and again before each day's work.

Metals

• Ferrous metals are those in which the chief constituent is iron, and may include other constituents like carbon, sulphur, manganese, and phosphorus.
• Non-ferrous metals are those that do not contain iron, and are widely used in the building industry.
• Examples of ferrous metals include cast steel, and cast iron, which has a composition of iron (92-95%), carbon (2-2.5%), silicon (1-3%), and manganese.
• Cast iron is hard and brittle, and is used for protection from point of operation, in-running nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips and sparks.

Guarding

• Guarding is necessary to protect the operator and others from point of operation, in-running nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips and sparks.
• Machine guards must cover the point of operation, where the work is actually performed on the materials.
• Examples of guarding include guarding portable circular saws above and below the base plate or shoe.

Operating Controls and Switches

• Hand-power tools must be equipped with controls and switches, such as drills, tappers, fastener drivers, and horizontal, vertical, and angle grinders with wheels more than 2 inches in diameter.
• Switches must be one of the following: constant pressure switch, which shuts off power upon release, or on-off switch.

Plastics

• Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) is noted for its low temperature flexibility, toughness, and corrosion resistance, but is not suited for applications where stiffness, high temperature resistance, and structural strength are required.
• Polypropylene (PP) is a type of polyolefin that is slightly harder than polyethylene, and is known for its balance of strength, flexibility, chemical resistance, and heat tolerance.
• Polystyrene (PS) is widely used for its clarity, affordability, and ease of processing, and provides insulation properties for electrical applications.
• Thermoset plastics undergo irreversible chemical changes when cured through heat, catalysts, or ultraviolet light, and have advantages such as high temperature resistance, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.
• Thermosetting plastics have disadvantages such as being difficult to surface finish, and cannot be recycled or remolded.
• Phenolics (PF) are a class of machinable, thermoset plastics made from epoxy or phenolic resins that result in strong, stiff materials with excellent physical and chemical properties.