Hi all, 

Just after a little be of advice as google searches on this topic tend to bring up US sites.  The company policy for workshop activities where i work is full boiler suit overalls, those undertaking the activitites are apprenitces with limited to no workshop experience.  An issue keeps arrising regarding operating manual centre Lathes, gloves are prohibited and over hanging sleeves are rolled back slightly to reduce the risk of entanglement. 

All other best practice is followed, no use of emery cloth or files ect... 

In my mind this is enough along with the risk assessment, as there should be no reason the operators arms should be near any rotating elements as hands will be operating the compound slide, cross slide ect... 

Does anyone from a machining background have any other advice they can offer on the practices that you have implemented or follow?

Thanks for your response Chris. 

We are already following all of the points you made and also aware of still being allowed to emery via a tool to hold the cloth.  It was more the protection to the arms that there seems to be a lack of guidance, we wear overalls to protect the learners from swarf and coolant. 

I will take a look at short sleeved overalls, ive not come across them. 

For now i have allowed the sleeves to be rolled back but to ensure as much of the arm is covered as possible. 

Interesting Peter, had a quick look at their site, but the seem to just want to be involved with BSI and I’m not that sure something like a BSI standard would have the info requested by the OP. They do seem to be looking for a H&S person of you scroll down.

The problem with the long sleeves as well as the possibility of pulling you in if you reach over the workpiece for any reason while it is spinning. If it is to protect against swarf and coolant you don’t really want the sleeve soaked in coolant and held against your skin all day. I would rather wash my hands and arms numerous times during the day (and wear barrier cream if considered a problem).

I never found swarf from a lathe any particular problem, milling machines and shapers were if you didn’t put the guarding just right. With a lathe the tool post is between you and the cutting tool tip generally and cutter geometry designed to send the swarf down the lathe bed. This is generally of course it can go all over the place, but mostly no. Easy to tell if it is getting on the floor not the chip tray. If it is getting on your hands / arms then it is also on the floor.

It is nice to know there is some form of engineering taking place.

Chris