How to Reduce Life-Threatening Lathe Injuries

The lack of effective protection on industrial machine tools is a leading safety concern that ranks among the top ten most frequently cited violations by OSHA for placing operators at risk for catastrophic injuries. For example, metal lathes are dangerous machines that can cause serious injury. Of a lathe’s many dangers, the life-threatening hazard of entanglement can cause amputations, dismemberment and death. Entanglement is a risk whenever lathe operators use emery paper to sand or polish a rotating shaft. Without warning, the paper may wrap itself around the shaft, entangling the operator’s gloved hand, hair or loose clothing at over 1,000 rpm. Rockford Systems, LLC (Rockford, IL) has introduced an automatic sanding belt holder that enables lathe operators to sand, polish and debur while keeping hands away from rotating parts and at safe operating distance away from the spinning shaft, thereby helping to prevent entanglement.

Simple to install and use, the belt holder fixes to conventional lathes’ existing tool-case turrets with the quick turn of a screw. An automated patented sliding system leverages the rotating movement of the workpiece, whether it is metal, alloy or wood, for precise results. Three unique opening positions enable the belt holder to sand machined parts of a wide variety of diameters to maximize its shop floor value while eliminating risk. The belt holder is available in 25 mm and 50 mm width models that can each hold sanding belts of different sizes and abrasion grits (80/150/180/220/320) to satisfy a wide range of applications and prevent lathe-related injuries.

Rockford Systems, LLC, 4620 Hydraulic Road, Rockford, IL 61109, 815-874-7891, www.rockfordsystems.com.