Would your machine shop pass a HSE fabricated metals inspection?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continue to prioritise the fabricated metals inspection programme whilst visiting metal fabricators and related metalworking machine shops around the UK to ensure that duty holders know the risks associated with welding fumes and metalworking fluids and have controls in place to protect worker’s respiratory health.

Inspectors are focusing on exposure to metalworking fluids (MWFs) and welding fumes that can cause occupational illnesses, including respiratory and skin conditions. Reviewing the recent update to the Manufacturing Sector Work Plan, their aim is “to reduce the incidence of serious health effects from exposure to them and to make a real difference to worker’s lives”.

They are looking into:

• the provision of adequate information
• instruction, training and supervision
• adequate monitoring arrangements to ensure preventive and control measures are effective
• and adequate competent advice.

Ultimately, they want to see adequate management arrangements in place for preventing and/or controlling the risk of exposure. Where metalworking fluids (MWFs) are concerned, there are risks of occupational asthma (OA), dermatitis, and other respiratory and skin disease.

The challenge machine shops are facing

Coolant can stay in a machine for long periods, upwards of 12 months for good quality and well-maintained products. Any contamination that occurs over that time can result in degradation or change in the fluid composition. A key part of risk control is the routine maintenance of the fluid delivery system. Procedures must be put in place to effectively manage and monitor this work.

When it comes to the day in, day out management of MWFs, ROCOL understands the pressures machine shops are under to get it right whilst keeping on top of busy order books. There’s a lot to consider, and sourcing the right MWFs, establishing an adequate fluid management programme, carrying out routine testing, and keeping records can all seem a bit overwhelming.

And that’s just the fluids in the machine tools. The HSE advise that metalworking fluids should be controlled to as high a level as is reasonably practicable as there is strong evidence of a risk of Occupational Asthma from exposure to metalworking fluid mist. For managing fume and mist extraction, Filtermist offer useful guidance and solutions.

How ROCOL can help

Regularly checking your metalworking fluids is important to maintaining fluid quality and performance, to help prevent corrosion or damage to machinery and to keep workers safe.
The HSE guidelines for metalworking fluid good practice state that regular dip slide tests are carried out to check for bacteria, yeast and mould. Regular dip slide testing is essential as, unchecked, microbial contamination can contribute to the biofilm that can cause machinery malfunctions and lead to corrosion on the machine and components. High levels of bacteria, yeast and mould, can also impact human health (particularly the lungs and skin) if left unchecked.

Dip slides are a simple tool that will help you monitor your metalworking fluid easily and effectively and help satisfy a range of HSE regulations.

Machines that are awaiting repair or used less frequently present a challenge, but should not be overlooked. If you know that a machine will be standing idle for a length of time, it’s important to take steps to protect staff who work in the area. Ideally, the machine should be fully cleaned with a system cleaner and left to dry. Any fixtures should be removed, the machine bed and tooling wiped down, then coated with a corrosion preventative to protect it from corrosion. However, if this is not possible, then there are some simple steps you can take to safely preserve the cutting fluid in the machine.

Sumps can be a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal infections, which, if left unchecked, can eventually become biomasses that can shorten fluid life. That is why it is essential to identify when a fill of cutting fluid is reaching the end of its effective life and thoroughly clean and disinfect the system. Even if the cutting fluids appear to have no obvious symptoms of degradation, good working practice dictates that annual maintenance minimises the risk of unplanned downtime and ensures safe working conditions for operators.
ROCOL offer a no obligations MWFs survey. Contact us for details.

Why ROCOL?

We’ve been pioneers in lubricants since the late 1800s and we’ve seen our fair share of machine tools in machine shops across the globe, so we know a thing or two on how to best manage metalworking fluids.

A customer approached us having experienced short sump-life, smells, high usage, high waste costs and frequent downtime. Members of staff had been experiencing skin issues and contact dermatitis. The customer was also dissatisfied with the backup and service they were receiving from their existing supplier.

We recommended that they switched to ROCOL ULTRACUT EVO 255 as it offers extended tool life, long and predictable sump-life, an excellent surface finish and is pleasant and safe to use, containing no biocides or skin sensitisers.

After an initial three-month trial period, the company was so satisfied with the performance it had seen that it moved over to use the same product on all its machines.

Our promise to you

When a customer buys a ROCOL product, we make sure they are set up correctly with all of the information they need. They receive instructions on correct product usage, training in best practices, advice on metalworking fluid management as well as discounts on dip slide testing kits. And if a customer needs it, we also have our ULTRACARE service package available, which provides practical support with machine maintenance from our team of service engineers.

But don’t just take our word for it. Our customers are our best assets when it comes to what we can deliver, and there are some helpful testimonials

Useful resources

We have compiled some useful resources to help you manage MWFs and guide you on your journey to COSHH compliance against the HSE Fabricated Metal inspection programme:

Guidance on using dip slides to test metalworking fluids

Guidance on managing cutting fluids left for prolonged periods

How to clean a machine tool

Managing machine tools that are left unused for long periods