Safety Information

Mechanical/Physical Hazards

Operating cutting tools may present both mechanical and physical hazards.  These hazards can result in serious injury to workers or those near machines and damage to machines and the cutting tools.  Cutting tools and/or assemblies may break or come loose when in operation causing projectile metal fragments.  Metal chips produced by cutting tools have sharp edges and may be very hot.  To minimize the risk of mechanical or physical hazards:

  • Always secure all components of the cutting tool assembly before operating
  • Wear cut resistant gloves when handling cutting tool components and assemblies
  • Do not touch metal chips produced by the cutting tools with your hands
  • Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment including safety goggles or glasses with side shields
  • Immediately discontinue use of damaged cutting tools
  • To avoid machine tool damage, make sure the machine has adequate power and torque for the cutting tool when operating.  See catalog for power and torque requirements.
  • Operating long cutting tools at high spindle speeds can result in a high risk of tool failure and serious injury.  Visit www.alliedmachine.com/DeepHoleGuidelines to read guidelines specific for deep hole drilling.
Dust and Fume Hazards

Grinding, welding, cutting or burning hard metals such as high-speed steel, cobalt or carbides produces hazardous dust and/or fumes.  Continued long-term exposure to hazardous dust and fumes can cause serious health issues.  To minimize the risk of dust and fume hazards:
  • Do not regrind or sharpen cutting tools without using adequate ventilation
  • Use appropriate personal protective equipment such as an approved respirator to avoid inhalation, swallowing, or skin contact with the hazardous dust and/or fumes. 
  • Do not eat, drink, or smoke in the machine operation area.  Always wash skin prior to eating, drinking, or smoking to avoid hazardous ingestion.
Sensitizing Hazards

Components of an assembled cutting tool are made from a variety of metal elements that may cause allergic skin reactions with prolonged skin contact.  To minimize the risk of allergic skin reactions:
  • Avoid skin contact with cutting tools
  • Wear appropriate gloves and protective clothing
  • Wash skin and launder clothing after handling cutting tools to reduce the risk of skin allergies
Preventive Safety Measures Applicable to All Hazards
  • Prior to using cutting tools, always read Allied Machine’s Safety Data Sheets, product catalog and product labels for additional warnings for the Allied Machine product being used.
  • For machining safety, only operate equipment when all necessary guards, interlocks and other safety devices are in place and functional.  Use all appropriate safety guards or machine encapsulations to securely collect particles such as chips or cutting elements that may become projectiles.