How to Safely Handle Industrial lubricants in Workplaces
If you’re working in a heavy industry, it’s likely that industrial lubricants will be involved in your job at some point. When that time comes, it’s essential that you know how to use them properly and safely handle them. Some of the health risks from mishandling hazardous substances include chronic conditions like asthma and dermatitis.
You should be aware of the potential hazards of industrial lubricants and take the necessary steps to prevent accidents. Take a look at the safety tips you can follow when handling any industrial substance below and stay up to date with the industry’s best practices:
Tips to Safely Handle Industrial Lubricants
Avoid contamination
It’s possible for lubricants to pick up debris or become exposed to elements from an open vessel or funnel so you should make sure that your equipment is contamination-free. It can also absorb moisture from the atmosphere when kept in an open container or drum.
The best way to combat this is to install desiccant breathers to prevent moisture absorption and prioritize proper storage. Always use containers that are the right size and make sure that lids are always closed after use.
Label your lubricants
Industrial greases and oils commonly used include hydraulics oils, compressor oils, and silicon grease which all have their own distinct technical properties. If you dispense the wrong lubricant for an application, you risk damaging the equipment so you should individually label them.
You can choose to label it with the lubricant’s name or use end-to-end color coding. Either system allows each type of industrial substance to be correctly identified and used correctly.
Use correct containers
Using the correct containers and storage is essential to the control of hazardous substances. It can be difficult transporting lubricants when they’re not in the appropriate container and this can result in spillages or a fire hazard.
You can avoid this by using bulk containers that can be linked to equipment so you can easily deliver the lubricant to where it needs to be on a worksite. It also makes dispensing easier and lowers the risk of contamination and mishandling accidents.
Dispense properly
You should always use the right equipment to dispense industrial lubricants, though it might be convenient to do otherwise. Manufacturers advise that manual handling should be limited and appropriate transfer tools and pumps should be utilised. This can reduce the risk of injury and damage to machinery.
Applying lubricants
It is of great stress and importance that you carefully apply lubricant to your machine. All machines must be shut down unless equipped with central lubrication systems. To ensure complete safety before applying lubricants to the machine oil caps must be piped to a safe place. Often some machines need to be tagged out of service to prevent any accidents from happening. You should also wear industry-specified gloves, to protect your skin from blisters and discoloration. This may happen whilst handling lubricants. Barrier creams may also be applied to prevent this also.
