If you work in a factory or a manufacturing plant, you may constantly be using hydraulic presses and other large machines. These are very helpful and necessary in your industry, but they also pose a significant level of risk.
One way that manufacturers of these machines have decided to reduce that risk is by using two-handed control systems. How does this help to keep workers safe?
Avoiding the danger zone
The benefit of a two-hand control system is that it is physically impossible for a worker to trigger the machine while one of their hands is still in a danger zone where they could be seriously injured.
Take, for instance, the use of heavy hydraulic presses to make automotive parts. If a machine simply had one button that controlled when the press was lowered, a worker may accidentally keep their hand on the material while pressing the button with the other hand. This could cause the press to close on their hand, leading to a crush or amputation injury.
By simply adding a second control, the worker has to hit two buttons simultaneously. They eventually get used to this, so they don’t even have to think about it as a safety element, but it means that the machine is inherently safer since it is now impossible for the press to be activated until the worker has removed both of their hands from this dangerous area.
As you can see, workplace safety is important, and technology is getting better, but injuries do still happen all the time. Those who are hurt on the job need to know how to seek proper workers’ compensation.