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Machine Shops
Summary
How to manage and work in carpentry, fabrication, and machine shops.
Who is this for?
All students, faculty, and staff in shops.
Shop safety at Harvard
These are the minimum safe work practice requirements for working in a Harvard shop. They apply to any shop that possesses machinery, including:
- Carpentry shops.
- Machine shops.
- Other shops that use machinery for fabrication, such as plastics, glass, or ceramics.
Protect yourself and others by understanding proper shop personal protective equipment (PPE), machine guarding, and recommended safety policies.
Each Harvard school or department that operates a shop must:
- Ensure the safe and compliant operation of its shops.
- Designate at least one qualified shop supervisor for each shop.
- Ensure that the shop supervisor implements Harvard shop safe operating practices.
- Maintain a current inventory of school or department shops, woodworking equipment, and fabrication equipment.
- Annually update operational shop information and report changes to EHS. This includes any updated equipment inventories and designated shop supervisors.
- Ensure shop supervisors and management monitor and audit safe work practices to support ongoing safety.
Designated shop supervisors must meet these qualification criteria:
- Meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) qualification criteria.
- Have the experience and competence to safely use all tools and machinery in the shop.
Every designated shop supervisor must:
- Follow all Harvard shop operating practices.
- Ensure a safe working environment that follows OSHA and other applicable regulatory standards.
- Maintain and document the key elements of the shop safety plan.
- Provide or coordinate initial and refresher training for shop users.
- Ensure the shop maintains shop user training records.
- Conduct and document periodic machine, tool, associated equipment, and shop safety inspections.
Shop training and authorization
Shop users must complete training appropriate for how they will work in the shop. Training must ensure they can currently and safely use the equipment and machinery.
At minimum, training must include:
- PPE requirements.
- Hazards and limitations.
- Dangers associated with specific tools and machinery in that shop.
- Safe-use and equipment demonstrations.
- Guard placement and adjustments.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- A review of the shop safety policy and the shop-specific operating rules.
Shop supervisors provide or coordinate training. Use a shop training record form to document training.
The shop supervisor periodically observes shop users and provides refresher training as needed and when processes or equipment change.
Shop access and working alone
Each shop must implement a system to control access and prevent unauthorized use.
At a minimum, the shop must restrict unauthorized access to dangerous machinery and tools by using methods such as locking out machinery or ID card access controls.
Avoid or prohibit working alone in a shop whenever possible.
Only let a shop user work alone after the school or department and shop supervisor complete a risk-based determination that considers:
- Shop user experience.
- The type of work, operations, and equipment they will use.
- Any other shop-specific circumstances.
Shop inspections
The shop supervisor conducts and documents periodic machine, tool, associated equipment, and shop safety inspections.
If any machine tools or equipment are identified as unsafe, the shop must remove them from service. Lock the equipment out and do not return it to use until it is properly repaired.
Use a shop self-inspection checklist form to conduct inspections.
Shop documentation
Shops must maintain:
- Shop safety plan.
- Shop-specific operating rules.
- Standard operating procedures (SOP) for each piece of machinery in the shop.
- Shop user training records (shop training record form).
Shop safety plans must include these key elements:
- Contact information for the facility manager and shop supervisor.
- A copy of the shop’s policies and procedures.
- An inventory of machinery in the shop.
- Copies of SOPs.
- A documented self-inspection process.
- A list of people authorized to use the shop.
- A copy of the PPE assessment.
- Documented training program and records.
Documentation must be readily available and made available for an internal or external regulatory agency inspection.
Use a shop safety plan template to create your plan.
Each shop must develop its own written shop-specific operating rules.
At a minimum, these rules must address:
- Notice or notices that state only authorized shop users are allowed.
- Hours of shop operation.
- Training requirements.
- PPE requirements.
- Operating attire, such as tying back long hair and rolling back sleeves.
- Safe shop practices, such as working alone and safe behavior.
- How to safely use equipment and tools.
- General rules for housekeeping and safety.
- First aid and eye washing.
- Emergency contact information.
- Contact information for the shop supervisor and facility manager.
- Enforcement of shop policies and procedures.
Each shop must maintain SOPs for each piece of machinery in the shop.
Base SOPs on the manufacturer’s recommendations and include:
- Specific hazards associated with the machine.
- Recommendations for safe use.
Make copies of SOPs available at or near the machine and keep copies in the shop safety plan.
Related resources
Find documents and online tools to manage shop safety.
Machine Shop Safety Plan Template
Template to create a machine shop safety plan
Machine Shop Safety Rules Poster Template
Template to create a generic machine shop safety rules poster
Machine Shop Self-Inspection Form
Form to conduct a machine shop self-inspection
Machine Shop Training Record Form
Form to document machine shop training
EHS support
EHS annually communicates the Harvard shop policy to schools and departments, including any additional related safety information.
Contact EHS for more information about shops, including:
- EHS shop equipment and annual shop assessments.
- Investigating accidents, incidents, and suspected unsafe conditions.
- Machine guarding and terminology.
- Online technical resources and tools.
- Proposed safety standards and regulations.