How to Avoid the Threat of injury When Operating an Industrial Sewing Machine

Powerful industrial sewing machines can sew through heavy material other machines cannot touch, but they can be dangerous if you do not use them right.

 

Industrial Sewing Machine Safety

Driven by a powerful 1/2 to 3/4 horse motor, the needle on an industrial sewing machine can slam down with a hammer-like force up to 5,000 times per minute. High-speed powerful impacts mean operators need to be careful when sewing or maintaining the machines in order to prevent injury. Wearing personal protective equipment, or PPE, and paying attention to the rules for safely operating these high-speed sewing machines can help keep you injury-free.

Industrial Sewing Machine Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Industrial sewing machine operators should wear two main types of personal protective gear: eye protection and hearing protection. When an industrial sewing machine is running full-speed, the needle gets hot from the friction created by rapidly piercing the fabric. Wearing eye protection can save an operator's eye-sight. If the hot needle hits a thick spot in the material, the needle can shatter, sending potentially blinding metal shards flying toward the operator.

If only one industrial sewing machine is running in a room, hearing protection is usually optional. If several industrial sewing machines are running at the same time, as in a factory setting, the volume can damage a machine operator's hearing. Wearing a comfortable pair of foam ear plugs or head-set ear protection is less costly than the loss of your hearing.

Safe Industrial Sewing Machine Operation

Some rules for operating an industrial sewing machine also apply to household sewing machines, such as: do not leave the power on when the machine is not in use, and do not let small children or animals play around the machine when the power is on. If the power is on, and the treadle accidentally gets pushed down, the best you can hope for is a jammed machine and the worst is someone getting seriously injured.

The next rule, possibly the most obvious but also the most important, is watch where you are sewing and do not sew your fingers. If the machine has finger guards in front of the needle, do not remove them, even if they are inconvenient to work around. If the machine does not have finger guards, see about getting them installed. They are less expensive than the medical bills involved with an injury caused by an industrial sewing machine.

Industrial Sewing Machine Safety Tips

As an industrial sewing machine operator, you have the responsibility to keep yourself safe. If you do not wear the necessary protective gear, you are the one who will feel the pain when something goes wrong. If you work for someone else and they do not provide eye or hearing protection, you should either ask them for the needed PPE, or pick it up yourself as soon as possible.

If you leave the power on when working on the machine, or you let your fingers get under a moving needle assembly, you will be the one hurt. Watch ahead when you are sewing and slow down before you hit thick seams or material. Keep yourself and others safe by turning the machine off at the switch or unplugging it when it is not in use.

Copyright Laure Justice. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication. Originally published on Suite101.