Workplace hazards are present in almost every industry, and the printing industry is no exception. A press operator faces many dangers at work every day. One of the greatest is the riesgo de heridas graves en las manos si utiliza cuchillas de acero.. Está expuesto a sufrir cortes en cualquier momento que las manipule: al instalarlas o retirarlas de la prensa, al limpiarlas, al desecharlas y al cambiar las juntas de los extremos. Las cuchillas son especialmente peligrosas cuando se sustituyen: sus bordes se afilan por el contacto con el rodillo anilox a medida que se desgastan, dejando puntas afiladas que pueden causar cortes graves.
Afortunadamente, los impresores disponen de diversas opciones para reducir o eliminar el riesgo de lesiones provocadas por las rasquetas de acero sin sacrificar la calidad de impresión.
Llevar equipo de protección individual
Cuando se llevan correctamente, los guantes resistentes a los cortes pueden evitar lesiones a los operarios cuando utilizan cuchillas de acero. Sin embargo, las cifras de 2012 de la Oficina de Estadísticas Laborales de EE. UU. muestran que alrededor del El 70% de las lesiones de manos con baja se producen en trabajadores que no llevan guantes. The remaining 30% are wearing gloves at the time of the accident, but the gloves are inadequate, damaged or the wrong type for the job. It goes to show, the steel doctor blade risk of serious lacerations to a press operator’s hands doesn’t just go away with wearing protective gloves.
Establecer programas de salud y seguridad en el trabajo
Companies with safety and health management programs reduce their injury and illness costs by an estimated 20-40% according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, an ASSE white paper by OSHA’s Office of Regulatory Analysis suggests that companies that implement effective safety and health programs can expect a return of $4 to $6 for every $1 invested. These programs lead to improved productivity and employee well-being in addition to reducing injury-related direct and indirect costs. Training employees and documenting handling procedures can also be beneficial in reducing the doctor blade risk of lacerations. In the pressroom, operators should be taught how to minimize their exposure to the risks from steel doctor blades by following standard protocols – for example by keeping blades in their protective packaging until they are ready to be installed and not changing blades on a machine while it’s running.
Cambiar a rasquetas de plástico
The above options will certainly lower the risk of getting cut by steel blades but switching to plastic doctor blades will completely eliminate this doctor blade risk. Plastic materials are inherently softer and less sharp than steel. Even when plastic blades are worn, their edges are not sharp enough to cut a press operator.
Unlike in the past, a printer producing high-quality graphics now has the option of choosing a plastic blade for its safety benefits. Next generation polymer blades with MicroTip® technology can compete with the metering performance of steel in even the most demanding graphics applications while retaining the safety benefits of traditional plastic.
Polímeros de nueva generación con MicroTip
El avanzado material polimérico actual es más rígido que el plástico tradicional y puede soportar un filo diseñado con precisión en MicroTip . Este diseño de la punta permite a la cuchilla lograr y mantener un área de contacto fina con el rodillo anilox. comparable a una hoja de acero. Next generation polymer blades are able to effectively meter line screens up to 2000 LPI or 785 L/cm and produce graphics of the highest quality. The MicroTip has a long and steady wear period which reduces the frequency of blade changes and delivers consistent ink film thickness for the duration of the print job.
Today’s printers have more options than ever to improve workplace safety. Protective gear and safety programs will no doubt reduce the risk of injuries from steel doctor blades. But if you want to completely eliminate these injuries, then completely eliminate steel blades from your pressroom. Switch to next generation polymer blades and get the best of both worlds – high performance metering and safety.
Busque la tercera parte de nuestra serie de blogs En buenas manos con Polymer Doctor Blades: "No es la cuchilla más afilada de la sala de impresión".
Parte 1: "Números que suman insultos a cuchilla Lesiones " - Lea sobre la frecuencia de las lesiones en las manos en el lugar de trabajo y su repercusión en los resultados de una empresa.
