Table of Contents
Advertisement
2.5 – Regulations and injuries prevention
Although designed for use on industrial shop floor and laboratories, the M20-EPS
meter employs the AG20 measuring needles as a penetration mechanism to inspect
inside the EPS parts.
The AG20 needles have highly sharp points that can cause serious or even fatal
accidents if not used properly.
In the absence of specific regulations regarding the use of air pressured needles
associated with industrial equipment, Directive 2010/32/EU "Prevention from sharp
injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector", BR standard NBR NR-32, Directive
2014/68/EU "Pressure equipment", and BR standard NBR NR-13 have guidelines that
can be applied to identify and prevent accidents related to the handling and use of AG20
needles.
Based on these directives, the risk associated with the use of AG20 needles is known,
so the following guidelines must evaluated:
Assess the risk:
Decide who might be harmed and how
•
Check the work environment and working conditions and identify factors which
•
could increase the risk of a sharps injury, such as overcrowded conditions,
fatigue and poor ergonomics
Select appropriate controls and implement them. In particular:
Safety-engineered protection mechanisms
Since eliminating the use of the needle is not possible, the Regulations require that
where there is a risk of exposure to injury, the sharps must incorporate safety-
engineered protection mechanisms designed to prevents or minimize the risk of
accidental injury.
The M20-EPS includes a needle stand that should always be used when the
equipment is not in use or during the calibration and needle cleaning processes.
The creation of special guides, according to the part geometry and the regions to
be inspected, is also recommended, especially when using needles longer than
50mm.
Personal protective equipment
The Regulations require the employer to provide suitable personal protective
equipment for the employee at risk where there is a risk of injury from the use of
sharps. Protective gloves should be worn to minimize the risk of accidental puncture
during needle handling. It is worth noting that safety goggles and ear protectors
should be part of the personal protective equipment.
Metrolog Controles de Medição Ltda
15
Advertisement
Table of Contents
