Mica Sheet- Health and Safety in Tooling
Mica sheet is used in a variety of tooling applications. These range from heat guns and electrical insulation in other tools to machined parts used in industrial tooling.
Mica is an ideal tooling material because of its superior insulation qualities. It contributes to safety standards in the workplace and helps protect workers. This is vital in many working situations where there are potential health and safety issues associated with using industrial equipment and tools.
Accidents at work are costly in human and business terms. Where key workers are involved, especially, then this can have a significant impact on productivity. Employers may also risk a degree of liability if they have not taken sufficient measures with their tooling and machinery to protect those workers using it.
Tooling Risks
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations are clear about the responsibilities of employers in taking measures to protect their employees. This includes the instruction that they must:
plan, organise, control, monitor and review the preventative and protective measures taken as the result of the (risk) assessment.
Cases of accident and ill-health arise in workshops and other industrial spaces for a number of reasons. These include the movement of people, goods and vehicles; hazardous substances; but also machinery safeguarding.
It is this safeguarding aspect where mica makes a crucial contribution. For example, electrical accidents are not uncommon in many engineering workshops, but mica’s natural insulation properties make it ideal for live line and electrical protection.
In construction, too, electricity can be a risk, which is why there is a strong emphasis on the maintenance of powered portable tools. These are used extensively on construction sites, so workers are regularly exposed to risks associated with them.
Potential injuries include shocks, burns and electrocution. There is also the risk of fire or explosion of flammable materials in certain types of working equipment.
Whereas it is critical that workplaces have a proper maintenance system for equipment in place, and that all employees are aware of it, much can be done to reduce the risks associated with what goes into the manufacturing of the tools themselves.
Mica Sheet Insulation for Safer Tools
Mica is a key component in many forms of tooling, from hand-held powered tools requiring high-quality, reliable insulation, to machined and punched parts that will go into tooling machinery for production processes.
Why Use Insulated Tools?
Tools are a fundamental part of people’s work. Access to the right tools is essential for completing a task properly, professionally and safely. Using tools, therefore, that are not to a safe, professional standard is a risk.
For example, maintenance technicians risk electrical shock if they do not have proper insulated tools. These tools are designed to protect against electric shock and must meet strict international standards. Most common hand tools can be manufactured to be insulated. They should be used for any work on a live circuit, or in other situations where there may be risks from electric shock.
Mica sheet works as an ideal electrical insulation material for tools because it has unique electrical and thermal insulating qualities.
This same principal applies to mica machine parts. Where industrial processes rely on certain components in operational machinery, it is vital that these parts can withstand heat and electricity, while also being hardwearing.
Consequently, specialist mica parts made from mica sheet, such as fixtures for grinding, milling and lathe-work provide protection throughout the performance of various pieces of industrial and manufacturing machinery and equipment.
Mica Sheet Insulation for Heat Guns
The heat gun is a commonly used tool across many industries. It is versatile and portable. Heat guns can be used in manufacturing for shrink-wrapping; they can thaw out frozen pipes, or strip paint. They have many functions, and come in many different makes and models.
What they have in common though, naturally, is that they use concentrated, high temperatures. Obviously then, there are safety issues associated with the use of heat guns.
The key part of the heat gun is the source of its heat. This is usually an electric element that is heated up. Heat guns can, typically, emit temperatures exceeding 500°C. Therefore, safe insulation is essential, and mica can provide the solution.
In tubular form, mica forms the protection for the electrical heating element. It can withstand temperatures of over 1200°C. Mica encloses the heating element, forming the insulation which will allow the heat gun to emit intense, concentrated heat through a confined channel, evenly distributed.
Your Health and Safety
Whatever industry people work in, where some form of tooling, machinery or equipment is involved, their safety must be a priority. Without safe equipment and working practices, injuries can impact on productivity, and employers may end being liable for failing in their duty of care towards their workforce.
Elmelin provides a range of tooling solutions using mica sheet, to ensure maximum efficiency but also the essential protection workers need when operating tools in a range of situations.
Whether you’re in manufacturing, construction or another sector, we can help you protect your workforce and your processes. Please call us on +44 20 8520 2248, or email sales@elmelin.com. Or, you can complete our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.