Introduction
7
Federal and state aspects
Both federal and state laws provide guidelines for the safe operation of tools
and equipment. Federal safety regulations are covered in the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of 1970. This act (law) gave the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), the mission “to assure so far as possible every working
man and woman in the nation safe and healthful working conditions and to pre-
serve our human resources.”
OSHA’s functions include setting standards, inspecting workplaces, level-
ing citations and penalties for violations, consultation, and conducting training
and educational programs.
Employers must comply with OSHA standards by providing and maintain-
ing a safe work environment for workers. This means that workers must be
protected from job-related hazards and excessive noise levels. A clean work
environment as well as proper lighting and ventilation are also required by
OSHA.
Sometimes states develop and operate their own job safety and health pro-
grams. These programs must be at least as effective as the federal program. In
addition to OSHA standards, many states have additional guidelines that must
be met.
Measurement in Manufacturing
All materials have a basic size, shape, or volume. These characteristics can
be measured and calculated. This study of manufacturing systems will focus on
materials that have a solid structure. These materials, as you will learn, are
called engineering materials. In manufacturing, the form of these materials is
changed to make them more useful. The materials are reshaped using manufac-
turing processes. Throughout these processing activities, the size and shape of
materials are measured.
Two basic systems of measurement are used worldwide. The one most com-
monly used in manufacturing is called the SI (International System, or in
French, the Systeme Internationale) or metric system. It is based on the meter.
This unit is then divided into decimal parts. A centimeter is 1/100 of a meter
and the millimeter is 1/1000 meters.
The United States has maintained a separate system called the Conventional
system. This system uses the foot as the standard unit. It is divided into twelve
equal parts, each of which is called an inch. The inch can be divided into frac-
tional parts. Commonly, we
use quarters (1/4 inch), eighths (1/8 inch), sixteenths
(1/16 inch), thirty-seconds (1/32 inch), and sixty-fourths (1/64 inch).
4. Always light torches with spark lighters.
5. Handle all hot materials with gloves and
pliers.
6. Perform welding, brazing, and soldering
operations in well-ventilated areas.
7. Use proper tools for all mechanical fasten-
ing operations. Be sure screwdrivers and
hammers are the proper size.
Safety note: Safety equipment shown in this text
may have been removed or opened to clearly illus-
trate the product and must be in place prior to
operation.