As a field service technician, I get in many shops and see a lot of troubling issues when it comes to safety.

Paper cutters are designed to be operated by one operator. If two are working on the cutter, like the operator and a helper, the operator must stay alert and prevent his helper from being hurt. An example would be if the operator is operating the cutter and his helper removes paper after being cut, the helper reaches in to remove the paper lift, and the operator cycles the cutter. It may be just the clamp, but that will smash a finger or hand without any problems. This type of scenario can happen on older cutters without safety beams. But believe it or not, some have gone to great lengths to reach under the safety beams of the cutter, only to get injured by reaching into the cutting area while the operator was not expecting it.

New Paper Cutters Are Safer, But Ultimately Your Safety Is Still Your Responsibility

New ANSI standards for new cutters in regard to safety beam locations have significantly reduced accidents like this. The downside is it reduces the working area on your side tables. The cutter manufacturer must follow these strict guidelines, and over the years, the guidelines have gotten tighter to prevent an accident.

Another issue I have observed in the shops is jumping out safety switches; you should never bypass a safety switch of any kind to then operate the machine in a normal way. And don’t think an accident can’t happen to you; it can, real quick! I was working on a machine in a shop and noticed the owner was operating a paper drill. At start up, the motor would not always start, so the owner would grab the exposed drive pulley and belt and give it a spin. The motor would then start. I had told him that he should have the problem fixed, but said it’s been like that for years. The next time I went in, his hand was all bandaged up, and I asked what happened, when he reached up to start the motor this time, the motor started suddenly, and his two fingers were caught in between the drive belt and the pulley, cutting off his fingers.

Paper Cutter Safety Audit and Training

Your production personnel are very valuable these days, it is very hard to find qualified people to do skilled jobs in your shop. You need to look at the potential safety issues and correct them before an injury. We can help you with this; we can audit your production area for safety issues and recommend improvements.

Contact us to learn more.  Stay safe when using your paper cutter!