MTS Insight Material Testing Systems - Manual (Page 30)

30 Safety
On rare occasions, a fastener can fail even when it is correctly installed. Failure
usually occurs during torquing, but it can occur several days later. Failure of a
fastener can result in a high velocity projectile. Therefore, it is a good practice to
avoid stationing personnel in line with or below assemblies that contain large or
long fasteners.
Practice good
housekeeping
Keep the floors in the work area clean. Do not leave tools, fixtures, or other items
not specific to the test, lying about on the floor, system, or decking.
Protect hoses and
cables
Protect electrical cables from excessive temperatures that can cause the cables to
harden and eventually fail. Ensure that all cables have appropriate strain relief
devices installed at the cable and near the connector plug. Do not use the
connector plug as a strain relief.
Protect all system hoses and cables from sharp or abrasive objects that can cause
the hose or cable to fail. Never walk on hoses or cables or move heavy objects
over them. Consider system layout and route hoses and cables away from areas
that expose them to possible damage.
When removing hydraulic hoses for equipment repair or changing testing
components (for example, hydraulic grips), make sure to cap the hose ends to
avoid spilling hydraulic fluid.
Record changes
If you change any operating procedure, write the change and the date of the
change in the appropriate manual.
Provide test area
guards
Use protective guards such as cages, enclosures, and special laboratory layouts
when you work with hazardous test specimens (for example, brittle or
fragmenting materials or materials that are internally pressurized).
Do not disable safety
devices
Your system might have active or passive safety devices installed to prevent
system operation if the device indicates an unsafe condition. Do not disable such
devices as it can result in unexpected system motion.
Use appropriately
sized fuses
Whenever you replace fuses for the system or supply, ensure that you use a fuse
that is appropriately sized and correctly installed. Undersized or oversized fuses
can result in cables that overheat and fuses that explode. Either instance creates a
fire hazard.
Provide adequate
lighting
Ensure adequate lighting to minimize the chance of operation errors, equipment
damage, and personal injury. You need to see what you are doing.
Provide means to
access out-of-reach
components
Make sure you can access system components that might be out of reach while
standing on the floor. For example ladders or scaffolding might be required to
reach load cell connectors on tall load units.
Ensure equipment is
secure
Make sure the equipment is secure or provide vibration isolation. Some testing
can be performed at resonant frequencies that might cause the equipment to
vibrate and move during testing.