Hazards in Textile Industry are varied and encompasses many aspects, like hazards related to machinery, handling of materials including chemicals, use of pressure vessels, fire hazards and overall working environment.
1. Machine Related Hazards:
Based on studies carried out it is learnt that unsafe conditions contribute to almost half the total accidents occurring in a textile mill. It is therefore necessary to briefly review a few important machines in each of the sections.
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i. Spinning Preparatory and Spinning:
In machine related hazards there are a number of nip points which are left unguarded. These points could be identified as the feed and calenders rollers of the blow-room machinery, carding machines, combers and drafting zones of all the frames (draw, infer, flyer and ring).
Many a time arguments are put up to say that any guard attempted at such points would interfere into the working of the rollers. But it is, at least possible to provide mesh covers with interlock on some of the rollers in the blow-room machinery.
Drafting zones on the draw frame could be covered with total enclosures as is already available on some machines. There is a need to ensure that these enclosures are well interlocked to stop the machine when enclosures are opened.
Now, looking at the rotating beaters in the blow-room, the three wire clothed cylinders, the lickerin, the cylinder and the doffer of the carding machine and the comber segment of the comber all of these could cause all severe accidents, if contacted while in motion.
The beaters have been provided with good covers with a mechanical interlock. This interlock should be maintained in order. Many times this is tampered with.
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The carding cylinders are provided with good covers but the need for carrying out stripping operation in every shift makes it necessary to work with covers open, posing severe hazard. This stripping operation should necessarily be done by well-trained men, with reliable ropes on the stripping roller. (The stripping roller is thrown out if the ropes break during this operation.)
However, newer machines have a stripping attachment on them as an integral part. The access to the lickerin from below while collecting dust and droppings could result in severe injuries. This should be guarded by providing a hinged swing door; swinging back upwards and preventing contact while collecting dust.
In the combers there is enough scope to provide at least a hinged transparent sheet or such, so that no contact with the rotating segment, the nipper or the gripper is possible. The comber and its segment rotate at a high speed.
Because of this high speed the eye perceives the comber and segment as stationary. This perception tempts the worker to access these rotating parts while cleaning.
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The flyer frames have the flyers rotating and give a free access to the hands and are likely to grab loose clothing. The present designs of the machines have not come with covers or photoelectric devices to prevent access to the flyers.
However, there could be interference in the operation with such devices and calls for detailed examination in locating them on the machine at an appropriate place. Till such time employing trained personnel on these machines is essential.
Conventional ring frames have hazards associated with the stopping of bobbins with the left hand index finger. These results in finger cut injuries, if the bobbin involved has its metallic shields broken.
Attempts are being made to eliminate this hazard by frequent inspection and elimination of bobbin which are with broken shields, use of tongs to grip the spindle (a very rare practice in India), provision of knee brake or the like, and use of plastic bobbins have limitations if the yarn is subjected to streaming, as also its prohibitive initial cost.
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The new open-end spinning system with its limitation has eliminated two to three steps of the entire spinning preparatory operation and therefore has significantly reduced the number of accidents.
ii. Weaving Preparatory and Weaving:
The conventional winding machines pose a hazard of trapping hands between the rotating drum and the cone/cheese after each knotting. While no suitable preventive measures are coming up, employing skilled operators on these machines is essential. Automatic winders like the cone winder and spoolers have prevented the hands reaching in the vicinity of the rotating drums.
In the warping machine (excepting the old versions), photoelectric devices have been provided in place of the swing bar guards. Opinions differ as to the exact location/position of these photoelectric devices.
The present positioning of this device still leaves scope for access to the beam flanges. An acceptable positioning and multiple photoelectric devices could eliminate this hazard.
Working with sizing machines involves nip at the squeeze rollers and drag rollers. Guards on drag rollers are essential in view of their accessibility.
The conventional looms are the highest contributors of both severe and frequent number of accidents in a loom shed, because of the shuttle flights. The shuttle which is to fly from one end to other on a loom, could fly out of its parts for varied reasons.
A shuttle guard provided on the loom does not really prevent a shuttle from flying out of the loom, but it only helps in arresting the shuttle’s tendency to lift upwards and shoot out to heights. Thus to keep a check on the direction of shuttle flying out, a shuttle guard is provided.
These shuttle guards (fits on the sley) are to be set over the race board so that while the crank shaft is between the bottom and back centre, the guard leaves no gap enough for the shuttle to fly out upwards.
Observations and proper setting of looms at frequent intervals will prevent shuttle fly. Shuttle fly is a frequent occurrence and could result in severe injuries. This hazard is absent in the non-conventional shuttleless looms.
iii. Processing and Finishing:
In the shearing and cropping machine the exposed rotating cutters could pose a hazard when accessed. These cutters can be covered using transparent cover.
Many of the machines in the process house generally have nip hazards. They could be calenders, washers, printing machines etc. Many of these nips could be guarded by means of nip bars.
The provision of audio signals to warn workers working near the calenders, drying ranges, stenters etc. could help in preventing entanglement and drag of inattentive operators along with the fabric in process.
In the polymerising range it is absolutely necessary to provide an interlocking device to ensure that the exhaust fans are on before any fabric is fed into the chamber. This helps in preventing the volatile carrier accumulating which could lead to an explosive situation.
It would be far better to dry out the fabric outside the chamber to eliminate most of the volatile solvent before the fabric enters the chamber. This reduces the quantum of the volatile solvent available in the chamber.
2. Material Handling:
A follow up of each operation in Textile Industry would indicate that, starting from raw material to fabric, the material handled is in various shapes and sizes. There are as much as thirty handlings not considering the number of times an empty container roll or beam is handled. All these contribute to almost 10-15% of accidents in textile mill. First considering manual handling, wrong postures are adopted in every stage of such handling.
The laps are held with hands stretched, cans shifted by dragging, carrying of excess bobbins, dragging of baskets/boxes by ropes and so on. These handling methods are to be critically examined and right postures adopted to prevent any excessive strain to arms and back.
Coming to mechanical handling it will be appreciated that the designs of many of the trolleys and trucks have been crude. The equipments are sometimes heavy to move, the wheels and rollers are placed outside the platforms allowing for run overs.
The handles do not have holds to fasten when not in use, leaving scope for handles dropping on foot. The trolleys do not have knuckle guards. All these have contributed for difficulties in use of these equipment. The common practice is that trolleys and carts are overloaded even to the extent of obstructing onward vision which should be avoided.
The chain blocks on mono rail and the other lifting equipments in use should be examined periodically:
i. Handling of Chemicals:
The processing of Textiles generally involves dilute acids and alkalies and bleach liquors like chlorine, hydrogen peroxide.
Generally the concentration of the process liquid does not exceed safe concentration levels. However, the bulk of the chemicals received are of higher concentration and precaution in respect of storing them in compatible containers must be complied with.
In case of chlorine a better practice is to store the required minimum quantities of it. Care also should be taken that proper equipments and systems are readily available to handle any emergencies like leaks. The outlets from storage vessels of acids and alkalies and the piping should resist corrosion.
While nothing definite has been established on the adverse health effects of the finished dyestuffs, it is advisable the dyes are handled with care while preparing liquors and pastes. The solvents used for printing which are highly volatile should be stored away from process zone and the quantities brought in for use should be the minimum.
The storage areas of the fuel oil for boilers etc. need to fulfil the statutory requirements as applicable to bulk storage. The supply of safety data sheets in respect of the substances handled should be made available to the personnel handling them.
ii. Use of Pressure Vessels (Unfired):
It is necessary to consider the sizing cylinders, kiers and to some extent calenders and drying range as pressure vessels though the pressure ranges are not very significant, all tests and examination are to be carried out to ensure their safe performance.
It is essential that the siphoning systems on these cylinders are maintained well to deliver out the water condensed and prevent any damage of these cylinders. It is also required to maintain the vacuum breakers provided to prevent any cylinder collapse. All instrumentation and safety gadgets must be examined periodically for their reliability.
iii. Fire Hazards:
The godown where cotton bales are stacked should be well ventilated so that the hoop iron do not impart and generate sparks as a source of ignition. It is also to be kept in mind that any broken glass pane on windows with its sharp edge form a prismatic effect converging sun rays on to the cotton bales and could be a source of ignition. Use of naked flames for soldering and welding on the shop-floor should be under permit and supervision.
Lamps used to prevent lapping or warming up could ignite fibres accumulated over it and later setting it to fly around will also be a source of ignition. Mechanical friction with the availability of dripping lubricating oil and loose fibre could initiate a fire.
Oiling should be done after ensuring that the oil holes are clear and the oil is reaching the part being lubricated. The electrical panels switch boards and other electrical equipments are also accumulated with dust and needs attention.
Processing of fibres likely to accumulate static charges should be carried out under effective grounding, bonding and antistatic controls to prevent accumulation of static charge.
Singeing machine should be invariably being provided with a solenoid valve on the fuel line to arrest the fuel supply, in the event of an electrical failure. This prevents the stationary fabric undergoing singeing from being ignited.
It is also desirable to store in isolation, freshly dyed fabrics as they could ignited due to spontaneous ignition.