Part 1

SAFE FOUNDRY PRACTICE

Reasons for selecting THE TRAVELERS for

Workmen’s Compensation _and_ Employers’ Liability

INSURANCE AND SERVICE

It is the Greatest Casualty Company.

It has splendid resources, conservatively managed.

It is forward-looking in its ideas.

It provides unsurpassed service in the administration of claims and the prevention of accidents.

It is a multiple line company affording those who require several kinds of insurance an opportunity to obtain them all in the same company--and thus obtain the highest possible quality of service, _Entirely Free_.

The Travelers has spent more than $6,500,000 for the prevention of accidents by inspection

THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY THE TRAVELERS INDEMNITY COMPANY HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

_Lines written by The TRAVELERS_

include LIFE, ACCIDENT and HEALTH, GROUP, WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION, EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY, PUBLIC LIABILITY, AUTOMOBILE, AIRCRAFT, STEAM BOILER, ENGINE, ELEVATOR, BURGLARY and PLATE GLASS

SAFE FOUNDRY PRACTICE

THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

21381. 12-29-’19.

Copyright, 1920, by THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY, Hartford, Connecticut

PREFACE

The foundry, viewing it from all angles, presents one of the greatest problems in the industrial world. The fact that the production of castings depends not only on a mechanical process, but also on a chemical process, makes it specially difficult to fasten upon any individual the responsibility for imperfect work. And yet there is a definite (even though unassignable) reason for the loss of every defective casting produced,--some one member of the department failed in properly performing his part of the work. Every man must therefore be taught to appreciate the importance of his own particular task, and must be impressed with the necessity of performing that task conscientiously, and as correctly and efficiently as he can. There should be a spirit of cooperation as earnest and sincere as that which prevails in a beehive, where every worker performs the task of the moment with singleness of purpose, and with no thought or motive other than the production of the best final result, from the united labors of all. The development of a point of view of this nature among the men will also have a profound effect in the way of reducing accidents,--a greater effect, in fact, than could be realized by any other single means.

One of the problems that must receive special consideration in connection with accident-prevention work in foundries relates to the class of persons employed. It is not necessary to employ skilled labor for all the operations in the foundry, and for that reason a certain portion of the work is intrusted to unskilled help,--to men, namely, who do not understand the necessity for safety methods. The most practical and effective way of dealing with a situation of this kind is to adopt the team-work idea--that is, to teach cooperation--and to introduce a well-organized safety department that will educate the men to the extent of developing in them sound and correct accident-prevention ideals. Useful practical suggestions for accomplishing this, and for making the accident-prevention work effective, are given in a booklet entitled “_Organization in Safety Work_”, which is published by the Engineering and Inspection Division of THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY.

Even the best-equipped, most orderly, and most effectively organized foundry is not free from accidents, and it is too much to expect that complete immunity will ever be possible. The experience of many concerns that have adopted safety methods in their foundries shows, however, that it is possible to eliminate a large proportion of the commoner causes of accidents, without much expense and without any serious disturbance of existing conditions. The Engineering and Inspection Division of THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY, in the course of its extensive experience with foundries, has given a great deal of study to this subject, and the recommendations and suggestions that it has made in the course of its practical inspection work have been well received by foundry managers, and have been particularly effective in bringing about better and safer conditions. The present booklet, based upon this study and experience, contains some of the suggestions that have been found to be most serviceable and important in dealing with the accident-prevention problem in its broader phases. Every foundry has important special safety problems of its own, which must be dealt with effectively if the best results are to be obtained; but to include all features of this kind would swell this booklet to such dimensions that its effectiveness and usefulness would be impaired. We have therefore confined our attention to danger-points of wide and almost universal occurrence.

There are few machines in foundries in comparison with the number in industrial plants of many other kinds. The machines that are used, however, must be provided with guards at all points where accidents might occur, and the necessary special guards have been described in more or less detail in the following pages. The construction and arrangement of the various forms of guards for belts and pulleys are not fully explained, but it should be understood that these are to comply with the standards approved by the Industrial Compensation Rating Bureau. The Engineering and Inspection Division of THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY will furnish upon request, copies of an illustrated pamphlet entitled “_Industrial Standards_,” which clearly explains the requirements of the Bureau.

In the main, the present booklet deals with iron foundries; but we have also included certain special hazards that are encountered chiefly in foundries where other metals are cast.

THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY, Hartford, Connecticut.

CONTENTS

PAGE Introductory 1 Clothing 1 Shoes and leggings 2 Eye-protectors 3 Gloves 4 Aprons and rubber boots 5 Ladles 5 Flasks and molds 16 Crucibles 19 Cupolas 30 Traveling cranes 35 Chains and hooks 44 Wire-rope slings 45 Slings in general 46 Hoisting apparatus in general 47 Tumbling barrels 47 Sand mixers and sifters 49 Automatic molding machines 50 Chipping department 50 Grinding wheels 52 Compressed air 52 Sand-blasting 53 Illumination 56 The foundry yard 58

SAFE FOUNDRY PRACTICE

Introductory.

According to the best statistics available, it appears that about eighty per cent. of the injuries received in foundries are in the nature of burns of greater or lesser severity; the remaining twenty per cent. being caused by defective hooks, chains, slings, flasks, mold-boards, bottom-boards, and other equipment, and by unguarded machinery, by falls and falling objects, and, indirectly, by inadequate illumination, poor ventilation, and other similar general conditions. Suitable clothing and shoes will materially reduce the severity of foundry burns, and will entirely eliminate many of them. Approved protection of this kind is described in the following pages, together with safeguards for various machines, and advice is also given with regard to precautions to be taken for the prevention of accidents in handling the various tools and appliances that are used in foundries.

Clothing.

Suitable clothing is an important factor in protecting foundry workers from burns. Ordinary cotton shirts and overalls afford but little protection, because molten metal burns through them almost instantly; and although the legs and feet are the parts of the body most often burned in the foundry, it is advisable for the men to wear shirts (as well as trousers) made of a thick, stout, hard-finished material, such as khaki (twilled cotton), which will shed the molten metal to some extent. The bottoms of the trouser-legs should never be rolled or folded up, and there should be no other folds, nor any creases or pockets in the clothing, in which molten metal or highly-heated particles of any kind may lodge. Torn garments and those having holes in them are unsafe, and should not be worn. Woolen undershirts furnish the best protection against “shot” or molten metal, but on account of the intense heat to which foundrymen are exposed it is hard to get the men to wear them, particularly during the summer months.

Shoes and Leggings.

The number of burns received by foundry workers on the feet and legs may be greatly reduced or almost entirely eliminated by the use of proper shoes and leggings. These should be worn by every foundry worker who has to handle molten metal, or who is exposed to it, and no one should be permitted to work without them, where the danger of such burns exists. Strong, substantial, well-made shoes of the “congress” type are the most suitable for general wear in foundries, because when they are in good condition they contain no holes through which molten metal may enter, while in laced and buttoned shoes there are many such openings. Moreover, congress shoes may be quickly and easily removed when hot metal is spilled upon them. Low-cut or Oxford shoes should never be worn by foundry workers.

Suitable leggings are almost as necessary as good, serviceable shoes. Under some conditions safety requires that the leggings be of asbestos or leather, but for general foundry work canvas or twilled cotton of good quality may be used. These materials will meet with all but the most severe requirements. The leggings, like the shoes previously described, should be fastened in such a way that they may be quickly and easily removed, and ordinary buckles are therefore unsuitable. Laces and buttons are likewise unsatisfactory, and any type of fastening that forms projections upon which molten metal may lodge does not afford the best sort of protection. Flat spring clasps, properly inclosed, at the top and bottom of the leggings, are the most satisfactory type of fastening devised up to the present time. The leggings should completely incase the legs from the knees down, and should fit snugly, especially at the top, to prevent the entrance of molten metal at this point.

Eye-protectors.

It is extremely important to protect the eyes of foundrymen against the intense light and heat from molten metal and from welding flames, and also against dust and grit, flying chips, and molten metal that may be splashed about. Eye-protectors (also called “safety glasses” and “goggles”) of various types are now available for all the different hazardous operations in foundries. To insure comfort, eye-protectors should fit well, and should be light in weight and easily adjustable for size. They should be provided with side protectors composed of metal screens or of perforated leather, to stop flying particles and small objects that might otherwise enter the eyes from the sides. The lenses should not be made of ordinary window glass, but in order to prevent serious eye strains they should be made of clear glass without flaws, and polished on both sides. They should also be strongly framed, so that pieces will not enter the eyes in case the lenses are broken. The lenses of eye-protectors that are to be used by furnacemen, welders, and others whose eyes are exposed to unusually brilliant light-sources should be suitably colored, to temper the intensity of the rays and to exclude those that are specially harmful to the eyes.

Experience has shown that where eye-protectors have been provided and worn faithfully, there has been a marked decrease in the number of eye injuries.

Gloves.

Cupola men and others working where the heat is intense must provide protection for their hands and arms. Gloves and sleeves of calfskin, buckskin, canvas, and asbestos are used,--the choice of material depending upon conditions. When gloves with gauntlets are used, the sleeves of the shirt, coat, or jumper (whichever is worn) should be pulled down over the gauntlets. The sleeves should then be arranged with as few folds or creases as possible, and be secured about the wrists by means of buttons or clasps or in some other suitable manner. (By leaving the gauntlets _outside_ of the sleeves lodging places for molten metal are provided, and serious burns are likely to result.) There should be no slits or openings in the lower ends of the sleeves (at the wrists) as in ordinary shirts, because molten metal would be likely to find entrance through them.

Hand-leathers and gloves of various kinds must be worn by men handling scrap, pig iron, and hot castings; and rubber gloves are important to afford protection against acids employed in pickling processes. Thick, clumsy gloves, which interfere with the safe handling of tools and implements, should not be used. Care should be taken to see that no workman wears ragged gloves, or gloves with frayed fingers, which are specially likely to be caught by moving parts of machines or on the sharp edges of objects being handled.

Aprons and Rubber Boots.

In connection with pickling processes, rubber boots and rubber aprons are often necessary to prevent acid burns and damage to clothing. Aprons are of value in other departments of foundries also, particularly when flasks and rough, hot castings and other objects are being carried about, and when it is necessary for grinders to support castings in position at the grinding wheels. For work of this kind, and for foundrymen engaged in pouring metals, leather aprons are recommended. In view of the high cost of good leather, however, aprons of other suitable material may be used where the leather is not absolutely required.

Ladles.

Several types of ladles are used in foundries, including reservoir, crane, sulky or buggy, trolley, bull, and single-hand ladles. Many burns are caused by defects in ladles, and by lack of care in handling and transporting them. All ladles should be frequently, regularly, and critically examined, and when defects are observed the ladles in which they are found should be immediately set aside for repairs, or should be discarded if the defects are of a serious nature.

Reservoir ladles and all other ladles operated by gearing should receive special attention. The motors of motor-operated ladles should be completely inclosed, not only to protect the workmen against electric shocks and burns, but also to prevent accidents which might be caused by metal being spilled upon the motors, resulting in short circuits or other kinds of trouble. All the gears on geared ladles should be completely inclosed, the covers or guards being constructed in such a way that they may be readily removed for oiling, cleaning, and inspecting the various parts. If guards are not provided the gears will soon become clogged with dirt and with metal that has hardened or set after having been spilled upon them while in a molten state; and clogged gears are likely to be broken or stripped, and to cause serious accidents.

[Illustration: FIG. 1. A CRANE LADLE.

(The gears should be completely inclosed, to prevent them from becoming clogged with dirt and spattered metal.)]

Many ladles are equipped with direct-acting spur gears. This arrangement permits rapid operation of the ladles, but it often imposes severe strains upon the operators, making it difficult for them to hold the ladles steady while pouring. This often results in spilling the metal and causing it to be spattered about when it strikes the sand on the tops of the flasks. A tilting arrangement composed of a train of spur gears, or a combination of worm gearing and spur or bevel gears, is to be preferred. The gears should be so designed and arranged that at least two teeth of each wheel will be in mesh at all times. Unless this point receives due attention a serious accident is likely to occur if the teeth become badly worn, or if one of them should break, thus permitting the ladle to tilt suddenly when pouring. The small pinions and worms of geared ladles often deteriorate quite rapidly, and they should therefore be inspected frequently and with special care, so that they may be renewed before they become a source of danger. Every geared ladle should be provided with a safety locking device to hold it in an upright position while it is being carried.

The bail of each crane ladle should be examined frequently, and particularly at the point where the crane hook engages it, because that is where the wear is greatest. The lower parts of these ladles should also be watched carefully for evidences of injury caused by carelessness on the part of cranemen when transporting or depositing them.

Sulky and buggy ladles are used only to a limited extent, but they cause many accidents. In some foundries steel plates are laid to serve as runways for buggy ladles, and plates are often placed between the rails of narrow-gage industrial railway tracks also. Molten metal is sure to splash when spilled on clean, smooth plates of this kind, and it also forms into “shot” which roll under the feet and cause the men to fall or to spill more metal. The danger from splashing might be minimized by sprinkling sand on the floor, but the sand would hinder the free movement of the wheels, and greater effort would be required to move the buggies. This would tend to make spills more frequent, even though in any individual case the sand might reduce the likelihood of injury from splashing, after the metal had been spilled. Floors of concrete and brick have been tried in other foundries, with the result that the number of burns from spills has been materially reduced. An excellent floor may also be constructed of metal plates with _checkered surfaces_,--the elevations on these plates providing a surface that is sufficiently smooth for the wheels, while the depressions (which are filled with sand) tend to check the splashing. Overhead trolley systems are used in some foundries for transporting ladles, and in this way the spills and splashes that are due to poor floor conditions are eliminated.

[Illustration: FIG. 2. A BUGGY OR SULKY LADLE.

(Observe the inclosure for the gears, and the shield to prevent the molten metal from splashing on the operator when pouring and when pushing the ladle along the track.)]

It is necessary to maintain a clear path for buggies that are being moved about, because metal is likely to be spilled from them if even a very small obstruction is encountered. Moreover, the buggies or trucks should be inspected frequently, paying particular attention to the wheels and bearings to make sure that they are in good condition so that the buggies will run easily and smoothly. Each buggy should be equipped with prong guards to hold it rigidly while pouring, and the ladle should be properly counterbalanced so that it will automatically return to an upright position when empty.

Bull ladles are much safer to handle than ordinary single-hand ladles, and should be used whenever possible. Several styles of shank-handles are used with bull ladles, one of them consisting of a rigid fork handle on one side and a rigid single handle on the other side. In another style (which is preferable) both handles are forked; and in still another form a swivel is provided at one end, which permits the ladle to be tilted more easily and emptied with less danger of spilling. The bowls of bull ladles should be held securely in position in their shanks by means of clamps made of round or flat iron. The shanks must be amply strong for the weight to be carried, and the joints should be carefully inspected for poor welding, flaws, and other weaknesses. Defective ladle shanks should be removed from the pouring floor as soon as discovered, so that there will be no possibility of using them again, either intentionally or otherwise. Ladle shanks should not be left exposed to the weather, because such exposure causes them to corrode and become weakened.

[Illustration: FIG. 3. A BULL LADLE IN USE.

(The handle is provided with a swivel, and one man tilts the ladle while the other man simply sustains a part of the weight.)]

When single-hand ladles are used the shanks should be securely attached to the bowls, because otherwise the bowls are likely to slip out when pouring, and to cause accidents. A sheet-metal guard or shield, 6 or 8 inches high, should be firmly secured to the top of the bowl of every hand ladle on the side next to the shank, to protect the workman’s hand while carrying the ladle.

[Illustration: FIG. 4. POURING FROM A HAND LADLE.

(This illustration shows the correct attitude for a man to assume when pouring. Observe also the shield on the ladle, to protect the hand from burns caused by spattering metal. The leggings are of a good type but, unfortunately, are not clearly shown. On general principles we disapprove of the unbuttoned vest, although the upper part of the body is unlikely to be burned so long as the man is engaged solely in work of the kind here shown.) ]

When several workmen are carrying ladles from the cupola to the molds it is better for them to pass on the side on which the bowls are carried. This not only tends to avoid confusion and disorder, but it is also safer, because there is less danger of burns when two bowls are struck together by passing workmen, than there is when two shank-handles collide.

“Horse play” and purposeless activities of other kinds should not be permitted among the men who are waiting their turns at the cupola, because the work is hard and dangerous, and the men must take it seriously at all times and give their undivided attention to it, if burns are to be avoided. The ladles should never be completely filled, because if they are, the hot metal will surely spill while being carried. “Cutting in” from the _back_ of a continuous stream of molten metal at the cupola spout causes unnecessary spattering; always cut in from the front.

New employees in foundries, and particularly the unskilled help, should be carefully instructed with regard to the proper method of carrying the ladles and the correct position to assume when pouring into the molds, and they should be watched and supervised for a considerable time after being assigned to such work, in order to make sure that they understand how to do it properly. The men should stand at a safe distance from the molds, so that their feet will not be burned if the metal spills or runs out between the cope and the drag or nowel.

Ladles of all kinds, except hand ladles, are likely to cause accidents by tilting unexpectedly, unless the bowls are properly balanced on their shanks or trunnions, or are arranged to be locked in an upright position. It is specially important to see that the bowls are not top-heavy, even when full of metal. On the other hand, if the bowls are weighted too heavily at the bottom it is difficult to tilt them, and an unnecessary strain is imposed upon the operator and also upon the gearing and other mechanism; furthermore, it is not easy to pour a smooth, continuous stream from a ladle which requires considerable exertion to hold it in the pouring position. In particular, all ladles that are provided with bails for hoisting and transporting by cranes should be so constructed that, when full of metal, the center of gravity will be well below the bail, unless they are arranged with geared devices for tilting. In addition, they should be provided with clips or clamps to prevent unexpected or accidental overturning.

[Illustration: FIG. 5. A TROLLEY LADLE IN POSITION AT THE CUPOLA.]

When buying new ladles it is important to see that the lips are of the correct shape to insure a smooth, narrow, undivided stream at pouring, and to prevent the molten metal from backing up and running over the sides at other points. Both safety and efficiency are promoted by the use of ladles with proper lips.

“Leave-overs” (excess metal left in ladles after the molds have been poured) are sometimes poured on the foundry floor. In this way puddles of molten metal are left, which soon become covered over with a thin coating of sand or dust so that they are not readily observed. The consequence is that men are often severely burned by stepping into or upon these puddles while the metal is still hot. Pouring leave-overs on the floor should be prohibited, and suitable receptacles should be provided at convenient points to receive the excess metal.