AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ghodder on October 14, 2020, 07:49:13 AM
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Hi was wondering if anyone could throw some light on the situation in a school. RE Union Graduate lathe.
H and S have been in condemned the lathe for not having a belt tensioning mechanism? One cannot be fitted they stated?
Can anyone throw any light on this please and provide some common sense as to how we can get over this issue?
Really don't want to get a new lathe if possible thoughts welcome
cheers hope everyone safe garry
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a wheel on a spring would do the job...
sounds like they're talking B****cks to me...
retro fit a system like you get on a car engine if needs be but i can really think why one is needed.
do UG lathes suffer from slipping belts?
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Ask for a fuller explanation of their decision.
What has belt tensioning got to do with Health and Safety?
If the belt is safely contained within a housing, a break in the belt due to over-tensioning will not threaten anyone in the vicinity.
If the belt is under-tensioned, it will slip, making it difficult to turn consistently.
If any belt adjustment is possible with the power on, a simple electrical interlock would solve that.
Quite literally millions of ventilation fans are belt driven, with a belt adjustment mechanism, but no spring loaded jockey wheel or similar - considered perfectly safe.
Rubber belts have an inherent elasticity which gives a small range of automatic tensioning i.e. not "hard" and if the lathe is designed for the belt to be tensioned by the weight of the motor it is working correctly.
Finally, what regulation is being cited for this HSE decision?
Super-finally (!), what experience does the HSE inspector have in this area of expertise?
No wonder schools are giving up on trying to teach any practical skills.
Duncan
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Isn't the tension dictated by the weight of the motor? I seem to remember never changing the speed in school cos it was such a faff lifting the motor to loosen the belt and change over pulleys
Pete
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If you open the drop down door on the left as you face the machine, halfway up the opening on the r/h side there should be a knob, up releases the tension in the belt and down tensions it. Sounds as if the H&S person does not have clue what they are on about. Need any more help come back to me .
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I am sure a note from Martin Dickinson (AWGB H&S Officer) will sort out your inspector chap especially as this is the standard education lathe that was installed in all schools when they were able to use them. It's things like the electrical safety and the interlocking switches, cam locks and the like for safe working that they should be looking at. Julian