Work environment in the metalworking workshop

Blacksmithing is physical work. Many of the injuries do not come from one major accident, but from small stresses repeated day after day, until the body gives up. A good working environment is therefore just as much about the slow wear and tear as about acute hazards.

Grinding, hammering, sheet work and machinery develop powerful noise, and hearing loss from noise is one of the most common work injuries in the metal industry. Hearing does not return once it is damaged. Therefore, noise must be fought at the source where possible, and hearing protection is used where noise cannot be sufficiently reduced.

The limits are fixed: no one may be exposed to more than 85 dB(A) over an 8-hour working day, and at 85 dB(A) or more you must always wear hearing protection. If the noise is above 80 dB(A), the employer must provide hearing protection.

Angle grinders impact wrenches chisel hammers and other vibrating hand tools transfer vibrations to hand and arm. Over time this can cause nerve and blood vessel damage often called white fingers where sensation and blood circulation in the fingers deteriorates. The risk depends on how strongly the tool vibrates and how long you use it at a time.

Many workshop tasks involve the same movements again and again or work in awkward positions — bent twisted or with arms above shoulder height. It strains muscles and joints. Variation in tasks good working heights and technical aids for heavy lifting are the best counterbalances.

• 01Use a crane, traverse, lifting platform or truck for heavy objects rather than your back
• 02Lift close to your body, with bent legs and straight back, where manual lifting cannot be avoided
• 03Divide heavy roofing work and be two for what is too big for one
• 04Keep transport routes free so items don't have to be carried farther than necessary

On a workshop, degreasers, oils, paints, cutting fluids, gases, and cleaning chemicals are used. Each product has a safety data sheet that describes hazards, protection, and first aid. Anyone who uses a product must know its hazard labeling and use the correct protection — typically gloves, eye protection, and ventilation.

Rules and personal protective equipment only work if they are used. It's about a culture where you put on hearing protection without being asked, report a defective screen and object when something is unsafe. The skilled metal fabricator takes care of his body with the same care as he takes care of his work – because the craft must be able to be carried out in twenty years.