SAFE USE OF SHEARING MACHINE

A shearing machine cuts sheet and plate metal by forcing a moving upper blade past a fixed lower blade, so the material is sheared along a straight line without forming chips or melting the edge. The same principle covers the guillotine (squaring) shear, the alligator shear and the powered bench shear found in fabrication shops, structural steel yards and sheet-metal workshops across the region.

Because the cut is made by two blades closing on each other, the machine carries an unforgiving shear point at the blade line and under the hold-down feet, and it moves large, heavy, sharp-edged workpieces that can cut, crush or strike the operator. This course gives operators, helpers and supervisors the knowledge to work the machine safely and to recognise when it must be taken out of service.

Objectives

• Understand how a shearing machine works and what each control, guard and safety device does
• Identify the hazards of the machine: the shear point at the blade line, the hold-downs, sharp offcuts, material handling and stored energy
• Carry out a pre-use inspection and know what defects stop the machine being used
• Apply safe operating practice, including hand placement, back-gauge use and offcut handling
• Apply isolation and lock-out/tag-out before blade changes, adjustment, clearing or maintenance
• Select and use the correct personal protective equipment

Course outline

• Types of shearing machine and their applications
• Principal parts: blades, hold-downs, ram, back gauge, foot pedal and controls
• Machine guarding, two-hand controls and other safeguarding devices
• Hazard identification and risk assessment for shearing operations
• Pre-use inspection and defect reporting
• Safe setting, material support and cutting capacity limits
• Handling sheet, plate and offcuts without cuts or manual handling injury
• Isolation, lock-out/tag-out and safe blade changing
• Housekeeping, PPE and emergency response

Who should attend

• Shearing machine operators and trainee operators
• Sheet metal and fabrication workers
• Workshop supervisors and foremen
• Maintenance technicians who set or service the machine
• HSE officers responsible for workshop safety

Learning outcomes

On completion, participants will be able to inspect a shearing machine before use, operate it within its rated capacity using the correct guards and controls, keep hands and body clear of the shear point, handle material and offcuts safely, isolate the machine correctly for any adjustment or maintenance, and respond appropriately to a defect or an incident.