Mist Dismissed
by Scott Gilbert
Every year we spend considerable time and effort keeping our Goss Headliner press units and pressroom floors clean. Among the most labor-intensive and time-consuming places to keep clean have been the front of the page packs, hoses and the floors between the units.We began examining ways to control the ink mist coming from the units. We initially developed a cover using press plates to protect the page packs and hose connections. We later determined that the majority of the ink mist came off the pickup and distribution rollers, as well as the area between the ink rail and the water pan.
We were able to come up with an inexpensive and simple solution to the problem. Using scrap mylar from the camera department, we cut two strips 3.5 inches wide by 32.5 inches long. We punched holes along the edge of the mylar to match the existing screws holding the rail cover to the rail. We then slipped the mylar strips between the rail and the cover along the length of the rail and creased the mylar along the rail cover, creating a "V." When the rail is closed, the mylar folds back and rests against the bottom of the water pan, preventing any mist from escaping the distribution/pickup-roller area.
After experimenting with different materials, we found that mylar with a thickness of 7 thousandths of an inch works the best.
Since installation, the page-pack area and floors have stayed virtually ink-free. We have reduced the janitorial staff’s floor cleaning to once a week, and changing page packs has become a faster and cleaner operation.
Scott Gilbert is press foreman for the Anchorage Daily News. Phone, (907) 257-4427; fax, (907) 278-2013.
Compressed Air Cleaning
by Allen Cooley
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration, compressed air should not be used for cleaning except when reduced to less than 30 pounds-per-square-inch pressure.Additional requirements for compressed-air cleaning, outlined in OSHA’s general industry standard on Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Equipment, 29 CFR 1910.241-244, include the use of chip guarding and personal protective equipment (PPE).
PPEs must meet the requirements of the PPE standard, 29 CFR 1910.132. A workplace hazard assessment must be conducted to determine the full extent of required PPEs.
Employees who clean floors in pressrooms or mailrooms are required to use eye protection, while face protection is recommended.
When working with pneumatic tools, employees must check to see if the tools are fastened securely to the hoses to prevent them from being disconnected.
Compressed-air tools should never be pointed toward anyone, and users should never "dead-end" them against themselves or anyone else.
OSHA’s Small Business Outreach Training Program Instructional Guide on Hand and Portable Power Tools, a seven-page document released in 1997, contains a general description of different types of hand and portable power tools and the associated hazards. It can be downloaded from OSHA’s World Wide Web site at http://www.osha-slc.gov:80/SLTC/smallbusiness/sec9.html.