Trade Safety, Occupational Health and Environment
Scope
Trade safety in a garment unit covers machine guarding, electrical safety, fire response, ergonomics, housekeeping and waste handling. The AITT paper tests hazard recognition and the hierarchy of controls, not slogans.
Core rules
- Guards: needle guard, belt and pulley guard, eye guard and puller guard stay fitted; never bypass an interlock.
- Electrical: three-pin earthed plugs, ELCB/RCD protection, dry hands, isolate and lock off before maintenance.
- Fire classes: A fabric and wood, B oil, C gas, E electrical. Use CO2 or dry powder on electrical fires; water conducts.
- Safety signs: red prohibition, yellow warning, blue mandatory, green safe condition.
- Housekeeping: clear aisles, no fabric near motors, sharps in a puncture-proof box, daily lint removal.
- Health: noise action level 85 dBA; local exhaust at pressing; adjustable chairs and breaks reduce musculoskeletal risk.
Worked example
An overlock line measures 92 dBA. Reasoning: 92 dBA is above the 85 dBA action level, so ear muffs alone are the last resort. Apply engineering controls first (service bearings, fit silencers, isolate the motor), then administrative controls (rotation, exposure limits), then PPE with audiometry. Record the measurement and review.
Traps
Loose sleeves or jewellery near a flywheel; removing a needle guard for speed; water on a live electrical fire; blowing lint with compressed air; treating PPE as the first control instead of the last.