When coolants for machines are dirty, it can actually harm your equipment and negatively affect operations. On the flip side, ensuring that your coolant is clean is a great way to optimize the efficiency of the equipment and your operations. You should also ensure filters are cleaned and replaced as necessary. There’s much more to consider when it comes to the effective maintenance of machinery.
With something like a milling machine coolant it must receive proper care and be monitored to make sure there aren’t any unknown issues. It’s common for fluids used in machinery to have a distinct odor. This is often because they contain a mix of different chemicals that individually have a smell that contributes to an overall strong odor. However, when there’s a problem with fluids, especially certain coolants, the smell is exacerbated and so much stronger than what is considered normal. The smell becomes quite putrid after enough time passes.
It only takes a few weeks for fluids used in machinery to go bad. For instance, if you have a situation where your operations are closed for the weekend, it’s not uncommon to return on Monday morning only to find an odor emanating from the machine. If there’s a serious problem, the odor can become quite rancid. When you’re dealing with coolant, the odor can be especially strong. What’s worse is it can impact the effectiveness of the machine.
Since machine coolant has chemical additives, it can cause irritation to the skin if proper procedures are not followed, which usually includes wearing protective gear. There are additives like biocides, corrosion inhibitors and other chemicals that irritate the skin. While even clean fluids can be dangerous, you can only imagine the types of problems that can result from fluids that are not well maintained and have grown bacteria. At this point, it’s possible for the fluids to result in a skin infection, especially when handled without protective gear.
To mitigate this issue, it’s important to maintain best practices for both handling coolants and maintaining them. When it comes to protecting yourself, you should wash your hands on a regular basis using soap that’s nonabrasive. You should also use a skin moisturizer that serves as a barrier to further protect your skin. It goes without saying that gloves should always be worn when handling coolants and any other fluids in the workplace.
Skin irritation caused by exposure to chemicals is a common reason why workers’ compensation claims are filed. It’s something that should not be taken lightly given the cost to the employer and the impact on the employee. A team member experiencing an injury or illness affects morale. Given the potential impact of not properly maintaining machinery coolants, it’s imperative to stay on top of preventative maintenance schedules. As with many other functions in the business environment, the implementation of best practices and associated training is far less expensive than failing to do so and experiencing the worst-case scenario.