If you work with heavy pieces of machinery, such as a hydraulic press, you theoretically just need to push one button to start the machine. However, many manufacturers actually include two controls, which must be pressed simultaneously in order to activate the machine.
This is not just done with hydraulic presses, but with many other types of heavy machinery. Why are these devices seemingly over-engineered by putting two controls that the operator must use at the same time?
Preventing amputation injuries is the objective
The main reason for the two-handed controls is that these prevent very serious injuries, including amputation or crush injuries. These were common when workers just had to push a single button because someone could absentmindedly leave their hand in the area where the machine would be working. For instance, a press could come down and crush the worker’s hand if it was sitting on the material’s surface.
By forcing the workers to use both hands just to activate the machine, it guarantees that they can never do this accidentally. Workers may find this to be somewhat tedious. They may believe that it is overly complicated and makes it harder to do their job quickly – but it does work very well in preventing these significant injuries. Machines are designed specifically in a way that removes a lot of the risk.
Risks are still present when working with heavy machinery
Of course, nothing can ever remove all of the risks surrounding any industrial job. Any time that you work around heavy machinery, there is a chance that you could suffer serious injuries. If this does happen to you, make sure that you understand all of the legal options available to you to obtain the workers’ compensation benefits you and your family need while you recover.
