The Importance of Coupling Guards

When people talk about safety measures applied to factory equipment and manufacturing machines, it’s common to hear the words ¨coupling guards”. As a piece of safety equipment a coupling guard plays the integral role of keeping moving parts away from hands, feet and other parts of the body.

A shaft with coupling moving at 1000 rpm is dangerous. However, it is also common in a working factory conveyor or other manufacturing application. So to keep that factory operating and keep workers safe we install a coupling guard over that moving shaft. As a metal enclosure the coupling guard becomes the barrier that prevents injury and accidental harm to both worker and machinery.

A coupling guard is there to serve as safety measure while operating machinery. Installed in place by fasteners, the coupling guard protects from injury while working with machinery and other equipment components. There are OSHA guidelines related to specification on coupling guards. In instances where OSHA regulation is being met, these guidelines should be reviewed to ensure the coupling guard design used meets OSHA standards. (For more information on OSHA regulations - http://www.osha.gov )

Killarney Metals knows the importance of coupling guards with machinery and produces various sizes in heavy duty metal coupling guards. Safety is the foremost concern when working with heavy duty machinery and Killarney Metals understands this. When searching for metal coupling guards that serve and protect, visit http://www.killarneymetals.com for your coupling guards and other metal safety parts.

Going from Plastic to Stainless: A Better Drain Pan System for a Washing Machine

Recently, we had the privilege of taking part in a washing machine drain pan swap right here in North Carolina. A family was nice enough to allow us into their home - more specifically their laundry room. We brought our cameras to film their original plastic washing machine drain pans being replaced with stainless steel drain pans from Killarney Metals. When the home was built and the washing machines and dryers were originally installed the contractor put in an inexpensive plastic liquid containment system for the laundry room. While the original system may have looked good, it had little staying power. Plastic drain pans will crack and break over time when they are affected by the environment in which they are placed. In a laundry room durability is key. Drain pans are often kicked, stepped on; the heat from the dryer and weight of the washing machine all impact the structure of the drain pan. This homeowner’s plastic drain pans had had enough. They were do

You need a solid, durable drain system that gives you the assurance of protection that stands the test of time and your eight year old throwing muddy cleats in from soccer practice. So, we had the opportunity to see this upgrade from plastic to stainless. Here is one of our quality, No Leak Guaranteed stainless washing machine drain pans.

With good planning the installation went smoothly. The installer measured out the appropriate dimensions for the pans and rearranged the discharge piping system to make it invisible from the front of the machines. Now that the new stainless drain pans are installed the homeowners are covered! If there’s an accidental leak or the washing machine over-flows, they know they will not have to replace their hardwood floors or basement ceilings or carpet or anything else that could get damaged in a spill!

With Killarney Metals spill containment systems you can count on long term durable protection against spills. Our products are Safe. Solid. Secure, as you can see from this installation our Stainless Steel Drain Pans provide a beautiful finished look to even a laundry room!

Quality is what you get when you order from Killarney Metals. Check out www.killarneymetals.com for spill containment solutions that last.

Also for a video about the installation please check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzGuKn_e0Tcd

Safe. Solid. Secure.

There is a right way and a wrong way to do a job.

I’ve Been There

So, when do you need a pan? D.J. Toal, VP of sales for Killarney Metals, shares an experience from his early labor years to illustrate the need for a drip pan:

"Imagine this, I have been there by the way, you are working on a head pulley of a belt conveyor. You're pulling apart a gearbox bearing plate over a working platform – in the air 30 feet that is -- open to the work area below with personnel traffic. You're hanging with safety straps under the box.

What happens when a wrench falls 30 feet onto the floor below? Stuff breaks. There is potential for injury, severe injury, to coworkers and other personnel when a wrench falls on their head from that height. When thinking safety pans start thinking broader. Just saying..."

So, would a pan help in this situation – you bet! Killarney Metals pans are useful for catching all kinds of Stuff. Safety involves catching more than oil and water; safety is what Killarney Metals Pans are all about. When you need to catch it, we have a pan for it. A Drip Pan is an essential tool.

Contact Killarney Metals for all your drip, drain and catch pan needs. Killarney Metals has your Safety Pans.

OSHA Safety Concerns

Why we are here: To protect you and your business…

Our drain pans protect against wet spills that damage materials and equipment. A drip pan helps with avoiding the spread of flammable spills that cause fires, acid and caustic spills eat into surfaces or burn people. Our safety pans prevent volatile or toxic spills that spread hazardous pollutants into the air or surface waters. Organic waste spills contaminate and stink. With any liquid spill, people can slip and fall, injuring themselves.

From a practical standpoint, spill containment protects personnel and property, eases tasks and work flow, saves time and money. From a social standpoint, spill containment and cleanup reduces the negative impact on your community. From a legal standpoint, spill containment and cleanup are required by government safety and environmental regulations, which can impose severe and costly penalties for noncompliance.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that the floor of every workroom be maintained in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition. Where wet processes are used, drainage must be maintained and gratings, mats or raised platforms provided.

Major Spill Types

· Flammable such as gasoline, solvents, oils

· Acid such as pickling liquid, battery acid, acid drain cleaner

· Caustic such as liquid lye, caustic drain cleaner

· Oxidizing such as bleach

· Water-based such as food products, machining coolants, rinse water

· Contaminating such as sewage, vomit, urine, animal waste, blood

· Petroleum-based (often the same as flammable spills) such as oils and greases

· These categories can overlap. Cooking oil would be a flammable spill only, but lubricating oil might be both flammable and petroleum-based. Any spill can cause slip-and-fall risks.

· Choice of a containment and cleanup method must consider all factors.

Where to look for drips, leaks and spills

There are probably no facilities without some type of drips, leaks, or spills. Anywhere liquids are manufactured, refined, transported, stored, or used, the possibility exists.
Let Killarney Metals help you with your spill containment requirement. With the ability to manufacture custom shaped, large and even assembly drip pans, drain pans and catch pans, Killarney Metals is your comprehensive solution to assist with spill containment.

Killarney Metals: Catching your Drip Pan needs.

So you are a facilities manager and you have a problem with one of your machines. This machine has been acting up lately showing signs of oil drips under it. Of course a little oil drip makes for an unsightly mess but the collection of drips over time makes for a safety hazard and possible violation. You need a solution that is cost effective, long lasting and reliable. Killarney Metals drip pans are your answer.

At Killarney Metals they produce the highest quality custom drip pans available. Whether you need an industrial strength drip pan or a corrosion resistant catch pan, Killarney Metals has the drip pan to solve your problems. Their pans are made out of quality material in thicker gauges than the normal drip pans on the market.

All Killarney Metals drip pans are proudly made in the USA. The craftsmanship put into their drip pans create a highly durable, long-lasting pan that will serve your safety needs reliably. So when spills occur, or better yet before they occur, have a Killarney Metals drip pan by your side to safely handle the problem.