The University of Louisville is an active member of the TEAMM Network and recently announced they have added an Additive Manufacturing (AM) Safety Workshop, conducted through their Rapid Prototyping Center, run by Ed Tackett, Director of Educational Programs in AM.
The new program is called the “AM Metals Safety Training Workshop” and is an advanced training for AM professionals. It is a one-day session (8 contact hours) held at the Additive Manufacturing Competency Center (AMCC).
The AMCC is a fully equipped learning laboratory that includes the latest AM technologies, machining, metrology and powder handling systems. Metals additive manufacturing requires an increased environmental health and safety effort. This new workshop is designed to help new users identify hazards, reference appropriate regulations and develop a mitigation strategy. Learn more about the AM Metals Safety workshop.
This workshop is designed to benefit supervisors, lead workers, managers, employers, and anyone responsible for the safety and health of employees and labs. The workshop covers various types of standard machinery, machine safeguards, and related regulations and procedures for metals additive manufacturing.
In an Additive Manufacturing magazine post by Christina M. Fuges, there is a good interview on safety with Ed Tackett. He shares a story about companies not realizing they have major safety risks with AM:
“There’s recognition of the need to be safe, but the real question is what does it take? AMCC seeks to ensure students know the risks specific to AM and how to mitigate those risks. Believe it or not, companies are not being safe. We had a group come in for training, and after the initial day’s safety lecture, they immediately called their company to shut down the AM lab. They had no idea some of these dangers existed.”
The AM Metals Safety Training Workshop was created to help reduce these risks and get new and experienced technicians up to speed on the safety needs with advanced metals 3D printing. TEAMM is a strong proponent for materials/workplace safety and believes this class is a trendsetter in AM lab standards. As new materials are developed and 3D printers are increasingly capable of utilizing multiple materials, it is imperative that technicians understand these materials’ properties both individually and as they are combined during the AM process. Learn more about the AM Metals Safety workshop.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this training workshop, students will be able to:
identify safety issues for a metals additive manufacturing facility.
- interpret the various safety regulations and apply that knowledge to their specific situation
- formulate a site specific safety plan
Workshop topics include:
Personal Protection
- Job Hazard Analysis
- General PPE
- Hazard Specific PPE
- Gloves
- Protective Suits
- Respirators
- Flame resistant PPE
- ESD Considerations
Facility Safety
- Powder Descriptions
- Powder Storage
- Waste Storage
- Electrostatic Safety
- Inert Gas Monitoring
- Laser Safety
- Downdraft Tables
- Fire Suppression
- Industrial Hygiene
Operational Safety
- Wet separator vacuum maintenance
- Increased Hazard Events
- Hydrogen production
- Filter Changes
Current Regulations (Discussion)
- OSHA
- NFPA
- EPA
SAMPLE standard operating procedures (SOP’s)
- General Safety Concepts for Additive Manufacturing
- Storage of Metal Powder
- Handling of Metal Powder
- Cleanup of Spilled Metal Powder
- Disposal of Metal Waste Powder
- Emergency Response for Fire Involving Metal Powder
- Use, Storage, and Care of PPE
- Use and Handling of Compressed Gas
Worth mentioning, under the banner of educating technicians and instructors, UofL also conducted one of the AM-WATCH teacher training workshops that AM News reported on: TEAMM Network Member Creates Additive Manufacturing Studio. You can check out the UofL event details here from their December 2017 workshop.
TEAMM appreciates UofL taking the lead on safety topics in AM technician level education. This work is part of a larger project funded by the Advanced Technological Education Program of the National Science Foundation, DUE #1501251