Industrial Arts Safety: Essential Rules & Precautions

Industrial arts, whether it's a class in a high school or a machine shop in a professional setting, can be highly dangerous. Following proper safety rules and precautions are extremely important for everyone who participates.

Definition

• The term industrial arts refers to any area of study that's meant to develop manual and technical skill working with tools and machines. This study is usually very hands on.

Dress

• Certain styles of dress are important when working in the industrial arts. Shirts must be tucked in, no jewelry should be worn and clothes shouldn't be baggy. Shoes should cover the toes, and hair should be tucked back or short.

Safety Equipment

• Protective goggles, earplugs, aprons and gloves should all be worn when deemed necessary. Steel-toed shoes may also be recommended at times.

Procedure

• Tools should always be used according to procedure. If a welding torch must be at least 5 feet from another work station, then 4 1/2 feet isn't going to cut it.

Focus

• A person should always pay close attention to what they're doing. Trying to hold conversations about irrelevant things, telling jokes or not paying attention to the task at hand can result in accidents and injuries.