Safety needs to be the first concern with any piece of equipment in a machine shop and the lathe is no exception. In fact, the lathe is often the most dangerous machine in the shop. It will generally have larger motors with more horsepower than any other equipment. Machinists using the lathe need to follow all the standard safety rules of the shop in addition to knowing the specific potential hazards they may encounter when working with the lathe.

Rotational Hazard

The spinning chuck of the lathe is large and powerful, and it often has protruding components. These aspects make it more capable of grabbing fingers, hands, and clothing than other equipment. Other spinning components of the lathe that can cause injuries are the lead screw and feed rod. The lead screw and feed rod are long, often spinning components that run the full length of the lathe. An operator who is unaware of these components could easily get loose clothing or aprons tangled in them. Once they grab ahold of something, they rapidly winch it in, possibly injuring the operator. It is a good practice to disengage the feed rod and lead screw if they aren’t being used.

Sharp Hazard

Lathes produce some of the most dangerous chips in the machine shop. Stringy chips can be long and unwieldy. If stringy chips come in contact with the operator and get wrapped around the spinning chuck, they could cause deep cuts or pull the operator into the machine. Short chips are also sharp, flying in straight lines away from the point of contact, often right at the operator. It is advisable to stand out of the way of these chips and for the operator to keep their hands behind their back. Cutting tools are also a sharp hazard on the lathe. An operator can easily be cut by a cutting tool while making machine adjustments if they are not careful.

Pinch points

The spinning handles on a lathe could create pinch points while under power feed conditions. The operator could also get pinched between the carriage and the headstock of the machine while under power feed.

Fire Hazards

Under certain conditions, the lathe may produce large volumes of hot chips. Oily rags and paper products can easily catch fire if exposed to these chips. The operator must keep the area clean of combustibles.