Foot control

Working areas within certain industrial buildings may have restricted access (i.e. sterile laboratories, radioactive areas). Separate toilet accommodation may be required in these areas, an assessment of which may be obtained from the operator and reference to such publications as Atomic Energy Code of Practice, Laboratory Practice. It may also be necessary to operate such appliances remotely by photoelectric cell, sonic control or foot control. 

Metalization/ per square foot) controllable be done, forcing exterior painting ... 

They must be provided with appliances, fixtures and fittings (e.g. disposable hand towels, foot controlled taps, etc.) which remove the risk of contamination being transmitted by the staff. 

Every manufacturing area should be equipped by washing facilities operated by elbow or foot controls instead of hand controls. 

Improved controls. Hydraulic machines have ram control for up or down travel with a foot switch either on or off. Circuits are in use, so that with the foot control in the off position, the ram immediately returns to the top of the stroke. 

Figure 13-16. Example of a foot control guard covering the top and sides of a foot-activated switch.

When an operator keeps a foot on a foot control between cycles, it is possible to activate it at the wrong time. To help prevent inadvertent operation, foot controls should have a significant resistant force and require an amount of movement consistent with intentional actions. Human factors literature and other sources give criteria for minimum switch movement. 

When the machine started to malfunction, the dies opened but the part did not fall like it should have. Maria had learned nothing about that. She was trying to do her best. She was afraid her boss would be angry about bad parts. He was anxious when he showed her how to run the machine and was obviously under stress about the startup. As she reached into the machine to get the part loose, she accidentally bumped the foot control that tripped the machine. 

Another type of control guard is a cover over a switch, knob, or button. Covers may be full or partial. A full cover totally encloses the control. An operator must move the cover or a portion of it to access the control. Full or partial covers are common for foot controls when there is a danger of some object falhng on the control and activating it. For frequently used controls, covers may introduce inconvenience and cause someone to remove them. Designs other than covers may be better. 

Equipment must be accessible and easy to operate, even if the victim has impaired vision. Hand-pull levers, panic bars or walk-on foot controls can be used to operate a stay-open ball valve to deliver a continuous drench for the ANSI reconunended 15 minutes. The casualty must be able to remove contaminated clothing without having to hold on to a spring return valve. 

Similarly, for eyewash units, fast action is crucial with the water supply activated by pulling a handle or pressing a treadle foot control. For units that have an integral cover, the supply can be activated by simply lifting the lid. The unit should operate leaving the victim s hands free to hold the eyes open throughout the irrigation. 

Barrett, G.R., Clapp, T.G., 1995. Coprime factorization design of a novel Maglev presser foot controller. Mechatronics J. 5 (2/3), 279—294. 

Where the foot is used to control a machine, the heel should rest on a support and in operating the control the foot should only need to be raised (extended) a minimum amount and the control actuated by flexing the foot to give a fine degree of control. Foot controls that require the whole foot to be raised allow only very coarse control and are best restricted to operations that require only a simple either/or position of the control. 

Battery-Electric Equipment. This is mechanically simpler in design than engine-driven equipment. Typically, the high-torque dc electric-drive motor is coupled directly to the drive axle through a constant-mesh drive train. An electronic silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) speed-control device regulates the motor s revolutions per minute through operator foot control. Direction is reversed electrically with a delay interlock to avoid reversing motor direction while in motion. 

The following data was collected during a control rod worth determination for a twelve foot control rod, At each step, the reactor starts at critical, steady state and the reactivity added is from the rod alone,... 

Other machine features that offer protection include moveable barriers, automatic feed systems, presence-sensing devices, emergency stop control, hand control devices and mechanisms, such as pull-out devices, restraint devices, and two-hand control. Reduced speed control is used during setup, cleaning, and maintenance. Other safety mechanisms include antikickback devices, run controls, and foot controls. 

Job requires repetitive movement of feet as in operating foot controls Right Left Both ... 

Worker can use feet for repetitive raising and pushing (as in operating foot controls) Yes No... 

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