Metal Lathes

A lathe spins the workpiece while a cutting tool shapes it. The biggest danger is entanglement: a sleeve, glove, rag or hair caught on the rotating chuck or work can pull an arm in and cause amputations or death in seconds.

• General Industry
• Machine Shops

Hazards

• Entanglement with the rotating chuck, workpiece, lead screw or feed rod
• A chuck key left in the chuck and thrown at startup
• Hot, razor-sharp chips and long stringy swarf
• Parts flying out of a loose chuck or collet
• Long bar stock whipping out of the back of the spindle

Before starting

• Trained and authorized on this lathe
• Chuck key removed (use a self-ejecting key if available)
• Work tight in the chuck; tailstock or steady rest used for long work
• Chuck guard and chip shield in place, interlocks working
• Speed set right for the material and diameter
• Tools and rags off the ways and carriage
• Bar stock sticking out the back supported and guarded

Dress for the machine

• Short or tight sleeves, no ties, no jewelry or watches; long hair tied up and contained.
• Safety glasses, and a face shield for heavy cutting.
• No gloves near the rotating chuck or work. Gloves are for handling sharp stock and chips with the machine stopped.

Operating

• Stand to the side of the chuck when starting, in case something is thrown.
• Never reach over or around rotating work.
• Stop the machine to measure, adjust or remove chips.
• Use a chip hook or brush, never your hands or compressed air.
• Break chips with proper feeds, speeds and chip breakers.
• Know where the emergency stop is.

Setup and maintenance

Changing chucks, adjusting gibs, clearing jams in bar feeders and other servicing require lockout. A stopped machine with the switch off isn’t locked out. See Lockout/Tagout.

Last updated: October 2, 2026