Republic of the Philippines

Commission of Higher Education

Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology
Andres Bonifacio Ave., Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, 9200

ve., Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, 9200

The Material Testing Laboratory

of MSU-IIT: A Technical
Laboratory Safety Report

Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Sciences

KOBE BRIAN A. SARONG

September 2022

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Executive Summary

As the world progresses towards the modern machine era, a multitude of complicated
inventions have been developed by mankind, creating hazards for the users of the machine, and
with this, safety has always been a great concern for engineers. The Mindanao State University-
Iligan Institute of Technology’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology holds its
Material Testing Laboratory for testing the substances of materials on progression. The
observed hazards recommended safety precautions, and proposed actions for the well-being of
the researchers are provided in this report.

Hazards have been prominently observed during the inspection of the Material Testing
Laboratory. The most noticeable hazards are the faulty wiring on the machines that may cause
electrical hazards to the unaware researchers that may use the machine during the actual
experiment. The lack of a proper emergency exit has also been observed by the researchers.
The lack of this feature inside a laboratory may cause serious problems during emergencies
such as fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that may cause panic and stampede during
the actual scenario Also, minor hazards have also been observed. This includes the faulty power
outlet, an expired and unreplaced fire extinguisher that will be significantly important during
fire emergency events, and the dusty environment that may affect the shelf life and may cause
a deuteriation of the machine's performance as time passes by. Last but not least, the machines
themselves have minor to major defects that may affect their function during an actual
laboratory experiment.

The recommended safety precautions and the proposed actions for the well-being of the
researchers are also amended by this report. The leading formulated solutions to minimize
hazards are the following: A new or improved set of wiring systems for the machines to not
only improve the safety of the machine handler but also to increase the potential performance
of the machine for an improved desired output. It is highly recommended that a proper entrance
and exit system be installed in the Material Testing Laboratory. This will help to control the
flow of the students not only in case of an emergency but also in terms of entering and exiting
the facility in a neat and orderly manner. The defective machines are also recommended to be
replaced to ensure quality output for the handler whilst extending the lifespan of the machine.

The insurance of safety of the machine handlers is always one of the top priorities to
be considered for an effective laboratory environment and a safe place for learning new
knowledge in the essence of future use. The Mindanao State University—Iligan Institute of
Technology’s Material Testing Laboratory lacks some proper maintenance towards a safe
environment for learning. This might be caused by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic
that lasted for almost 2 years before slowly seeing a decrease in positive cases. Due to this,
adverse effects such as maintenance of the machines are affected. Evaluating the hazards
observed in the Material Testing laboratory, it is recommended to have several improvements
to achieve a safe environment of knowledge and learning.

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Table of Contents

The Material Testing Laboratory of MSU-IIT: A Technical Laboratory Safety Report ............ i
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 8
Recommendation ....................................................................................................................... 8
References .................................................................................................................................. 9
Appendices............................................................................................................................... 10

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Introduction

The Material Testing Laboratory of Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of

Technology is under the hand and maintenance of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Technology. The Material Testing Laboratory is used to determine the raw materials properties,
both the physical and mechanical. It also examines the materials components macroscopically
and microscopically. Its main purpose is to examine wide varieties of materials, this includes
steel, ceramics, or composite materials (Lloyd,2018).
The College of Engineering and Technology of Mindanao State University – Iligan
Institute of Technology laboratory works is known to be dangerous due to the machines that
are present inside the laboratory. Unproper handling of the said machine might cause physical
damage towards the user and might even cause death under extreme situations. Due to this,
Safety is deemed to be the most important aspect when undergoing laboratory works.
All the workers of the laboratory are subjected to access a safe and secure environment
under the laboratory proximity. Workplace safety and health laws establish regulations
designed primarily to eliminate personal injuries and at the same time preventing it to reoccur
at the workplace (Hassan,2013).

Hazard and Risk

The hazard and risk the was observed during the laboratory works are tackled in this
section. The details for the machines corresponding hazard and risk will be evaluated
accordingly to the observed damaged exhibited by the machine.

Figure 1 Interior Scheme of

the Room

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 Figure 1 shows the Interior design of the Material Testing Laboratory. The Figure Point
of View is located at the entrance door. The figure shows the hazard which is the absence of
an emergency exit for unprecedented disaster. There is a risk of stampede during the actual
disaster that might lead to accidents towards the people inside the laboratory.
Figure 1 also shows the inefficient style of the chair design. This design is inefficient
because the arm of the chair cannot support large number of loads exerted by the materials that
are needed to be tested. There is risk of the materials falling of causing injuries and harm
towards the researcher.

Figure 2 Expired Fire

Extinguisher

Figure 2 shows an unproper maintenance for the fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher
has been long expired for already seven years past its approved valid date. Not being properly
maintained inhibits the quick response for the faculty and staff when emergency breakouts
happen. This most common emergency for this es a fire breakout. Due to the laboratory having
a furnace, a fire related machine, it is safe to safe that having an effective fire extinguisher is a
must for the quality of safeness of the researchers and laboratory itself.

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 Figure 3.1 Faulty oil feed Figure 3.2 Faulty wiring
tube for the pneumatic system of pneumatic press
press

Figure 3.1 shows a faulty oil feeder for a pneumatic press machine. This part of the
machines delivers lubricating oil for the machine. Having an oil leak can cause a
malfunctioning of the machine. This hazard may lead to number of possible risks to both the
user and the machine itself. Due to the highly pressurize oil that might be released in form of
mist, it may cause a fire hazard. Oil leaks may also be a potential hazard for slipping to the
researchers who are unaware of the spillage.
Figure 3.2 shows a faulty wiring system of the pneumatic press machine. The faulty
wiring system is a very critical hazard to the user of the machines especially those who are
unaware. This may cause electrical shock towards the researcher, and since an oil feed is faulty
and exposed wiring are seen, fire emergencies are likely to happen when using the pneumatic
press.
Emergency sign is also absent. A better way to clarify that the machine is a hazard to
use is through an emergency sign since most researchers are unaware of the current situation
of the machine. The pneumatic press is also dusty and not too well maintained, this may be
because of the current pandemic situation but actions are needed to be imposed since the
university is already under face-to-face settings.

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 Figure 4.1 No proper Figure 4.2 Faulty wiring
warning sign of a power from a power source
source

Figure 4.1 shows a power source without a proper warning sign of “High Voltage”.
The warning sign can be easily erased overtime and may cause unaware researchers to be at
risk for electrocution. The power source is also near to the exposed oil leakage of the pneumatic
press, this is another possible cause of an emergency fire inside the laboratories.
Figure 4.2 shows a faulty wiring from another power source inside the laboratory. The
same with the Figure 4.1, the exposed wiring of Figure 4.2 might be a possible risk of
electrocution towards unaware researchers. Even though it is far-away from the oil leakage of
the pneumatic press, it still poses as a great hazard due to the lack of warning sign near the
power sources’ faulty wiring.

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Conclusion

The gathered information of the Materials Testing Laboratory has not met some of the
parameters for a fully safety environment of a laboratory of the Occupational Safety and Health
or OSHA guidelines. The following are the possible Hazard with its corresponding risk:

1. No Proper Exit Door – There’s no proper exit for the researchers and faculty during an
emergency situation such as earthquake and fire situations. Stampede might also be a
possible risk during panic at the given situation.
2. Expired Fire extinguisher – The expired and unmaintained fire extinguisher might not
come in handy during fire emergencies inside the laboratory.
3. Faulty oil feed and wiring of the Pneumatic Press – The faulty oil feed and wiring of
the machine may not only cause degradation of the machine quality output, the pair is
also a potential hazard of fire inside the laboratory.
4. Exposed wiring on the power sources – The exposed wiring on power sources may
cause electrocution of the unaware researchers.

The given hazard and its corresponding risk are an indicator that the Material Testing
Laboratory needed some major improvements to give a quality result and safe environment for
the researchers and the laboratory machines itself.

Recommendation

For a better and safer laboratory working environment, the following recommendations
are highly suggested to the faculty and staff of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
and Technology;
1. Installation of a secondary doorway to ease the flow of students, minimizing the risk
of stampede during the time of emergency situations. This is a simple yet effective way
to properly control the traffic at time of emergencies.
2. Installment of a new set of fire extinguisher is also preferable for a more reliable tool
during fire emergencies. Even though fire extinguisher can also be used past its
effective date, a more reliable one is still recommended for a better quality of the
equipment during fire accidents.
3. Improvement or Replacement of the old Pneumatic Press machine for a safer and a
better result quality of the desired output. If improvement is to be considered, a weekly
or monthly maintenance and proper inspection of the machine is recommended.
4. Total replacement of the faulty wirings from the power sources and machines. This is
an effective way to maximize the achieve the desired output while promoting a safety
environment of the researchers and the machines itself.

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References

3 common hydraulic press problems, causes, and prevention options. (2021, June 4).
Quadfluiddynamics.com. https://www.quadfluiddynamics.com/3-common-hydraulic-
press-problems-causes-and-prevention-options

An Introduction to Material Testing - Why is it Important? (2018, September 12). Azom.com.

https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=16732

Brauninger, R. (2012, February 17). Factors to consider in choosing a testing laboratory.

Quality Assurance & Food Safety.
https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/qa0212-testing-laboratory/

(N.d.). Researchgate.net. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277090616_Laboratory_safety_guideline

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Appendices

MET-MT

Appendix A The location of the Material Testing Laboratory

Appendix B
The students under laboratory time observing the hazards and risk inside the Material
Testing Laboratory

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