n V`edty DRESSMAKING

s OPERATIONAL
HEALTH AND SAFETY
IN DRESSMAKING
What is a Hazard?
• A Hazard is any source of potential damage,
harm or adverse health effects of something
or someone under conditions at work.
What is a Risk?
• A Risk is the chance or probability that a
person will be harmed or experience an
adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard.
It may also apply to situations with property or
equipment loss.
WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY
• Workplace Health and Safety is an important
factor in any sewing industry either in hand
sewing, using a sewing machine both an
electrical or a manual sewing machine.
• Posture in sewing is also an important factor.
Safety measures have to be taken seriously
especially when sharp pointed objects are
used such as, scissors, tacking pins, needles,
and other equipment.
• Safety is very important in Sewing. To make sure that everyone can learn
and have fun in a safe environment, keep the following rules in mind:

Safety rules Actual Practices in School

1. ALWAYS: Place your coats, books The students must keep their things
and bags in separate places, away on their personalized boxes.
from your sewing area
2.ALWAYS: Leave your shoes on The students must not take off their
during sewing class. You do not want shoes inside the workshop.
to accidentally step on a pin or
needle.
3.ALWAYS: Keep your fingers away Remind them to place their fingers to
from the sewing machine needle ether side of the presser foot, not
when winding the bobbin and directly in front or near the needle.
operating the machine.
4.ALWAYS: Look under your fabric Be observant all the time specially
before cutting with scissors and carry during workshop.
scissors with the sharp edge pointing
towards the floor. When the scissors
are not being used, place them on
the cutting table, sewing table, or in
your sewing box.
5.ALWAYS: Thread the needle with Check the presser foot if it’s raised or
caution and lower the pressure foot lowered. Do not force the fabric
before starting to sewing on your forward or backward while sewing.
fabric.
6.ALWAYS: Remove the pins from Do not sew over pins. This may
your fabric as you sew and place cause the sewing machine needle to
them in the pin cushion after you use break. Place the pin cushion near
them. NEVER put straight pins or you or buy the wrist pin cushion.
needles in your mouth.
7. ALWAYS: Place the iron in the Rest the iron on its heel. Never rest
upright position after use. When using it face down. When add water, be
the iron hold it by the handle only. sure the power is off.

8. ALWAYS: Let your teacher/trainer Listen to your trainer to unpacker

help you use the seam ripper the seams. Keep also the cap on
(unpicker). the seam reaper when not in use.

9. ALWAYS: Place your seam gauge, All sewing tools & materials should
ruler, scissors and pins in the sewing be kept in sewing kit box.
box after using them.

10. ALWAYS: Listen to the Operate sewing machines carefully.

teacher’s/trainer’s instructions. If you have any concerns, ask your
teacher’s/trainer’s.
 Hazards and Risk
Hazards that may be encountered when conducting
sewing activities include:
 Cut and injuries from sharp edges, knife blades,
scissors and pins.
 Holding the wrist in awkward position while cutting
with scissors cause injury to the wrist.
 Trainees hold their neck, trunk and arms in an
awkward position as they strain to see detail in an
object.
 Finger injuries while sewing
 While cutting fabric, the trainees often bend over
 the table, which may cause low back injury from
poor posture.
 Eye strain from poor lighting.
 Back injury from improper lifting procedures.
 Contingency measures
The following safety checks and precautions should
be carried out when preparing to set up when
beginning to sew (hand sewing) and use the sewing
machine.
• All sewing equipment are prepared before
commencing any sewing.
• Always have extra bobbins ready winded.
• Sewing machines must be thread ready for
sewing.
• Always have extra sewing needles incase of a
broken one.
• The sewing machine should be turned off and
isolated from the main electricity supply when not in
use.
 SEWING MACHINE
• OPERATION SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

❖ Make sure all other participants/trainees

keep away from the immediate work area at all
times.
❖ Remove the cover from the sewing machine
and replace it on the back of the chair before
use.
❖ One person only is to operate a sewing
machine at anytime
• . ❖ Do not touch a sewing machine while
another person is operating it.
• ❖ Turn the power off when making
adjustments to the sewing machine.
• ❖ Examples include changing the pressure
foot and the needle.
• ❖ Never raise the sewing machine at high
speed.
• ❖ Take care not to machine over pins.
• ❖ Make sure the take-up lever is in the
upper most position before pulling out the
fabric and cutting threads.
 RULES
• 1. Get the right tools.
• Investing in high-quality tools and supplies is
one of the best things you can do. Not only
will they last longer and work better, but they’ll
reduce the chances of catastrophe. For
example, a cheap pair of scissors won’t cut
easily, which means you’ll need to get more
aggressive while cutting your fabric, which
could lead to injury.
• Don’t sew while exhausted, intoxicated, or
ill.
This is a big one. The more tired you are, the
less you’ll pay attention, and the more likely
you are to make a dangerous mistake. Like
sewing over a finger. Or clipping your fabric
while trying to trim an errant thread.
• Use proper posture.
• I know, I know—I sound like your mother.
Sorry! But slouching at your sewing machine
can strain your neck, shoulders, and back.
Eventually, this may lead to chronic pain, or
even repetitive strain injury. Don’t hunch over
your sewing machine like a caveman! Sit
yourself directly in front of the needle, pull
your foot pedal close, put your feet flat on the
floor, and sit up straight. As a bonus, sitting
back while you’re sewing may prevent injury if
your needle breaks and tiny shards of metal
• Make sure your shears, needles, and
pins are sharp.
While this may seem counter-intuitive to
safety, it’s actually smart. Any chef will tell
you that the sharper your tools are, the
easier (and safer!) they are to use. If
you’re trying to work with dull pins, you’ll
have to push harder to get them to pierce
your fabric, which means there’s a greater
chance of stabbing yourself by accident.
The same goes for needles, scissors, and
shears. Plus, they’ll work a lot better if
• Don’t sew over your fingers.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but lots of
dressmakers head to the ER every year
because they got their fingers too close to
the needle while machine sewing. This is a
painful experience! Do your utmost to keep
your fingers away from the needle while
you’re sewing. If you’re working on a tricky
seam, instead of reaching next to the
needle to keep the fabric straight, use an
awl, a pointed chopstick, a small crochet
hook, or my personal favorite,
That Purple Thang, a tool designed to help
• Don’t put pins in your mouth.
Many dressmakers work with pins in
their mouth, not realizing how
dangerous it is. It’s easy to accidentally
swallow pins—or worse, to inhale them!
Doing so can necessitate surgery.
Google it and you’ll find firsthand stories
from those who’ve experienced this,
like Annie McCarthy, who inhaled a pin
into her lung and ended up with a six-
inch scar and permanent nerve damage
as a result.
• Turn off your sewing machine
before changing the needle.
Ever notice how your foot automatically
reaches for the foot pedal when you sit
down at your sewing machine? It’s all
too easy to accidentally tap the foot
pedal while changing the needle. The
solution is simple: turn off the machine
before removing the old needle and
inserting a new one. If your sewing
machine has a built-in safety feature,
make sure the presser foot is up, so it
• Don’t sew over your pins.
Goodness, those pesky pins have so many
safety rules! Plenty of experienced sewers
think nothing of stitching right over their
pins. Doing so is a risk, however. If the needle
hits a pin—and don’t delude yourself, sooner
or later, it will happen!—the needle may
break, flinging tiny shards of metal toward
you. Even if the needle doesn’t break, the act
of hitting a pin can damage your sewing
machine, messing up the timing, which will
require a trip to the repair shop and a
minimum of $80 to repair. Computerized
sewing machines may cost double or triple
• Don’t stretch power cords across the
floor.
If you need to use an extension cord, try to
run it along the edges of the room, so it
won’t get tripped on. The same goes for
plugging in your iron or sewing machine, or
anything with a long power cord. If the
cables stretch across the floor, it’s a hazard
—someone could stumble over them. This is
dangerous, not only because of the risk of
falling, but because it might rip the power
cord out of the wall outlet, or knock scissors
• Don’t plug too many things into one
outlet.
I don’t know a lot about electricity and
wiring, but I do know that each outlet in
your house is certified to supply a
certain amount of electricity. If you try
to plug too many things into one outlet,
it could cause your circuit breaker to
trip, shutting your power off. Or it could
cause an electrical fire. True story: My
first iron caused brownouts every time it
cycled on, because it was drawing too
• Dispose of broken pins and needles
safely.
What do you do with a broken needle? Or a
bent pin? Whatever you do, don’t just toss it
in the trash! Why not? Suppose you drop
something important into the trash and need
to fish it out. Do you really want to be
digging through a container that has loose
pins floating in it? Or suppose you knock the
wastebasket over. You may end up with
broken needles or bent pins buried in your
carpet. There’s also the risk that you’ll end
up being responsible for someone else
• Be careful.
This is pretty generic advice, but
basically it means: Don’t make stupid
mistakes. Like the time I picked up a
piece of fabric and held it in my palm
while cutting it with full-sized shears. I
cut a little bit farther than I intended
and ended up snipping into the base of
my index finger. It was a small cut, but
deep, and while it didn’t leave a scar, I
was lucky. If I’d cut the nerve, I might’ve
ended up with long-lasting damage.
• 1. LEARN THE DISTANCE
• The most obvious risk when you are using a
sewing machine is the moving needle that
you are feeding your fabric through. The best
thing you can do is the easiest step: keep
your fingers a safe distance away from the
needle. Generally speaking, this is
considered about an inch away from the
needle at all times.
• KEEP YOUR HAIR OUT OF THE WAY
• If you have long hair, it will be a nightmare if
you aren’t careful and allow it to get caught
up in the workings of your sewing machine.
Unfortunately, when you are working, leaning
over your machines to get a closer look, your
hair can be a danger if you aren’t careful.
Luckily, though, you can easily avoid any
mishaps by just pulling your hair back with a
hair tie while you work.
• CONCENTRATE
• When you are working on your sewing
machine, to stay safe you will need to focus
on what you are doing. If you aren’t, it’s easy
for an accident to happen such as a simple
slip of the hand. To avoid this, only use a
sewing machine when you are able to focus
on what you are doing.
• MAKE SURE YOUR PINS AND NEEDLES
ARE INTACT
• When you are setting your sewing machine
up, you are going to want to make sure that
any pins and needles that you use are
completely whole and undamaged. Not only
could a broken needle lead to damage to your
machine or the destruction of your fabric, but
it could also potentially become a dangerous
projectile.
• 5. DON’T SEW OVER PINS
• In the same strain as our last tip, you are
going to want to make sure that you take pins
out of our fabric as you go. Sewing over pins
can cause them to break and potentially fly
out at you. In addition to the potential danger,
though, a breaking pin could also damage
your machine or fabric.
• USE THE RIGHT MACHINE
• If you are planning on sewing throw strong or
thick fabrics, you might want to consider
using an industrial sewing machine rather
than a standard household machine.
Otherwise, you risk breaking your machine
which can lead to dangerous situations.
• BE MINDFUL OF ELECTRICITY
• When you are using your sewing machine,
you are adding electricity to the mix. So, you
need to be careful of the damage electricity
can do. You can keep yourself safe by taking
simple steps such as not overloading outfits
and not using cords that are frayed, cut, or
otherwise damaged with your machine.
• LISTEN TO YOUR MACHINE
• A theme that you might have noticed as we
have gone through these tips is that a broken
machine can spell danger. As such, you
should make sure to listen for any problems
your machine could have. If you hear any
rattling or grinding, for example, you should
consider taking your machine to get checked
out.
• SERVICE YOUR MACHINE
• A sewing machine, much like a car, needs
regular maintenance. About every 2 years,
you should take your machine to get serviced
by a professional so you can avoid the
mishaps that a broken machine can cause.
• TURN IT OFF WHEN NOT IN USE
• Don’t let your sewing machine sit on idly even
if you are only stepping away from a project
for a minute to avoid any accidents. You
should especially make sure the machine is
off and unplugged before you start making
any repairs - the last thing you want is to have
your hand in the machine and for it to cut on.
THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!
Prepared By:
Rose C. Narag