Singapore issues guidelines to improve safety in 3D printing

Enterprise Singapore (a government agency dedicated to supporting enterprise development), the Singapore Standards Council, and the Standards Development Organisation announced the launch of a new technical reference (TR) on ‘Safety of Additive Manufacturing Facilities’ – TR 87. The aim of the technical reference is to provide guidance to local companies working on additive manufacturing (AM) – also known as 3D printing – on safe setup, operations, and maintenance of AM facilities. In particular, it promotes the use of a safety framework for AM facilities and for managing hazardous material, by outlining a series of risk management systems designed to support the safe use, handling, and storage of metal powders and AM equipment in a controlled environment. The TR also includes an overview of safety measures to protect workers from direct exposure to metal powders, high-power, and high-heat energy sources and systems.