Machinery that’s powerful enough, sharp enough, and fast enough to bend metal and cut wood is obviously able to do serious damage to human flesh and bone. That’s why machine guards are required at all points where workers could possibly come in contact with dangerous moving parts.
The general requirements section of OSHA’s Machinery and Machine Guarding standard (29 CFR 1910.212-219) states that one or more methods of machine guarding must be provided to protect operators and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks.
Guarding at the point of operation—the area where work is performed on the material being processed—is specifically mentioned for such equipment as shears, power presses, milling machines, and power saws. It’s on this kind of equipment that most amputations occur.
Examples of guarding methods include barrier guards such as interlocking and adjustable guards, two-hand tripping devices, and electronic safety devices like presence-sensing devices.
Make sure your employees understand the importance of machine guards and other safety devices in your workplace. Try a demo of BLR’s remarkable new Employee Training Center at no cost or obligation.<
Yet, despite good technology and lengthy regulations that spell out detailed guarding requirements, machine guarding makes OSHA’s top 10 violations list practically every year. Why? Unfortunately, some employers and employees ignore the requirements and remove or disable guards in favor of faster operation or reduced maintenance, or simply because they don’t understand how important machine guards are.
Machine Guard Guidelines
Of course, machine guards do matter—very much. They prevent dreadful accidents that result in amputations, mangled limbs, and, not infrequently, a brutal, painful death.
To keep your employees safe when they work with machinery, make sure they follow these simple machine guard guidelines:
Check that guards are in place at all points where you could contact moving parts before turning the machine on.
Report any missing or malfunctioning guards. Never use a machine with a missing or malfunctioning guard. Shut the machine down and tag it out. Do not use it again until the problem is fixed.
Use lockout/tagout procedures when guards must be removed to repair or service a machine.
Check machines after repair or maintenance to be sure guards are back in place and working properly.
Train for Safety
You’ll find machine guard training materials for your employees in the same place you can find training materials on so many other essential safety training topics—online at BLR’s Employee Training Center.
In fact, the Employee Training Center has more than 45 safety training courses. These are all motivational, actionable programs—for both supervisors and employees—in such key areas as hazard communication, back safety, general workplace safety, bloodborne pathogens, OSHA requirements, and many more. And, what’s more, we add new programs continually.
Unlimited training—one low cost. Demo the new Employee Training Center. There’s no cost or obligation.
Just as important, the Employee Training Center automatically documents training. As trainees sign on, their identifications are automatically registered. And when the program is completed, the trainee’s score is entered. So, when you want to see who has or hasn’t yet trained on any subject, or look at the across-the-board activity of any one employee, it’s all there, instantly available to you, your boss, an inspector—even a plaintiff’s attorney.
The Employee Training Center also includes a similar selection of HR courses-you decide whether you want just the safety courses or both the safety and HR modules.
And from the standpoint of your accounting office (an important standpoint in these tight times), you always know exactly what training will cost, no matter how many programs you use or how many times you use them. There’s just one low annual fee for unlimited training, calculated by the size of your workforce. Budget once and you’re done!
We urge you to sign up for a no-obligation demo by visiting the new Employee Training Center. Or, feel free to call our customer service people toll-free at 866-696-4827.
OSHA has proposed a rule that would align its hazard communication standard (HCS) with provisions of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).