Methods of Machine Guarding

A wide variety of options are available for safeguarding machine parts. In order to choose the best option, employers and company owners must consider many factors related to the hazard by asking a few questions:

• Is there any reason for a worker to enter a hazardous area? If so, removable guards may be appropriate, possibly with a failsafe device that shuts down the machine if someone opens or removes the guard. If there is no reason for anyone to enter the hazardous area, a fixed guard may be used instead. If the machine is located in a smaller work space, guards must be designed to fit within the area.
• Are there multiple people operating the machine at once? Perhaps a two-person activation system is needed to ensure that the machine does not start without all workers in place and ready to perform their assigned tasks.

OSHA recommends that employers and company owners consider the following details when deciding on the appropriate machine safeguards:

• Type of operation
• Size or shape of stock
• Method of handling
• Physical layout of the work area
• Type of material
• Production requirements or limitations

To learn more about Machine Guarding visit our Machine Guarding Safety Online Training web page.