Machine Guards - Safety Requirements For Safeguards Placing and keeping machine guards on exposed machinery is a major step in preventing lacerations and amputations of body parts. It is also a requirement of State or federal OSHA Safety and Health Standards. In general, these standards explain guarding requirements in the following terms: Machines that have a grinding, shearing, punching, pressing, squeezing, drawing, cutting, rolling, mixing or similar action, including pinch points and shear points, whereas an employee comes within the danger zone, shall be guarded at the point of operation in a manner that provides protection for the employee. Keys, set...

Basic Machine Safety Basic machine safety is essential. It's tough to imagine modern society without machines hard at work all around us. New and improved machinery leads to increased productivity, higher quality, and more affordable production. But misused machines can be as harmful as they are helpful. Machines that cut metal can cut off fingers. Machines that punch through steel can punch through flesh. Such injuries can cause career-ending disabilities as well as severe pain and suffering. Be alert to these areas when working around or operating machinery: The point of operation: That is where the work of the machine takes place. It's...

Caught or Crush Injuries Each year, workers suffer approximately 125,000 caught or crushed by injuries that occur when body parts get caught between two objects or entangled with machinery. These hazards are also referred to as “pinch points.” The physical forces applied to a body part caught in a pinch point can vary and cause injuries ranging from bruises, cuts, and scalping to mangled and amputated body parts, and even death. Workers in field, industrial, and office settings are all affected by caught or crush hazards to some degree. Get training and learn about the caught/crush hazards and pinch points specific to...

Machine Safety Moving Right Along Machines are one of the leading causes of occupational injury. Improperly trained or careless operators are often the victims. So, until you’ve been trained on a machine and are authorized to run it, hands off! Before you turn on any machine, know the hazards and make a safety check. Is everybody clear? Are the guards and safety devices in place and properly adjusted? Don’t start the machine unless they are. Never tie down or block a guard or safety device. Safety features are there to protect you. Always follow established lockout/tagout procedures. Keep your machine clean. If you have...

Guard Against Machine Injuries Cleaning a jammed conveyor, reaching for a wrench, or retrieving a dropped glove are common tasks. Yet, each of these acts can lead to a serious injury. Many injuries occur during equipment maintenance. Sometimes workers try to reach past the guards while trying to service equipment or get caught in power transmissions such as belts, pulleys, running rolls, chains or sprockets. Other injuries occur when equipment is unguarded or when machinery starts unexpectedly. If some basic precautions are taken, protecting workers from these injuries can be simple, and inexpensive. Inexpensive physical controls such as machine guards can prevent...