In an industrial work setting, three basic types of machine guards are used which are vitally important for the protection of the workforce. Serious injuries, such as loss of fingers and toes, injuries to sensory organs such as eyes or ears, or getting arms and hands crushed, can happen if machine guards are not installed on industrial apparatus.
A machine guard will ensure that a worker's body will not have contact with the very dangerous moving parts. The three fundamental areas that are on all machines are the power transmission device, which includes pulleys, belts, flywheels and other moving parts; the point of operation, which includes shaping, cutting, forming of stock and boring; and the operating controls, which includes rotating, reciprocating, feed mechanisms and transverse moving parts.
According to Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) rules, "when the operation of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be either controlled or eliminated". OSHA also that "any machine part, function or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded".
There are still manufacturers of machinery that continue manufacturing and selling their equipment without having the necessary machine guarding that is required by OSHA. Currently, no laws exist that would require them to have the safety guards. It is the responsibility of employers to comply with OSHA requirements and ensure that all the machines have the necessary machine guards.
Machine guards will protect the operator of the machine and any other employees who are in that work area from any hazards that are created by rotating parts, sparks, flying chips and ingoing nip points. Machine guarding is made for all kinds of machines, such as custom-made barriers for safety, standard fencing, fully computerized light curtains, two-hand operating devices and plastic guards. High-temp valves and wires that are exposed also need to have machine guards.
It is important to keep in mind all the different people who will have access to the machines, such as mechanics that do scheduled maintenance on them and the janitor who could bump into them, when purchasing machine guards. The size of a machine is not relevant, even machines that are small might require guards; for example, welding something small still endangers everyone who is in the area. Whether or not they are actually attached to a machine, many guards are permanent and treated accordingly; an example would be robotics stations that have fencing around them.
Professional installation of machine guards is highly suggested; however, self-installation of some machine guards, such as safety switches, shields and lighting, could be done.
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