Chapter 6

Minimizing Mechanical
Hazards
MACHINERY SAFETY
The responsibility for machinery safety falls
broadly into three categories

4. The Machine designer, who has responsibility

of creating a machine that is safe to use.
5. The employer who has the responsibility for
the safe operation of the machine in all
working decisions
6. The operator who have been instructed by the
employer on the correct use on the machine,
has the responsibility of operating it in a safe
manner.
MECHANICAL HAZARDS

Injuries from machines generally result

from a failure to understand the involved
of hazards. It is moreover due from poor
safety design which fails to reduce their
potential for harm to safe working
conditions. Although machines are
designed to do a variety of tasks there is
one factor that is common to all of them;
they use motion in their operation.
There are three general kinds of motion that
cause different types of hazards;

3. Rotary motion

2. Reciprocating motion

3. Relative motion- person to machine

Reciprocating Movement

The primary danger from this kind of

motion occurs when the forward stroke
completes its travel, forming a trap
between the moving part and the
stationary part of the machine.
There are two general types of hazard from
reciprocating motion. There are;

1.Cutting action- the moving part has a sharp

edge, e.g., guillotines and some presses.

2. Pressing action- The process is not designed

to cut, but press and hammer into shape, e.g.,
drop forges, power presses and injection
moulding machine.
The secondary hazard from this operation is the
possible projectile formation if parts break away
from the system as a result of the hammer
action.
ROTARY MOTION
2. IN RUNNING NIP
This hazard may occur with gears, rollers, and
contra-rotating mixers. The hazard also
occurs in linear motion component that runs
over rotating parts conveyor belts or chain
drives.
 There are a number of cases where this
particular hazard is encountered in shops and
plants. Common among them are gearings,
rollers, and rotating mixers. Moreover, it may
occur also when a linearly moving machine part
runs over a driving or driven sprocket, sheave,
or pulley.
 Single rotating parts that can cause a “nip”
are worn drives where they move into a
stationary opening.
2. ENTANGLEMENT
This occurs when circular motion
causes something external to become wrapped
around the moving part.

3. A relatively smooth surface on which wrap-

around occurs. The danger here is related to the
velocity and the diameter of the revolving part.
High velocity/ small diameters produce the most
risky situations.
 This hazards includes connecting rods,
revolving shafts or smooth lathe work pieces,
bolt ends, castellated edges, etc.
4. PROJECTILES
This occurs when the body in rotary motion
breaks up or a part becomes detached, e.g.,
abrasive wheels-break up or discharging of
particles, swarf from drilling, boring or turning,
and tools or parts falling onto revolving systems.
5. FRICTION
Any smooth revolving high speed surface
can, on contact with the skin cause friction
burn, like abrasive wheels and shafts.

Cutting action- This is a risks found in bladed

and shearing equipment common not only in
shops and factories but also in the homes.

f) By machine designed to cut, e.g., circular

saws, circular slicers, rotary planes, beaters,
and spike drums.

h) By machines not to designed to cut, e.g., fan

blades, spoked flywheels, etc., (linear motion in
conjunction with rotary motion) and projecting
fasteners on belts.
RELATIVE MOTION
This hazard occurs when a person is in
motion and the machine is stationary. Injury
can occur:

d) By a person being cut with sharp edges on

machine tools, machine structures or work
pieces;

b) By a person tripping over or walking into

projection of a machine.
MECHANICAL SAFEGUARDING

A great variety of machines can be guarded

with commercial devices; other require specially
designed guards. Standard guards for such
machines as power presses, circular sows,
paper knives, and other hazardous machines
are designed to fit a wide variety of sizes and
types of equipment.
POINT OF OPERATION
- point of operation guards are installed
at those parts of machines where cutting,
shaping, or forming is performed, and at
other points where they may be hazard to
operators inserting or manipulating stock.
 Protection should be given to operators both
from moving machine parts and from moving
materials. This may be done by safeguarding of
the following types:

1 mechanical feeding and ejecting devices

2 two hand control device
5 interlocking devices
4 devices that interrupt movement of tools or
machines
5 devices that pull or push the operator’s hands
away from the danger zone
6 redesign of machine so that it is impossible for
the operator to get into the danger zone
7 barricades, covers, hood guards, and other
enclosures
 Automatic feeding and ejecting
devices, enclosure guards, sweep guards,
hand or arm “pull back” and stroke
limitation, among the means used to
control the hazards of power operation.

GUARD DESIGN POINTERS- This

protection must be positive and must as
nearly as possible, complete control or
eliminate the hazard. The design of the
machinery guard, therefore, must attain
the following:
1 Designed guards as to readily permit oiling
without exposure to hazard, to permit repairs
and designed for easy movement and
replacement when necessary.

3 Guard must contribute to efficient operation of

the machine and not to contribute to the
discomfort of the worker. Care must be taken
at times to provide ventilation where a guard
might lead to overheating or contribute to it.

3 Should not weaken the structure of the

machine resistance to fire, corrosion,
resistance to normal wear and shock with
minimum maintenance with possible damage
of equipment.
1 Interlock the machine if possible so the
machine can not be operated unless the
guards are in position.

3 Protect people exposed too the hazard

whether passing or working in the vicinity.

6 Must prevent new hazard such as shear

point, pinch point, sharp corners, etc. These
are the basic faults of poor design and
construction of guards.
STANDARDS FOR GUARDS-
Appropriate standards must be followed
when machine guards are designed and
installed. Appropriate code and standards must
be consulted for details and final determination
of materials to be used in the manufacture of
machine guards. This is basic to securing
uniformity of recommendations among safety
engineers or inspectors.
Certain general principles should be
observed about guards. Their advantages and
limitations are essential as starting point for
practical machinery safeguarding.
CODE FOR MACHINE GUARDS
This is guide manufacturers and users of
machinery guards.

1 It is legal responsibility to have machinery

guarded but our present safety codes do not
adequately define what suitable guard is.

2 Safety inspectors in interpreting the suitable

guard use vague terms as adequate, sufficient,
etc., which lead to more confusion and little
action.
MACHINE GUARDING
Safety Engineers find difficulty devising and
implementing worthwhile factory safety
programs. Nevertheless, resourcefulness on the
part of the safety executives, may overcome the
problem.

Examples of guards that may be made from

cheap materials common in the plant or
machinery yard.
DOMESTICALLY MANUFACTURED GUARDS
Homemade guards are often necessary to
make certain equipment safer to operate when
such equipment was not properly guarded by its
manufacturer. This is usually the best alternative
for old and obsolete equipment.
Advantages:
4 Custom made guards are satisfactory and the
cheapest for transmission machinery.

6 If the plant has its own machine shop, they can

be designed to fit a nonstandard situation.
1 Sometimes they are cheaper for point of
operations if the plant has a machinery and the
skill to make them.

3 They can be installed on individual dies and

feeding mechanisms.

5 Safeguarding work by the plant personnel

can help to promote safety consciousness
among the employees.
Disadvantages:
2 They cannot be fitted into the design of the
machines.

4 They are often weak and not durable; they are

not properly constructed.

6 They are often made by inexperience

personnel; their value is dependent on the
designer.

4 They are difficult to design and construct so

as to interlock with the controls.
FOREIGN MANUFACTURED GUARDS
Advantages:
1 Imported guards are usually cheaper than
homemade guards of similar effectiveness.
2 They are designed for standard machine
models.
3 There’s no danger of weakening the machine
structure.
4 They are strong, durable, and less likely to
be removed.
5 They can be often be made to interlock with
the controlling mechanism.
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF SAFETY
GUARDS

Guards of all points of operation and

transmission should be included in the regular
schedule of plant inspection because of the
inclination to operate the machine without
guards. If the guards is not functioning perfectly
or is removed for repair a consistent checkup is
important not only to keep the guard functioning
but to catch with minor repairs those conditions
which might require major and expensive
correction.
Supervisor should frequently check the conditions
and operations of guards and enforce the proper
usage. Any attempt on the part of the machine
operators to make the guard inoperative such as
blocking, or tying down interlocks, electrical
contacts and two hand controlling must be
prevented.

Every employee should be instructed on the

functions and value of the guards on his
machine. The employee who understands the
purpose of the guard will not assume the attitude
that guards are unnecessary nuisances.