Machine Guards

Their like Elephants they never forget

to injure you if left off during
operations

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 Before you touch that Guard
• Is the machine turned off
• Is the machine Lock out and Tagged out
properly
• HOW DO YOU KNOW!

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 Why are machines not guarded?
• No one would stick their arm, hand, finger,
head, etc. in there.
• No one is supposed to be back there, in there,
around it while it is running.
• The machine came that way; it never had a
guard.
• I’ve been doing it this way for twenty years
without any problems.

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 Why are machines not guarded?
(cont.)
• The guard is in the way
• The OSHA inspector didn’t say anything about
it.
• We’ll put it back on if OSHA comes.

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 Emphasis on Amputations :
Where does it apply?
• General industry employers whose
workplaces include:
– shears
– saws
– slicers
– slitters
– power presses
– (the 4sP barand a P)
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 Requirements for Safeguards
• Prevent contact - prevent worker’s body or clothing from
contacting hazardous moving parts
• Secure - firmly secured to machine and not easily removed
• Protect from falling objects - ensure that no objects can fall
into moving parts
• Create no new hazards - must not have shear points,
jagged edges or unfinished surfaces
• Create no interference - must not prevent worker from
performing the job quickly and comfortably
• Allow safe lubrication - if possible, be able to lubricate the
machine without removing the safeguards

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 Where machine hazards occur:
• Point of operation
• Mechanical power transmission
• Other moving parts

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Machine Hazards
Machine Guarding
 In-Running Nip Points
Rotating Belt and
cylinders pulley

Chain and Rack and

sprocket pinion

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Methods of machine safeguarding
• Physical guards
• Devices
• Location/Distance

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 Methods of Machine Safeguarding

• Guards • Location/distance
– fixed • Feeding and ejection methods
– interlocked – automatic and/or semi-
– adjustable automatic feed and ejection
– self-adjusting – robots
• Devices
• Miscellaneous aids
– presence sensing
– awareness barriers
– pullback
– protective shields
– restraint
– safety controls (tripwire cable, – hand-feeding tools
two-hand contol, etc.)
– gates

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 Guards
• Fixed
• Interlocked
• Adjustable
• Self-adjusting

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 Fixed Guard
Provides a barrier - a permanent part of the
machine, preferable to all other types of guards.

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 Interlocked Guard
When this type of guard is opened or removed, the
tripping mechanism and/or power automatically
shuts off or disengages, and the machine cannot
cycle or be started until the guard is back in place.

Interlocked
guard on
revolving drum

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 Adjustable Guard
Provides a barrier which may be adjusted to
facilitate a variety of production operations.

Bandsaw blade
adjustable guard

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 Self-Adjusting Guard
Provides a barrier which moves according to
the size of the stock entering the danger area.

Circular table saw

self-adjusting guard

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 Safeguarding devices
• Presence sensing
• Pullback
• Restraint
• Safety controls and trips
• Gates

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 Pullback Device
• Utilizes a series of cables
attached to the operator’s
hands, wrists, and/or arms
• Primarily used on machines
with stroking action
• Allows access to the point of
operation when the slide/ram
is up
• Withdraws hands when the
slide/ram begins to descend

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 Pullback Device (cont’d)

• Hands in die, feeding • Die closed

• Point of operation exposed • Hands withdrawn from
• Pullback device attached point of operation by
and properly adjusted pullback device

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 Restraint Device
• Uses cables or straps attached
to the operator’s hands and a
fixed point
• Must be adjusted to let the
operator’s hands travel within
a predetermined safe area
• Hand-feeding tools are often
necessary if the operation
involves placing material into
the danger area

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 Safety Tripwire Cables
• Device located around the
perimeter of or near the
danger area
• Operator must be able to
reach the cable to stop
the machine

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 Two-Hand Control
• Requires constant, concurrent
pressure to activate the
machine
• The operator’s hands are
required to be at a safe
location (on control buttons)
and at a safe distance from
the danger area while the
machine completes its closing
cycle

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 Gate
• Movable barrier device which protects the operator at the
point of operation before the machine cycle can be started
• If the gate does not fully close, machine will not function

Gate Open Gate Closed

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 Safeguarding by Location/Distance
• Locate the machine or its
dangerous moving parts so that
they are not accessible or do
not present a hazard to a
worker during normal operation
• Maintain a safe distance from
the danger area

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 Automatic Feed
(shown on power press)

Transparent
Enclosure
Guard
Stock Feed
Roll

Danger
Area

Completed Work

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 Robots
• Machines that load and
unload stock, assemble
parts, transfer objects, or
perform other tasks
• Best used in high-
production processes
requiring repeated
routines where they
prevent other hazards to
employees

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 Protective Shields
These do not give complete protection from machine
hazards, but do provide some protection from flying
particles, splashing cutting oils, or coolants.

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Are you standing in the Gotcha Zone

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 Holding Tools
• Used to place and
remove stock in the
danger area
• Not to be used instead
of other machine
safeguards, but as a
supplement

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 Never forget
• One or more methods of machine guarding
shall be provided to protect the operator and
other employees in the machine area from
hazards such as those created by the point of
operation, in-going nip points, rotating parts,
flying chips and sparks.

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 Never forget
• The point of operation of machines whose
operation exposes an employee to injury, shall
be guarded

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 Never forget
• When the periphery of the blades of a fan is
less than seven (7) feet above the floor or
working level, the blades shall be guarded.
The guard shall have openings no larger than
1/2 inch.

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 Never forget
• Machines designed for a fixed location shall
be securely anchored to prevent walking or
moving.

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 Never forget
• Each circular hand-fed ripsaw shall be guarded
by a hood which shall completely enclose that
portion of the saw above the table and that
portion of the saw above the material being
cut. The hood and mounting shall be arranged
so that the hood will automatically adjust
itself to the thickness of and remain in contact
with the material being cut without
considerable resistance.

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 Never forget
• Each hand-fed circular ripsaw shall be
furnished with a spreader to prevent material
from squeezing the saw or being thrown back
on the operator.

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 Never forget
• Each hand-fed circular ripsaw shall be
provided with non-kickback fingers or dogs so
located as to oppose the thrust or tendency of
the saw to pick up the material or throw it
back toward the operator.

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 Never forget
• Each circular crosscut table saw shall be
guarded by a hood which shall meet all the
requirements of 1910.213(c)(1) for hoods for
circular resaws.

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 Never forget
• Work rests shall be adjusted closely to the
wheel with a maximum opening of one-eighth
inch to prevent the work from being jammed
between the wheel and the rest, which may
cause wheel breakage.

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 Abrasive Wheel Machinery
The distance between the wheel periphery and the
adjustable tongue must never exceed 1/4-inch.

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 Never forget
• Press brakes, hydraulic and pneumatic power
presses, bulldozers, hot bending and hot
metal presses, forging presses and hammers,
riveting machines and similar types of fastener
applicators are excluded from the
requirements of this section.

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 Never forget
• The pedal mechanism shall be protected to
prevent unintended operation.
• A pad with a nonslip contact area shall be
firmly attached to the pedal.

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 Never forget
• A two-hand trip shall have the individual
operator’s hand controls protected against
unintended operation and be arranged to
require use of both hands.
• Two-hand trip systems on full revolution
clutch machines shall incorporate an
antirepeat feature.
• If two hand trip systems are used on multiple
operator systems, each operator shall have a
separate set of controls.

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 Never forget
• It shall be the responsibility of the employer
to establish and follow a program of periodic
and regular inspections of power presses.

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 Never forget
• It shall be the responsibility of the employer
to insure the original and continuing
competence of personnel caring for,
inspecting, and maintaining power presses.

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 Power Tools
• Classification by power source
– Electric
– Pneumatic
– Liquid Fuel
– Hydraulic
– Powder Actuated

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 Power Tools (cont.)
• Portable Circular Saws
– Upper blade guard
– Lower blade guard
• Automatically returns
to starting position
 Power Tools (cont.)
– Constant Pressure
Switch
• Saws and Chainsaws
– Lock-on control (single
motion turnoff)
Pneumatic Power Tools and Hose
– Tool Retainer – A tool retainer must be installed
on each piece of equipment where ejection could
result
– Airhose – Hose and hose connections must be
designed for the pressure and service to which
they are subjected

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Explosive Actuated Fastening Tools
– Must meet requirements in ANSI A10.3-1970
– Operators and assistants must wear eye
protection
– Head and face protection dependent on working
conditions

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 Explosive Actuated Tools (Cont.)
• Muzzle must have protective shield or guard
at least 3 ½ inches in diameter.
• Firing must be dependent on at least 2
separate and distinct operations.
• Firing mechanism must prevent tool from
firing during loading, while preparing, if
dropped.

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 Explosive Actuated Tools (Cont.)
• Tools must not be loaded until just before
intended firing.
• Do not point at anyone!
• Fasteners not driven into hard/brittle or easily
penetrable material
• Tools not used in hazardous atmosphere

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 Never forget

• You are in the GOTCHA ZONE IF THERE IS NO

GUARD INPLACE TO PROTECT YOU
• GO AHEAD SEE HOW STRONG YOU ARE
WRESTLE WITH THE BULL I GUARENTEE YOU
WILL NOT COME OUT THE SAME WAY
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