The Machine Guards Safety Program

Each piece of machinery has its own unique mechanical and non-mechanical hazards. Machines can cause a variety of injuries ranging from minor abrasions, burns or cuts to severe injuries such as fractures, lacerations, crushing injuries or even amputation. Machine guards are your first line of defense against injuries caused by machine operation. Each machine must have adequate safeguards to protect operators and other employees in the immediate work area from hazards created by in-going nip points, rotating parts, sparks and flying debris.

Why Machine Guards Safety Program is Important?

EH&S/General Safety staff developed the campus Machine Guarding Safety Program to manage the safe selection, procurement, use of and safe work practices, inspection and record keeping for all machine guarding equipment and devices. Included are guidelines for identification and correction of locations with machine guarding hazards that may endanger faculty, staff, students, and the public.

This Machine Guarding Safety Program applies to any department on campus, at field stations, or on leased property where any type of activities could result in injuries from machine operation. The campus Machine Guarding Safety written program outlines roles and responsibilities for users of machinery (including full time employees, contract employees and graduate students performing research related activities in field stations and remote research facilities) as well as those of EH&S/General Safety staff in managing this program, and “Owner Departments” that purchase, maintain and/or manage an inventory of shop, scientific, maintenance or repair machinery. Additionally, this document describes all aspects of machine guarding use, inspection, personnel accountability for the condition and use of the equipment, safe work practices, training requirements, and record keeping.

The Usage of Machine Guards

Machine guards are protective devices that cover moving pieces of machinery that may pose a danger to workers. Moving machine parts present a hazard to machine operators and flying debris can affect anyone in the vicinity of a machine. As a result, industrial machines are required by law to have guards that protect workers from the risk of injury while they are at work. If at any time, the guard has to be removed in order for maintenance to take place, all systems should be completely powered down to ensure that injuries cannot take place while the guard is not in position.

Although machines help us to perform tasks we would not otherwise be able to accomplish, they present a severe risk of workplace injuries and can be responsible for crushed limbs, amputations, burns or eye-injuries. According to legislation, any machine part that could be responsible for causing an injury must be guarded. Machine guards are the primary line of defense between workers and their machines and it is essential that they be in place and properly secured during operation in order to prevent workplace accidents and injuries. Typically, guards are seen on machines like saws, or any other reciprocating tool.