A Health and Safety Guideline for Your Workplace

Machine Safety

Introduction ●● Where you feed materials into the machine:

loading, cleaning.
In Ontario today people are still becoming
injured, sick or killed as a result of hazards around ●● Where the machine cuts, turns, drills, shapes,
machinery and equipment in every industry. punches, or moves in any way: cleaning and
maintenance, trouble shooting and repair,
There are numerous potential hazards around adjusting, setting up.
machinery and equipment. ●● At the gears, wheels, cylinders, belts, rollers,
chains, cables, sprockets, cams: cleaning and
Safety Hazards maintenance, trouble shooting and repair,
●● Contact with Moving Parts adjusting, setting up.

●● Contact with Electricity, Heat, Fire, Cold, ●● Around lift trucks and moving equipment.
Other Energies ●● Around conveyors, elevators, and cranes.
●● Contact with Pressurized Gas Or Liquid ●● Around any machinery and equipment that can
release energy on you.
Health Hazards
●● Contact with Harmful Chemicals Types of Machine Motion
●● Contact with Harmful Noise, Radiation, The diagrams below show rotational motion
Vibration hazards with various machinery parts and
equipment: at pulley, drill, circular saw, rollers,
●● Lack of Adequate Workplace Ergonomics: grinding wheel, lathe, shaft, router, milling, boring
handling and process design machine, gear and chain, pulley and belt, nip
●● Harmful Actions to the Environment and points, roller/gear in-running nips, etc.
Community

Safety Hazards
Where?
●● At the controls: starting or stopping, set-up,
adjusting.

© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.

The diagrams below show reciprocating motion What Can happen?
hazards with various machinery parts and These motions have different actions and can
equipment: at press, jig saw, drill press, cutters, therefore result in one or several types of injury.
shears, stitching and sewing machines, guillotine
blades, shear action of cutting die, punch action of
Motion Action Type of Injury
press, power hammer, riveter, robotic arm, etc.
Rotating Cutting/ Laceration/
Trapping Amputation
Back and Impact/ Fracture/
Forth, Up and Struck by Amputation
Down
Straight Line Entanglement/ Sprain/Strain
Pulled by Fracture
Amputation

Contact with Electricity, Fire,

Heat, Cold, other Energies
Where?
You can contact electricity, heat, fire, or cold:
●● at power panels, electrical circuits, power lines,
The diagrams below show transverse motion ovens, and heating elements
hazards with various machinery parts and ●● around chemical containers, vats, pipes,
equipment: at conveyor belt, band saw, belt sander, pumps, and compressors
lift truck, robots, drill press, press, etc.
●● around cranes, hoists, other lifting devices
●● during service and repair jobs

What can happen?

Without protective guards and devices on
machines, without following safe work procedures,
or having the right personal protection:
●● you could get hurt if you make contact with:
electricity (e.g. faulty ground), flames, hot or
cold materials, and surfaces around machinery
●● you can suffer burns – and in some cases
freeze injuries – around welding, soldering
jobs, freezing equipment, electrical panels and
circuits, molten, baking, heating, steaming,
extruding, plating jobs

Machine Safety
2
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
●● you can be burned or crushed if fuel catches ●● machine lubricants, degreasers, coolants,
fire and chemical equipment explodes protectants, releasing agents, paint, fuel,
cleaners
●● you can get hurt if equipment or materials
fall due to uncontrolled gravitational or ●● at plating jobs, vats, tanks
mechanical energies, such as problems with
●● during service and repair jobs
incorrectly slinging/rigging or lifting loads by
crane or hoist ●● piping systems, valves, sumps, reservoirs

Contact with Pressurized Gas What can happen?

or Liquid Without guards on machines, without following
safe work procedures, or having the right personal
Where? protection – especially complying with specific
You can contact high pressure liquid or gas: WHMIS requirements:
●● at nozzles of pressurized cleaning and painting ●● you could get hurt if you make contact with
spray lines, air jets splashed chemical liquids, powders, dusts,
fumes, vapours, mists, and gels or grease used
●● around injectors, autoclaves, extruders, around machinery
chemical containers, vats, pipes, pumps and
compressors ●● you could contact harmful chemicals that can
burn, explode, corrode, poison, or irritate, e.g.,
●● during cleaning, service, and repair jobs metal working fluids, lubricants

What can happen? Contact with Harmful Noise,

Without guards on machines, without following Radiation, Vibration
safe work procedures, or having the right personal
protection: Where?
●● you could get hurt if you make contact with You can contact harmful noise or radiation at or
high pressurized gas or liquid around machinery and equipment. Sound waves
and radiation energy can travel throughout broader
●● pressurized gas or liquid can puncture skin, zones in the workplace:
cut, and blind you
●● at stamping, sawing, grinding, polishing jobs
●● pressurized air or liquid can inject you with
harmful chemicals or bacteria ●● at welding, cutting jobs
●● at finishing, curing job

Contact with Harmful Chemicals

What can happen?
Where?
Without guards on machines, without following
You can contact harmful chemicals at or around safe work procedures, or having the right personal
machinery and equipment. Chemical liquids, protection:
dusts, fumes and gases can travel throughout the
●● some equipment can release harmful noise or
workplace:
radiation that can destroy your hearing, blind
●● at or near production and paint jobs, welding, you, burn, or damage your internal organs
soldering, cutting, boring, grinding, tapping, (e.g., certain kinds of radiation)
reaming, lapping, drilling, broaching
●● some equipment vibrations can injure soft body
tissues, joints

Machine Safety
3
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
Harmful Lack of Adequate What can happen?
Workplace Ergonomics: ●● Soft tissue injury: e.g. sprain can happen.
Handling and Process Design ●● Injury causes accident: e.g. sprain can cause
fall or dropping, then set off another accident.
Where?
●● Trigger Finger: repeated finger flexion,
●● Excessive repetition of tasks. prolonged gripping.
●● Excessive force used in tasks. ●● Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: repeated wrist
●● Prolonged and repetitious, awkward postures extension or flexion, ulnar deviation, excessive
during work. pinch force.
●● Mechanical stress, excessively stressful ●● Raynaud’s Phenomenon: in fingers due to
handling. prolonged use of vibrating tools.
●● Vibration. ●● Tenosynovitis: forceful pinching, ulnar
deviation, prolonged gripping.
●● Excessive and prolonged cold, heat, poor
lighting, noise. ●● Epicondylitis: prolonged and excessive rotation
of the forearm.
●● Any of the above, not excessively necessarily,
but in combination. ●● Tendinitis: in biceps from forceful flexion of
the forearm.
Awkward Handling Postures alone may include: ●● Rotator Cuff Tendinitis: from working
repeatedly with arms above shoulder level.
●● elbows raised above wrist height
●● excessive wrist bending/deviation
Legislation
●● pinching materials/products/tools constantly or
constant hammering Workplace machine safety law in Ontario is based
on the Occupational Health and Safety Act and
●● forearm rotation or twisting constantly
Regulations for Industrial Establishments
●● extreme elbow bending/flexion (R.R.O. 851/90).
●● back bending/flexion, twisting or lateral
In the Act, the sections dealing with responsibilities
bending excessively
of employers (s.25), supervisors (s.27) and workers
(s.28) set out general duties with respect to
Inadequate Workplace Design alone may include: machine safety.
●● improperly designed hand tools: for any user,
The Industrial Establishments Regulations (IER)
or specific individual
has the following more specific provisions:
●● improperly designed work stations/surfaces:
forces worker to adapt against body design ●● Preventing Access to Exposed Part: guards
must protect person from moving part.
●● improperly measured working heights/levels
(IER, s.24)
●● improper process: excessive specialization
●● In-running Nip Hazard, Guard or Device:
or excessive line speed: lack of job physical
guards must protect person from these hazards.
variety or muscle relief for any user, or specific
(IER, s.25)
individuals

Machine Safety
4
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
●● Waste Stock and Protection: guards must Controls
protect person from processed materials, not
just the moving machinery/equipment parts. There are several means for controlling machine
(IER, s.26) hazards:
●● Safety Guards and Devices.
●● Emergency Stop on Machine: machine must
have this, easy to see and reach. (IER, s.27) ●● Safety Procedures and Practices.
●● Operating Control for Machine: control ●● Personal Protection.
that acts as a guard must be in safe zone for
operator, cannot be operated accidentally, and
must not be made ineffective, e.g., tied down. Safety Guards and Devices
(IER, s.28) ●● Guards and safety devices can help protect you
●● Start Up Warning Devices: needed where no from dangerous contact.
visibility of moving parts. (IER, s.33) ●● Guards, barriers, and safety devices must
●● Conveyors: provision of guards. (IER, s.34) prevent your fingers, arms – or your whole
body – from getting into a danger zone.
●● Lockout: lockout requirements (IER, S.42, 42.1)
●● Guards must be designed and placed correctly:
●● Stopping and Blocking Machine: the right size opening and distance to person.
machine must be motionless and moving parts
blocked before any cleaning, oiling, adjusting, ●● Guards must work well and fit the machine
repairing or maintaining work is done on any right – always.
part of the machine. (IER, s.75)
●● Starting a Machine: controls and other control Types of Guards
mechanisms must be locked out as well as other
precautions (e.g., blanking off, energy release) ●● Fixed Barriers
where starting the machine or equipment may ●● Interlocking Guards: electrical, mechanical
endanger the worker. (IER, s.76)
●● Adjustable and Self-adjusting Guards

There are also separate standards which apply:

Types of Safety Devices
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
●● Pullbacks and Holdbacks
CAN/CSA-Z432-04 Safeguarding of Machinery
(focus in this guideline). ●● Presence-sensing Devices
●● Two-hand Control
CAN/CSA-Z434-03 Industrial Robots and Robot
Systems – General Safety. ●● Safety Blocks
●● Tools: Feeding/Holding Tools
CAN/CSA-Z142-02 Code for Punch Press and
Brake Press Operation: Health, Safety, and
Guarding Requirements.

CAN/CSA-Z460-05 Control of Hazardous

Energy – Lockout and Other Methods

Machine Safety
5
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
Safety Procedures and Practices 4. Attach locks/locking devices and tags: Sign
and attach warning tag(s).
Safety practices and procedures include:
5. Control stored energy: Use safety blocks
Proper lockout procedure between dangerous parts that could move and
Use lockout procedures before service, injure.
maintenance, or repair jobs on machines/ 6. Verify isolation of equipment: Test controls
equipment. to see that the machine can’t go and has no
built-up energy left.
Job/task standard operating procedures
7. Release from lockout control: This will
Safe work steps to check, set up machines, start, ensure safe return to service for all workers
and finish job or task.

Inspection and maintenance Job/task analysis

For the machinery, guards, and your entire work Job/task analysis provides a process for developing
area, regularly and often. actual working procedures – how the job is
performed – with appropriate controls in place for
health, safety and environmental protection.
Emergency preparation and regular drills
To be prepared and able to respond effectively to Inspections
minimize loss.
Types of Inspections:
Human factor planning ●● Pre-start up, pre-operational
To allow you regular relief and change from ●● Monthly plant inspection (JHSC)
repetitive tasks on production lines, to avoid
●● Manufacturer’s recommendations
fatigue, strains, sprains, and other injuries or
accidents through regular breaks and task variety. ●● Supervisory/management inspection
●● Maintenance
Training
●● MOL inspection
WHMIS and chemical health and safety, inspecting
your workplace and housekeeping, emergency
response. Summary
Effective and efficient inspections are procedures
Lockout procedure meant to verify that work is being carried
A proper lockout procedure has seven steps: out according to predetermined safe standard
operating procedures. *Also, inspections verify
1. Prepare for shutdown: gather required
the state of appropriate, safe physical conditions
materials, notify appropriate personnel.
with effectively controlled components, process
2. Shut down the equipment: Disconnect power/ equipment, and materials.
shut down and release energy that can move
any part of the machine (electricity, gravity, air/ *Standard Operating Procedures are developed
fluid/steam pressure, springs or mechanical). through the use of Job/Task Analysis. Owner’s/
Manufacturer’s manuals’ recommended procedures
3. Isolate the Equipment: Isolate the system are helpful, especially for high priority processes
from all energy sources. and critical tasks.

Machine Safety
6
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
Emergency preparation
Human Factors Checklist Yes
The company should have an emergency policy
and procedure contained in an emergency plan. 1. Is the worker exposed to unrelieved 
●● Know the signs of possible emergencies. repetitive movements in the job
process?
●● Know how to shut down your equipment in
case of emergency. 2. Does the worker’s task demand 
●● Know where to find the fire extinguishers. moving too frequently, with
excessive force, or too long?
●● Know when and how to use the fire
extinguishers. 3. Is the worker’s body position, e.g., 
●● Know where to find the first aid area and first arms, legs, back, neck in poor
aid kit. alignment/awkward postures?

●● Know whom to call for help in a health or 4. Is the workstation/equipment 

safety emergency. improperly placed/disorganized
Know where to go in case of emergency. causing poor movement?
●●

5. Are tools and other equipment 

designed to prevent healthy
Human factors planning working positions?
Human factors planning is part of workplace 6. Are processes and workstations 
machine safety and health. A significant number designed to force long reaches,
of Ontario injuries involve not only amputations stretches, deep bends?
and similar trauma, but many less dramatic strains,
sprains, and related overuse/repetitive task injuries, 7. Is the worker uncomfortable 
which are, however, serious. during any tasks or procedures of
the job?
The following checklist questions can be used
to identify work activity “symptoms” that may 8. Can any body part get caught in 
have potential for developing into real problems moving parts, between objects,
that require control. (“Yes” answers indicate a have harmful contact?
concern that needs follow up and correction,
e.g., professional advice for control.) 9. Is the worker exposed to slips, 
falls, trips, strains from lifting,
pulling, pushing, heat/cold?

10. Is excessive noise or vibration, 

poor lighting, or adverse weather
affecting performance?

11. Is the worker exposed to any risk 

of falling or from falling objects?

12. Is the worker exposed to possible 

contacts with electricity, toxic,
caustic, corrosive chemicals, dusts,
fumes, vapours, gases, mists, etc.

Machine Safety
7
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
Machine Safety Checklist
Mechanical Hazards Yes No
The point of operation:

1. Is there a point-of-operation safeguard provided for the machine?

2. Does it keep the operator's hands, fingers, body out of the danger area?
3. Is there evidence that the safeguards have been tampered with or removed?
4. Could you suggest a more practical, effective safeguard?
5. Could changes be made on the machine to eliminate the point-of-operation
hazard entirely?
Power transmission apparatus:

1. Are there any unguarded gears, sprockets, pulleys, or fly-wheels on the

apparatus?
2. Are there any exposed belts or chain drives?
3. Are there any exposed set screws, key ways, or collars?
4. Are starting and stopping controls within easy reach of the operator?
5. If there is more than one operator, are separate controls provided?
Other moving parts:

1. Are safeguards provided for all hazardous moving parts of the machine,
including auxiliary parts?
Non-mechanical Hazards:

1. Have appropriate measures been taken to safeguard workers against noise

hazards?
2. Have special guards, enclosures, or personal protective equipment been
provided, where necessary, to protect workers from exposure to harmful
substances used in machine operation?
Electrical hazards:

1. Is the machine installed in accordance with appropriate standards and codes?

2. Are there loose conduit fittings?
3. Is the machine properly grounded?
4. Is the power supply correctly fused and protected?
5. Do workers occasionally receive minor shocks while operating any of the
machines?

Machine Safety
8
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
 Mechanical Hazards Yes No
Training:

1. Do operators and maintenance workers have the necessary training in how to use
the safeguards and why?
2. Have operators and maintenance workers been trained in where the safeguards
are located, how they provide protection, and what hazards they protect against?
3. Have operators and maintenance workers been trained in how and under what
circumstances guards can be removed?
4. Have workers been trained in the procedures to follow if they notice guards that
are dangerous, missing, or inadequate?
Protective Equipment and Proper Clothing:

1. Is protective equipment required?

2. Have operators and maintenance workers been trained in where the safeguards
are located, how they provide protection, and what hazards they protect against?
3. Is the operator dressed safely for the job (that is, no loose fitting clothing or
jewelry)?
Machinery Maintenance and Repair:

1. Have maintenance workers received up-to-date instruction on the machinery

they service?
2. Do maintenance workers lock out the machine from its power sources before
beginning repairs?
3. Where several maintenance persons work on the same machine, are multiple
lockout devices used?
4. Do maintenance persons use appropriate and safe equipment in their repair
work?
5. Is the maintenance equipment itself properly guarded?
Other Items to Check:

1. Are emergency stop buttons, wires, or bars provided?

2. Are the emergency stops clearly marked and painted red?
3. Are there warning labels or markings to show hazardous areas?

*Checklist courtesy of University of North Carolina at Bowling Green.

Machine Safety
9
© Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2008. All rights reserved.
Key personal controls © INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION
ASSOCIATION, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008.
Use personal protection
All rights reserved. As part of IAPA’s mission to inform and
●● Use the right protective equipment and clothing educate, IAPA permits users to reproduce this material for their
for the job. own internal training and educational purposes only. For any
other purpose, including use in conjunction with fee for service
●● Practice proper hygiene practices. or other commercial activities, no part of this material may be
used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy,
recorded, or otherwise, without the express prior written
Follow authorized use procedure permission of the Industrial Accident Prevention Association.
●● Do not operate, service, maintain, or repair a
machine unless trained and authorized to do it. The information contained in this material is provided
voluntarily as a public service. No warranty, guarantee
or representation is made by IAPA as to the correctness,
suitability, fitness, or sufficiency of any information contained
Report any problems in this material. Use of this material means that the user agrees
that IAPA and its employees will not have and are released
●● Report to supervisor/manager any problems from any liability whatsoever, however caused or arising, in
around machines and guards, for example: connection therewith. Users also acknowledge that it cannot
Broken or missing guards and devices. be assumed that all acceptable safety measures are contained
in this material or that additional measures may not be required
●● Loose parts, unusual noise, leaks, or vibration. in the conditions or circumstances that are applicable to the
user or his/her organization, and that the user will personally
●● Strange odours, heat, smoke, dust, fumes. make his/her own assessment of the information contained in
●● Messy work area and floor, not enough light. this material.

●● Damaged or dirty PPE or PPE that fits badly. While IAPA does not undertake to provide a revision service
or guarantee accuracy, we shall be pleased to respond to your
●● Unhealthy reactions, skin rashes, dizziness, individual requests for information.
hearing problems.
Revised: May 2008

Industrial Accident Prevention Association

Toll-free: 1-800-406-IAPA (4272)
Website: www.iapa.ca

Machine Safety