Machine Guarding

Machine Guarding
Moving machine parts have the potential to
cause severe workplace injuries, such as
crushed fingers or
hands, amputations, burns, or blindness.
Safeguards are
essential for protecting workers from these
preventable injuries. Any machine part, function,
or process that may cause injury must be
safeguarded. When the operation of a machine
or accidental contact injures the operator or
others in the vicinity, the hazards must be
eliminated or controlled.
This training will contains general information
2 on the various hazards of mechanical motion
DW-HSE-TM051
and techniques for protecting workers.
 Fundamental Areas
All machines consist of three fundamental areas;
● The point of operation, is where work is performed
on the material, such as cutting, shaping, boring,
or forming of stock.
● The power transmission device is all
components of the mechanical system which
transmit energy to the part of the machine
performing the work. These components include
flywheels, pulleys, belts, connecting rods,
couplings, cams, spindles, chains, cranks, and
gears.
● The operating controls. Other moving parts refers
to all parts of the machine which move while the
machine is working. These can include
reciprocating, rotating, and transverse moving
3 parts, as well as feed mechanisms and auxiliary
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 Machine Operation Hazards
● Crushed hands and
arms, severed fingers
and limbs, lacerations
and abrasions - the
list of possible
machinery- related
injuries is long and
horrifying.Many
hazards are created
by moving machine
parts. Safeguards are
essential for
protecting workers
from preventable
injuries.
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 General Requirements
The following standards have been established to
ensure the safety of machine operators and other
employees in the area:
● Machine Guarding
● Point of Operation Guarding
● Additional Guarding
● Barrels, Containers, and Drums
● Exposure of Blades
● Anchoring Fixed Machinery
● Eye and Face Protection
● Lockout/Tagout

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 Machine Guarding
● The purpose of machine
guarding is to protect the
machine operator and other
employees in the work area
from hazards created by
ingoing nip points, rotating
parts, flying chips & sparks.
Some examples of this are
barrier guards, light curtains,
two- hand operating devices
etc.

● Guards must not create

potential hazards and must be
attached to the machine where
possible.

6 ● If guards cannot be attached DW-HSE-TM051

to the machine, attach
 Point of Operation Guarding
● The point of operation is the area on a machine where
work is performed.
● Machines that expose an employee to injury must be
guarded. The guarding device must:
⮚ Be in conformity with any appropriate standards.
⮚ If specific standards are not available, the machine
construction should prevent the operator from having
any part of his/her body in the danger zone during the
operating cycle.
⮚ Special hand tools used for placing and removing
material from point of operation areas must allow easy
handling of the material without the operator placing a
hand in the danger zone.
Such tools must not replace guards required by this
section.
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 Additional Guarding
The following is a list of machines that usually require
point of operation guarding:
● Guillotine Cutters
● Shears
● Alligators shears
● Power presses
● Milling machines
● Power saws
● Jointers
● Portable power tools
● Forming rolls and calendars

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 Barrels, Containers, and Drums
● Revolving barrels,
containers, and
drums must be
guarded by an
enclosure
interlocked with the
drive mechanism,
so the barrel, gun,
or container cannot
revolve unless the
guard enclosure is
9 in place. DW-HSE-TM051
 Exposure of Blades
● When the periphery of
the blades of a fan is
less than seven (7)
feet above the floor or
working level, the
blades must be
guarded. The guard
must not have
openings larger than
one-half (½) inch.
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 Securing the Machine & PPE
● A machine designed for
a fixed location must
be securely anchored
to prevent walking or
moving.
● Eye and face protection
must be provided to
each employee when
exposed to eye or face
hazards from flying
particles.
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 Lockout / Tagout
● The employer must
establish an energy
control program
consisting of energy
control procedures,
employee training, and
periodic inspections to
ensure that before any
employee performs any
servicing or
maintenance on a
machine or equipment,
the machine or
equipment is isolated
from the energy source
12 and rendered DW-HSE-TM051
inoperative.
 Motions and Actions
A wide variety of mechanical motions and actions may
present hazards to the worker. These can include the
movement of rotating members, reciprocating arms,
moving belts, meshing gears, cutting teeth, and any parts
that impact or shear. These different types of hazardous
mechanical motions and actions are basic in varying
combinations to nearly all machines, and recognizing them
is the first step toward protecting workers from the danger
they present.

TheMotions Actionsmotions and

basic types of hazardous mechanical
● Rotating
actions ● Cutting
● In-running Nip ● Punchin
Points g
● Reciprocating ● Shearin
● Transversing g
13 ● Bending DW-HSE-TM051
 Motions and Actions
Rotating motion can be dangerous; even smooth, slowly
rotating shafts can grip hair and clothing, and through minor
contact force the hand and arm into a dangerous position.
Injuries due to contact with rotating parts can be severe.
Collars, couplings, cams, clutches, flywheels, shaft ends,
spindles, meshing gears, and horizontal or vertical shafting
are some examples of common rotating mechanisms which
may be hazardous. The danger increases when projections
such as set screws, bolts, nicks, abrasions, and projecting
keys or set screws are exposed on rotating parts.
Examples of Hazardous Projections on Rotating Parts

Rotating Shaft and Pulleys w/ Rotating Coupling w/

Projecting Key and Set screw Projecting Bolt Heads
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TM051
 Motions and Actions
● In-running nip point hazards are caused by the rotating
parts on machinery. There are three main types of in-
running nips. Parts can rotate in opposite directions
while their axes are parallel to each other. These parts
may be in contact (producing a nip point) or in close
proximity. In the latter case, stock fed between two
rolls produces a nip point. As seen
here, this danger is common on machines with
intermeshing gears, rolling mills, and calendars.

In-running Nip points

Intermeshing Gears Rolling Mill
on calendar
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 Motions and Actions
Nip points are also created between rotating and
tangentially moving parts. Some examples would
be: the point of contact between a power
transmission belt and its pulley, a chain and a
sprocket, and a rack and pinion.

Transmission Belt Chain and a Rack and Pinion

and Its Pulley Sprocket
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 Motions and Actions
Nip points can occur between rotating and fixed parts
which create a shearing, crushing, or abrading action.
Examples are: spoke handwheels or flywheels, screw
conveyors, or the periphery of an abrasive wheel and an
incorrectly adjusted work rest and tongue.

Rotating Screw
Rotating Abrasive
Spoke Flywheel Conveyor
Wheel on a Grinder
and Fixed
17 Trough DW-HSE-TM051
 Motions and Actions
● Reciprocating
motions may be
hazardous
because, during the
back-and- forth or
up-and-down
motion, a worker
may be struck by or
caught between a
moving and a
stationary part.
Worker Caught Between a
18 Reciprocating Table Piece a
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 Motions and Actions
● Transverse motion
(movement in
straight,
continuous line)
creates a
hazard because a
worker may be
struck or caught in
a pinch or shear
point by the
moving part.

Point of Contact Between a

19 Power TransmissionDW-HSE-TM051
Belt and
 Motions and Actions
● Cutting action may involve
rotating, reciprocating, or
transverse motion. The
danger of cutting action
exists at the point of
operation where finger, arm
and body injuries can occur
and where flying chips or
scrap material can strike the
head, particularly in the area
of the eyes or face. Such
hazards are present at the
point of operation in cutting
wood, metal, and other
materials. Examples of
mechanisms involving
cutting hazards include Hazardous Drilling Action
bandsaws,
(lathes), or circular
milling saws,
boring and drilling machines,
machines.
20 turning machines DW-HSE-TM051
 Motions and Actions
● Punching action
results when power is
applied to a slide
(ram) for the purpose
of blanking, drawing,
or stamping metal or
other materials. The
danger of this type of
action occurs at the
point of operation
where stock is
inserted, held, and
withdrawn by hand.
Typical machines used
for
ironpunching
operations Typical Punching Operation
workers. are power
presses and
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 Motions and Actions
● Shearing action
involves applying
power to a slide or
knife in order to trim
or shear metal or
other materials. A
hazard occurs at the
point of operation
where stock is
actually inserted,
held, and withdrawn.
Examples of
machines used for
shearing operations
are mechanically,
hydraulically,
shears or Typical Shearing Operation
pneumatically
.
22 powered DW-HSE-TM051
 Motions and Actions
● Bending action
results when power
is applied to a slide
in order to draw or
stamp metal or other
materials. A hazard
occurs at the point of
operation where
stock is inserted,
held, and withdrawn.
Equipment that uses
bending action
includes power
presses,
bender press Typical Bending Operation
brakes,
s. and tubing
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 Requirements for Safeguards
Safeguards must meet these minimum general
requirements:
● Prevent contact: The safeguard must prevent hands, arms,
and any other part of a worker's body from making contact
with dangerous moving parts. A good safeguarding system
eliminates the possibility of the operator or another worker
placing parts of their bodies near hazardous moving parts.

● Secure: Workers should not be able to easily remove or

tamper with the safeguard, because a safeguard that can
easily be made ineffective is no safeguard at all. Guards
and safety devices should be made of durable material that
will withstand the conditions of normal use. They must
firmly be secured to the machine.

● Protect from falling objects: The safeguard should ensure

that no objects can fall into moving parts. A small
tool which is dropped into a cycling machine could easily
24 become a projectile that could strike and injure
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someone.
 Requirements for Safeguards
● Create no new hazards: A safeguard defeats its own
purpose if it creates a hazard of its own such as a shear
point, a jagged edge, or an unfinished surface which can
cause a laceration. The edges of guards. for instance,
should be rolled or bolted in such a way that they
eliminate sharp edges.

● Create no interference: Any safeguard which impedes a

worker from performing the job quickly and comfortably
might soon be overridden or disregarded. Proper
safeguarding can actually enhance efficiency as it can
relieve the worker's apprehensions about injury.

● Allow safe lubrication: If possible, one should be able to

lubricate the machine without removing the safeguards.
Locating oil reservoirs outside the guard, with a line
leading to the lubrication point, will reduce the need for
the operator or maintenance worker to enter the
25 hazardous area. DW-HSE-TM051
 Training
Even the most elaborate safeguarding system
cannot offer effective protection unless the worker
knows how to use it and why. Specific and detailed
training is therefore a crucial part of any effort to
provide safeguarding against machine- related
hazards. Thorough operator training should involve
instruction or hands-on training in the following:
● a description and identification of the hazards
associated with
particular machines;

● the safeguards themselves, how they provide

protection, and the hazards for which they are
intended;

● how to use the safeguards and why;

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 Training
● how and under what circumstances safeguards
can be removed, and by whom (in most cases,
repair or maintenance personnel only); and

● when a lockout/tagout program is required.

● what to do (e.g., contact the supervisor) if a

safeguard is
damaged, missing, or unable to provide
adequate protection.

This kind of safety training is necessary for new

operators and maintenance or setup personnel,
when any new or altered safeguards are put in
service, or when workers are assigned to a new
machine or operation.
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 Miscellaneous Aids
● While these aids do not give complete protection
from machine hazards, they may provide the
operator with an extra margin of safety. Sound
judgment is needed in their application and
usage. Examples of possible application include
the following:
● An awareness barrier serves as a reminder to a
person that he or she is approaching the danger
area. Although the barrier does not physically
prevent a person from entering the danger area, it
calls attention to it. For an employee to enter the
danger area, an overt act must take place, that is,
the employee must either reach or step over, under
or through the barrier. Generally, awareness barriers
are not considered adequate when continual
28 exposure to the hazard exists. DW-HSE-TM051
 Miscellaneous Aids
Special hand tools may be
used to place or remove
stock, particularly from or
into the point of operation of
a machine. A typical use
would be for reaching into
the danger area of a press
or press brake. A push stick
or block may be used when
feeding stock into a saw
blade. When it becomes
necessary for hands to be in
close proximity to the blade,
the push stick or block may
provide a few inches of
29 safety and prevent a severe DW-HSE-TM051
 Guard Construction
Today many builders of single-purpose machines provide
point-of- operation and power transmission safeguards as
standard equipment. However, not all machines in use
have built-in safeguards provided by the manufacturer.
Guards designed and installed by the builder offer two
main advantages:

● They usually conform to

the design and function
of the machine.
● They can be designed
to strengthen the
machine in some way
or to serve some
additional functional
purposes.
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 Guard Construction
User-built guards are sometimes necessary for a
variety of reasons. They have these advantages:
● Often, with older machinery, they are the only
practical safeguarding solution.
● They may be the only choice for mechanical power
transmission apparatus in older plants, where
machinery is not powered by individual motor
drives.
● They permit options for point-of-operation
safeguards when skilled personnel design and make
them.
● They can be designed and built to fit unique
and even changing situations.
● They can be installed on individual dies and
feeding mechanisms.
● Design and installation of machine safeguards by
31 plant personnel can help to promote safetyDW-HSE-TM051
consciousness in the workplace.
 Feeding and Ejection Methods
Many feeding and ejection methods do not require the
operator to place his or her hands in the danger area.
In some cases, no operator involvement is necessary
after the machine is set up. In other situations,
operators can manually feed the stock with the
assistance of a feeding mechanism.
Properly designed ejection methods do not require
any operator involvement after the machine
starts to function.
Using these feeding and ejection methods does not
eliminate the need for guards and devices. Guards and
devices must be used wherever they are necessary
and possible in order to provide protection from
exposure to hazards. Types of feeding and ejection
methods:

32 DW-HSE-TM051
 Feeding and Ejection Methods
● Automatic Feed
– stock is fed from rolls, indexed by machine mechanism,
etc.
– eliminates the need for operator involvement in the
danger area
– other guards are required for operator protection,
usually fixed barrier guards
– requires frequent maintenance
– may not be adaptable to stock variation

● Semi-automatic Feed
– stock is fed by chutes, movable dies, dial feed,
plungers, or sliding bolster

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 Feeding and Ejection Methods
● Automatic Ejection
– work pieces are ejected by air or mechanical means
– may create a hazard of blowing chips or debris
– size of stock limits the use of this method
– air ejection may present a noise hazard

● Semi-automatic Ejection
– work pieces are ejected by mechanical means
which are initiated by the operator
– operator does not have to enter danger area to remove
finished work
– other guards are required for operator protection
– may not be adaptable to stock variation

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 Machinery Maintenance and Repair
Good maintenance and repair procedures
contribute significantly to the safety of the
maintenance crew as well as that of machine
operators. The variety and complexity of
machines to be serviced, the hazards associated
with their power sources, the special dangers that
may be present during machine breakdown, and
the severe time constraints often placed on
maintenance personnel all make safe
maintenance and repair work difficult. If possible,
machine design should permit routine lubrication
and adjustment without removal of safeguards.
But when safeguards must be removed, and the
machine serviced, the lockout procedure must be
adhered to. The maintenance and repair crew
must never fail to replace the guards before the
job is considered finished and the machine
35 released from lockout. DW-HSE-TM051
 Machinery Maintenance and Repair
In order to prevent hazards while servicing machines,
each machine or piece of equipment should be
safeguarded during the conduct of servicing or
maintenance by:

● notifying all affected employees (usually machine or

equipment operators or users) that the machine or
equipment must be shut down to perform some
maintenance or servicing;

● stopping the machine;

● isolating the machine or piece of equipment from its

energy source;

● locking out or tagging out the energy source;

36 ● verifying that the machine or equipment is isolated
● relieving
fr o m t any
h e stored
e n e or
rgyresidual
source.energy; and
 Machinery Maintenance and Repair
When the servicing or maintenance is completed, there
are specific steps which must be taken to return the
machine or piece of equipment to service. These steps
include:

● inspection of the machine or equipment to ensure that

all guards and other safety devices are in place and
functional,

● checking the area to ensure that energization and start

up of the machine or equipment will not endanger
employees,

● removal of the lockout devices,

● Re-energization of the machine or equipment, and

37 ● notification of affected employees that the machine or

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 Machine Guarding

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 Machine Guarding

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 Remember!!!

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