Machine Guard Safety in Maintenance Facilities

Maintenance facilities that use mechanical equipment must safeguard all hazardous machine parts, functions or processes that may cause injury. Since accidents frequently occur due to moving machine parts, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates machine guarding requirements for safety.

Operations

• Install machine guards at the point of operation, including cutting, boring, shaping or forming of stock. All components of the power transmission mechanism including pulleys, belts, connecting rods, flywheels, gears, couplings, spindles, cams, cranks and chains require machine guards. Also safeguard any other operational parts that move while a machine runs, including feed mechanisms and rotating, reciprocating and transverse moving parts.

Guards

• Machine guards in maintenance facilities must meet minimum OSHA safety requirements to prevent hands, arms and all areas of the body from coming into contact with moving parts. Ensure that machine guards do not have jagged or sharp perimeters and bolts, or roll the guard ends to eliminate sharp edges. Securely attach machine guards to each machine so operators cannot easily remove them.

Placement

• Properly install machine guards to prohibit objects, such as tools, from falling into moving parts. Position guards so they can remain in place while lubricating the machines. Be sure the placement of machine guards does not interfere with job performance.