What Does Point of Operation Mean?
A machine's point of operation is the area where its work is performed. These points can include moving parts that have the potential to cause severe injuries.
A machine's point of operation is the area where its work is performed. These points can include moving parts that have the potential to cause severe injuries.
Machine operators often need to come into close proximity to points of operation in the course of their work. In those cases, machine guards can be installed to prevent hands or other body parts from accidentally getting caught in those moving parts.
When a solid guard would impede the operator's productivity or cannot be installed, optical sensing technologies such as safety light curtains can act as a safeguard at the point of operation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) 1910.212 standard requires the installation of guards on all machines whose operation is likely to expose a worker to injury. It also requires one or more methods of machine guarding to be provided in the machine area from hazards created by points of operation, ingoing pinch points, rotating parts, and flying chips.
Some machines that require point-of-operation guarding include:
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and OSHA provide some recommendations for choosing a point-of-operation guard:
Some ways in which workers can be protected against machine and point-of-operation hazards include: