Moving machine parts cause many severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers, hands, amputations, blindness and fatalities, each year. Machine guards are engineered to protect workers from becoming injured.
Guards protect workers from the dangers associated with flywheels, band blades, screw conveyors and power transmission equipment. Guards also protect other access to moving parts, such as side and rear openings.
Workers should not be able to reach around, under or over fixed guards. Machine guards also reduce the hazards from sparks or faulty machinery. Severe injury can occur when guards are not in place to stop machine parts that fail and are thrown out at high speed.
Keep staff safe from the moving parts of machinery by having effective machine guards in place. Guards need to be made from rigid, durable, strong materials. They must be secured to the machine in such a way that they cannot be easily removed. They must also be installed without creating a greater hazard. If you can get your hand or fingers in, over, under, or around the guard, it is not an adequate protection.
Never remove a machine guard to speed up an operation. Make sure that all guards are put back in place after operation,