Every piece of machinery comes with its own benefits and hazards. Using guards and devices to shield hazardous areas of a machine is essential to protect workers, prevent accidents, and comply with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) regulations, as well as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) consensus standards on industrial machine guarding and overall machine safety.

Assessing Risk

The first step in industrial machine guarding is understanding how each machine works and the hazards it presents. Even though a machine was purchased from a reputable facility, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be risk-free and ready to meet all compliance requirements. This can be the case, despite what a vendor or manufacturer says, as in the US the burden of proper guarding falls on the user/employer.

Hazard assessments should account for moving machine parts, pinch and shear points, and other points of operation where a machine cuts, bores, or bends material. Flying debris, splashes, sparks, or sprays created during machine operation should also be considered. And don’t forget non-routine operative conditions, such as sudden loss of power.

Documents and reports published by ANSI, such as ANSI B11.0, help establish the level of risk each hazard poses that can be incorporated into your own risk assessment methodologies. Per the OTM and ANSI standards, the only way to truly know if your machinery and operations pose hazards to your personnel, property, brand, etc. is to assess the risks of the tasks being performed. This is done by looking at the potential likelihood of a hazard occurring and the severity or consequence of that hazard or resulting incident. This is frequently referred to as a “Risk Assessment” or “Machine Hazard Analysis.”

Once those risks are assessed for the tasks performed, as well as potential fault or emergency conditions, you will have a list of potential safety gaps that can be used to prepare a plan of action for addressing the concerns and mitigating those risks. Once you have a set to-do list, it’s time to determine which industrial machine guarding solutions are right for your equipment and broader machine safety goals.

What Makes a Great Guard?

Not all machine guarding solutions are created equal, especially when it comes to safety, functionality, compliance, cost, and required maintenance. Third-party consultants, compliance officers, and corporate representatives may have valuable knowledge, but those who operate and maintain the machinery should also be factored in during the decision-making process. Getting input from those who understand potential hazards of equipment they use daily can help your company choose the best safeguard to satisfy all parties and ensure safe and consistent operation.

Dependent on the application of the equipment, risk assessment conducted, and feasibility of the expected operations, machine guards should:

• Prevent or reduce personnel’s ability to encounter or be exposed to moving parts or other hazards during the operating cycle, maintenance tasks, or other lifecycle levels
• Be secured in place so workers cannot bypass, remove, or tamper with them
• Create no new hazard, such as shear points, jagged edges, uneven surfaces, or surfaces that pose slip or trip hazards
• Enhance efficiency without impeding the operator’s ability to perform the job

Although a machine guard that meets all preferred requirements may be pricey, it’s important to consider the cost that comes with unsafe operation, too. Workplace injuries ranging from scratches and burns to permanent disability and death, regulatory penalties and fines far exceeding machine guard costs, and operational disruptions lasting for weeks or months are possible outcomes of inadequate safeguarding. Safety and the bottom line can work together well when addressed early and implemented properly from operators and personnel all the way up through management. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.

5 Machine Safety Solutions

Depending on the machinery used and current safeguards in place, you may require a pre-made or custom machine guarding solution. Every risk should be mitigated to ensure the safety of your employees, and you may be surprised at the options available for machine guards and safety devices that support machine safety.

1. Fixed guards

Once installed, fixed guards become a permanent part of the machine they’re meant to protect. They include no moving parts, so maintenance is less of a concern with these safeguarding solutions. They are often made of sheet metal, screen, wire cloth, bars, plastic, or other strong, substantial materials made to withstand operation and prolonged use. Additionally, things like grease points can be easily installed in these guards to allow regular maintenance activities without having to remove guards.

Fixed guards are preferred in many applications because they provide maximum protection and can be customized to various situations and operations. Ensure the material chosen won’t interfere with visibility and will be effective for your unique situation. For example, machines that are often adjusted or repaired may not be well-suited to a fixed guard, because its removal during the repair process would require additional means of protection for maintenance staff.

2. Interlocked guards

When opened or removed, interlocked guards automatically shut off the machine’s power. Moving parts immediately stop, and the machine won’t restart until the gate, door, panel, or shield is put back in place and the employee restarts operation. These guards often utilize electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic power, and can use actuator keys, locking bolts, magnetic sensors, RFID chips, or a combination of these. Unlike fixed guards, they allow access to the machine for repairs or small fixes without requiring removal.

Depending on the application, these guards may be easy to bypass or disengage, so ensure they are the right solution before installation. The moving parts often require inspection and maintenance.

3. Adjustable guards

Adjustable guards are one of the more flexible solutions, though they also come with their own risks. They provide a barrier that may be a permanent part of the machine or may depend on moving parts to function. They can be manually adjusted based on the size of the stock and are often made of clear materials for full visibility.

Even though the guard itself may be effective, it could be made ineffective by the operator. Hands could enter the danger area, presenting a safety risk. Movable parts may also require frequent adjustment or maintenance, and depending on the material chosen, adjustable guards could interfere with visibility.

4. Self-adjusting guards

Like adjustable guards, self-adjusting machine safety guards are adjusted by the movement and size of the stock. However, they reset automatically, so there is less risk for human error by removing manual adjustment during operation. A wide variety of pre-made self-adjusting machine guards made from plastic, metal, or other materials are available, removing an increased cost that often comes with custom solution design.

Due to the presence of moving parts, these guards also require consistent inspection, testing, and maintenance. They could interfere with visibility and don’t always provide maximum protection, depending on the application.

5. Devices

Devices like two-hand trips and light curtains are also effective manual solutions to ensure machine safety.

Two-hand trips require an operator to keep both hands away from danger zones during operation. These controls often require full release and reengagement before a new cycle can start, ensuring safety before, during, and after operation.

Presence-sensing devices like light curtains create an invisible, protective screen around a machine’s perimeter or point of operation. If an operator’s body breaks any of the light beams, hazardous movement is stopped immediately to protect personnel.

Devices chosen should correlate to the specific equipment and hazards they create. For example, two-handed controls paired with light curtains are an effective safeguard for power presses.

Ensuring Safe Operation

Once a machine guard or other safety feature is in place, provide employees, including operators and maintenance personnel, with adequate training for new operating standards. Additionally, lockout/tagout procedures should be reviewed to determine if they need to be revised to include the removal and replacement of the guarding. Knowing how to work with a machine guard, as opposed to seeing it as a nuisance, can be the difference between an effective safety solution and a potential injury risk down the line. Keep up with inspections and repairs on machinery and installed guards, too. Broken or ineffective machine guards can cause more harm and should be identified and fixed quickly to ensure employee safety and efficient operation.

Machine safety isn’t just about meeting compliance standards and avoiding fines. A safe, well-guarded facility contributes to positive company culture and improved employee wellbeing. Conversion Technology, Inc. (CTI) employs a knowledgeable staff with decades of experience helping facilities identify hazards, risk levels, and remediation techniques. CTI can work with facility maintenance personnel and machine contractors to design, fabricate, and install safe, compliant industrial machine guarding suitable for your facility, including tailored machine guarding enhancements and durable machine guards. Contact CTI today to get started.