Importance of Machine Guarding to Work and Safety
Moving machine parts have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness. Amputations, lacerations, and abrasions are costly and have the potential to increase workers' compensation premiums. Amputation is one of the most severe and crippling types of injuries in the occupational workplace, often resulting in permanent disability. Due to this fact, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) has established a set of standards around machine guards. The purpose of machine guarding is to protect the machine operator and other employees in the work area from hazards created during the machine's normal operation. This would include hazards of concern such as: ingoing nip points, rotating parts, reciprocating, trans-versing, and/or flying chips & sparks. Any machine part, function, or process that might cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental c...