Precautions with Safety Guarding
Each piece of machinery has its own unique
mechanical and non-mechanical hazards. Machines can cause a variety of injuries
ranging from minor abrasions, burns or cuts to severe injuries such as
fractures, lacerations, crushing injuries or even amputation. Machine safetyguarding are your first line of defense against injuries caused by machine
operation. Each machine must have adequate safeguards to protect operators and
other employees in the immediate work area from hazards created by ingoing nip
points, rotating parts, sparks and flying debris.
HOW MACHINE WORKS
Having an understanding of how a machine
works, and how the guards can protect you, will result in a reduced risk of
injury. In order to be in compliance with Cal/OSHA requirements, all guards must:
·Prevent contact – machine
guards must provide a physical barrier that prevents the operator from having
any part of his/her body in the “danger zone” during the machine’s operating
cycle;
Be secured in place or otherwise be
tamper proof – machine guards must be secure and strong so that workers are not
able to bypass, remove, or tamper with them. They must be attached to the
machine where possible. If the guard cannot be physically attached to the
machine it must be attached elsewhere;
·Create no new hazard – A
safeguard defeats its own purpose if it creates a hazard of its own such as a
shear point, a jagged edge, or an unfinished surface which can cause a
laceration. The edges of guards, for instance, should be rolled or bolted in
such a way that they eliminate sharp edges. Machine guards should not obstruct
the operator’s view;
· Allow for lubrication with the
guard still in place - If possible, one should be able to lubricate the machine
without removing safeguards. Locating oil reservoirs outside the guard, with a
line leading to the lubrication point, will reduce the need for the operator or
maintenance worker to enter the hazardous area;
· Not interfere with the machine
operation - Any safeguard which impedes a worker from performing the job quickly
and comfortably might soon be overridden or disregarded. Proper safeguarding
can actually enhance efficiency since it can relieve the worker’s apprehensions
about injury.
METHODS OF SAFETY GUARDING
There are five (5) general types of machine
safety guarding that can be used to protect workers and personnel in the
immediate vicinity of machinery. They are:
- Guards – these are physical barriers that prevent contact. They can be fixed, interlocked, adjustable, or self-adjusting.
- Devices – these limit or prevent access to the hazardous area. These can be presence-sensing devices, pullback or restraint straps, safety trip controls, two-hand controls, or gates.
- Automated Feeding and Ejection Mechanisms – These eliminate the operator’s exposure to the point of operation while handling stock (materials).
- Machine Location or Distance – this method removes the hazard from the operator’s work area.
- Miscellaneous Aids – these methods can be used to protect both operators and people in the immediate vicinity of operating machinery. Examples include shields to contain chips, sparks, sprays or other forms of flying debris; holding tools that an operator can use to handle materials going into the point of operation; and awareness barriers to warn people about hazards in the area.
Comments
Post a Comment