Machine Guarding

29 CFR 1910.211 to 1910.219

 Rule of Thumb

 Any machine part,

function, or process
that may cause injury
must be safeguarded.
 Regulatory Requirements

 Regulatory requirements found in

29 CFR 1910, Subpart O
 Applies to specific types of equipment
 Delineates general requirements
 Where Mechanical
Hazards Occur
 The point of operation
 In the power transmission apparatus
 Other moving parts
Hazardous Mechanical Motions

 Rotating
 Reciprocating
 Transverse
 Hazardous Actions

 Cutting
 Punching
 Shearing
 Bending
Types of Rotating Mechanisms

 Collars
 Couplings
 Cams
 Clutches
 Flywheels
 Shaft ends
 Spindles
 Nip Points

 Caused by rotating parts

 Causes include
– Parts rotating in opposite directions
– Parts rotating tangentially
– Parts rotating close to a fixed part
Types of Reciprocating Motions

 Back and forth

 Up and down
 Types of Transverse Motions

 Straight and in a continuous line

 Examples include two pulleys and a belt
 Cutting Actions

 Include
– Rotating motions
– Reciprocating motions
– Transverse motions
 Types of Cutting Mechanisms

 Band saws
 Circular saws
 Boring or
drilling machines
 Lathes
 Milling machines
 Types of Punching Actions

 A ram mechanism:
– Blanks
– Draws
– Stamps
 Used on metal or other materials
Types of Punching Equipment

 Power presses
 Iron working equipment
 Types of Shearing Actions

 Uses a powered slide or knife

 Done to trim or shear metal or other materials
 Types of Shearing Equipment

 Shears that are operated:

– Hydraulically
– Mechanically
– Pneumatically
 Types of Bending Actions

 Power is applied to a slide to:

– Draw
– Stamp
 Used on metal or other materials
 Types of Bending Equipment

 Power presses
 Press brakes
 Tubing benders
 Requirements for Safeguards

 Minimum general requirements include:

– Prevent contact
– Secure
– Protect from falling objects
– Create no new hazards
– Create no interference
– Allow for safe lubrication
Classifications of Safeguards

 Guards
 Devices
 Location/distance
 Feeding and ejection methods
 Miscellaneous aids
 Types of Guards

 Fixed
 Interlocked
 Adjustable
 Self-adjusting
 Types of Devices

 Presence Sensing
– Photoelectrical
– Radio frequency
– Electromechanical
 Pullbacks or Restraints
 Types of Devices (cont.)

 Safety Controls
– Safety trip control
• Pressure-sensitive body bar
• Safety tripod
• Safety tripwire cable
– Two-hand control
– Two-hand trip
 Gates
– Interlocked
– Other
 Location/Distance

 Makes it virtually impossible to contact

moving parts
 Separates operators from the equipment
 Limited by the available workspace
Feeding and Ejection Methods

 Automatic feed
 Semiautomatic feed
 Automatic ejection
 Semiautomatic ejection
 Robot
 Miscellaneous Aids

 Awareness barriers
 Protective shields
 Hand-feeding tools and holding fixtures
 Quiz
1. Mechanical hazards occur at the point of operation,
in the power transmission apparatus, and ____________.
2. Any moving part on a piece of equipment
that could injure an employee should
be guarded. True or False
3. Power presses are extremely dangerous because
of the force necessary for them to operate. True or False
4. Shearing mechanisms can be operated with
_____________, ___________, or ___________ energy.
5. As long as the guards remain in place, operators
should not be trained on machine guarding. True or False
 Quiz (cont.)

6. A robot is one type of automated feeding

and ejection mechanism. True or False
7. Hazardous mechanical motions include
_____________, ____________, and _____________.
8. Nip points are created when sliding
mechanisms move back and forth. True or False
9. Cutting mechanisms include ____________________,
____________________ and ____________________.
10. Location and distance is not a classification
of machine safeguarding. True or False
 Quiz Answers

1. Mechanical hazards occur at the point of operation,

in the power transmission apparatus, and in any other
moving parts.
2. True. All moving parts that create a hazard should
be guarded.
3. True. The force of a power press can destroy metal,
let alone the human body.
4. Shearing mechanisms can be operated with hydraulic,
mechanical, or pneumatic energy.
5. False. If operators work with equipment containing
safeguards, they should be adequately trained on how
to use them.
 Quiz Answers (cont.)

6. True. A robot is a type of feeding and/or

ejection method.
7. Hazardous mechanical motions include rotating,
reciprocating, and transverse.
8. False. Nip points are created by rotating parts.
9. Cutting mechanisms include band saws, circular
saws, drilling machines, lathes, and milling machines.
10. False. Location and distance is one of five
classifications of machine safeguarding.