Moving machine parts have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, including crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns and blindness. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries. Any machine part, function or process with the potential for causing injury must be safeguarded using control methods that prevent employee contact with hazardous areas through effective machine guarding techniques. In addition, a hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) program needs to complement machine safeguarding methods in order to protect employees during potentially hazardous servicing and maintenance work activities.
OSHA’s Machine Guarding eTool can be very helpful in training and guiding employees to be safe around machinery.
Learn more by visiting OSHA’s Machine Guarding webpage.
Upcoming OSHA #2045 Machinery and Machine Guarding Standards Classes