Although though most machines come equipped with guards, and, despite advances in technology, workplace injuries from the misuse of machinery remain all too common – that’s why OSHA emphasizes and cites employers for machine-guarding violations.
The best way to approach machine safety is to conduct regular inspections. Put yourself in the shoes of the OSHA inspector and take a walk-through of your facility. Check each machine for exposed moving parts, including meshing gears, in-running rollers, reciprocating parts, chain and sprocket drives, cams and rollers, belts and pulleys, rotating couplings, shafts, flywheels, cutting or abrasive surfaces, cooling fans, and conveyors. Examine the guards on the machines, such as barriers, electronic-eye shutdown devices, beam scanners, interlocks, and enclosures. If any of the guards are broken or missing, tag the machine and get it fixed.
Even the best-designed and maintained guards are useless if workers try to bypass them. Training sessions should stress that removing guards or disengaging interlocking devices to make work easier or faster is too risky.
The most hazardous situations involve operators adjusting a machine or removing jammed work or broken parts. Make sure that operators know the specific steps for powering down and locking out a machine before they service or adjust it.
Have a written dress code for working around machinery. Don’t let workers wear long, loose sleeves, hanging drawstrings or tassels, ties, scarves, and open jackets. The same applies to long hair, jewelry, and gloves. Make sure that operators wear proper personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses and face shields or goggles if they’re handling hot or hazardous liquids and safety shoes if they’re placing heavy materials in and out of a machine.
To learn more about you can keep your workplace free of risk, feel free to contact us.
