Basics of Machine Safeguarding
Introduction
Crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness — the list of possible machinery-related injuries is as long as it is horrifying.
There seem to be as many hazards created by moving machine parts as there are types of machines.
Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from needless and preventable injuries.
The purpose of machine guarding is to protect the machine operator and other employees in the work area from hazards created by ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.
A good rule to remember is: Any machine part, function, or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be either controlled or eliminated.
Where Mechanical Hazards Occur
Dangerous moving parts in three basic areas require safeguarding:
- The point of operation: that point where work is performed on the material, such as cutting, shaping, boring, or forming of stock.
- Power transmission apparatus: all components of the mechanical system which transmit energy to the part of the machine performing the work. These components include flywheels, pulleys, belts, connecting rods, couplings, cams, spindles, chains, cranks, and gears.
- Other moving parts: all parts of the machine which move while the machine is working. These can include reciprocating, rotating, and transverse moving parts, as well as feed mechanisms and auxiliary parts of the machine.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. Any machine part, function, or process which may cause injury must be _____.
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