Risk Assessment:
Before implementing machine guarding, it's essential to conduct a thorough risk assessment. This involves identifying potential hazards associated with the machinery and evaluating the likelihood and severity of accidents. A well-executed risk assessment allows you to pinpoint where guards are most needed and the types of guards required to mitigate risks effectively.
Operate the Machine when Guards are Properly Installed:
Machine safety is governed by laws and regulations, but installing suitable safety measures is still crucial. A business owner must follow these guidelines for machine operators and make sure that all employees who work with or around machines do so in total safety.
Machine operators should be able to identify the necessary machine protections and, as I mentioned earlier, should be fully aware of any issues that may be present. The need to carefully install and adjust the legally required safeguards before using the equipment should be emphasized in training sessions.
Never try to get around the Guards:
Normally, a machine operator may be tempted to remove an irritating safety measure, or the team may attempt to go around the measure if it prevents them from performing their duties. Whatever the cause, doing this around machinery is unquestionably one of the riskiest things to do. For the straightforward reason that safeguards are in place for a reason and should never be removed.
Lubricate the Machine Without Removing the Safeguards:
Without removing security safeguards, many machines can be accessible for lubrication reasons via oil reservoirs that may be outside the guard. To remove the guards, the machine must first be turned off and locked out if access is not allowed with the guards still in place.
Lockout/Tagout Procedures:
Lockout/tagout procedures are essential for ensuring that machinery is safely shut down and de-energized during maintenance or repair work. These procedures help prevent unintentional starts that can lead to accidents. Properly training employees in lockout/tagout is a key component of machine guarding.
Always Wear PPE and don’t let your Parts Dangle near the Machine:
Any location where a person's entire body or a portion of it runs the risk of getting caught in machinery is referred to as a pinch point.
This refers to any interaction between a machine's moving parts and other materials, as well as the interaction between a machine's moving and stationary elements.
These include materials connected to the machine operators themselves or falling debris.
Another nip threat is loose clothing, long hair, or dangling jewelry. These objects pose additional safety risks if they become entangled in the machine's moving parts. The appropriate PPE, including masks, gloves, glasses, aprons, boots, and caps, should be worn by employees while on the job.
Leave the Machine only when it is Properly Shutdown:
The fact that a machine is not necessarily at rest merely because it has been switched off must be made obvious and explained to an employee during training. Some components, like fans, cooling elements, rollers, gears, and rotating pieces, continue to move and could pose a risk to people by creating dangerous pinch points.
Even if a section of a machine is moving, it should never be left unattended.
Clear Signage and Warning:
Incorporate clear signage and warning labels near machines and guards. Warning signs serve as visual reminders of the potential dangers associated with the machinery. Employees and visitors should be aware of the risks and the required safety precautions at all times.
However, machine safety is a broad and significant problem that encompasses many elements, including workplace health and safety and accepted norms.
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