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Machinery & Equipment MRO
April 2022
MACHINE SAFEGUARDS AND HAZARD CONTROL IN MANUFACTURING There’s a reason why working with heavy machinery is treated with a certain respect. BY THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
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efore proper safeguards were developed and required, countless workers were injured or killed while operating or working in proximity to heavy machinery. Even with today’s safety regulations, machinery operation often comes with the risk of severe injury. As the essential first line of defense, it’s important to understand how safeguards can protect you and reduce the risk of injury. Many machines found on shop floors and in factories have moving parts that
rotate, reciprocate, punch, slide, grind. They can also use toxic or corrosive chemicals, and generate extreme heat, noise, and vibration. Guards are permanent devices fitted on the machinery and equipment to provide protection against direct contact with moving parts, mechanical failure, electrical failure, and human error. When guards are missing or improperly used, there is the potential for injuries ranging from severe cuts to crushed hands and arms, amputation, or even death.
Photo: © Supachai / Adobe Stock
Machinery operators and workers in manufacturing have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. They should be encouraged to come forward with any safety concerns, and to never operate any equipment without a machine guard in place. Safeguards include barrier guards, safety devices, shields, awareness barriers, and warning signs. Some examples include wire cages around fans, blade guards on table and band saws, and covers on drive belts and electrical switch boxes. These methods can be used on their own or in combination to protect the machine operator and other employees in the work area. In some equipment, there is a built-in interlock switch that does not allow the machine to be activated unless the machine guard is in place. Never disable the interlock switch. Employers in manufacturing should follow the hierarchy of controls when selecting a safeguard or combination of safeguards for machinery in the workplace. Always use the more effective methods were possible. Use a lower level control method only when the more effective
