Machine Guarding Protects The Safety Of Your Students
How important is a machine guard on a table saw? Just ask the student who recently suffered an injury because a broken guard had been removed from the saw in his shop classroom. “Unfortunately, we see situations like these all too often as we tour schools,” notes Laurie Hoskins, EMC loss control consultant. “Sometimes tools are missing machine guards because they have broken off. Other times, the guards have been removed to make it easier to use the tool.” Whichever the case, we encourage you to review the following safeguarding advice from EMC’s Loss Prevention Information Manual.
Up to 15 percent of all work injuries and 20 percent of disabling work injuries involve machines or some type of power equipment. Yet, one of the simplest, often least expensive and highly effective means of preventing an injury is proper machine safeguarding.
- All guards, whether purchased or fabricated in the shop, should conform to ANSI standards and the appropriate state and federal OSHA codes.
- Guards should be constructed of a substantial material that resists damage and corrosion.
- Guards should be fastened securely to a sound foundation with fasteners that cannot be easily removed by an operator.
- Purchase new equipment with manufacturer-recommended guards installed.
- Establish routine inspection and maintenance procedures for guards.
- Use plastic guards, where possible, to facilitate inspecting and viewing the operation.
- Have all safeguards in place before operating a tool.
- Allow only authorized personnel to remove or adjust guards.
