Is This What You’d Call Machine Safety?

What’s wrong with this photo?

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Let’s just hope this machine has been properly de-energized.

The Moral: Machines are generally not a good place to stick your head.

MACHINE HAZARDS

3 Reasons to Pay Attention

  1. More than 6,000 workers lose a limb in a workplace accident each year
  2. The vast majority of work-related amputations are machine accidents
  3. Amputation injuries are almost always permanently disabling—and they’re much more serious than that when the “amputated” appendage is the head

3 KINDS OF MACHINE GUARDING

OSHA rules and common decency require protecting workers against the risk of machine injuries. There are three basic kinds of machine guarding:

1. Physical Barriers that prevent workers from making contact with a machine

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2. Guarding Devices like light screens, interlocks and pullbacks that don’t prevent contact but stop moving hazards before the contact occurs

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3. Guarding by Location, i.e., putting the machine somewhere that workers can’t reach

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8 MACHINE SAFETY DO’S & DON’Ts

There are 8 things to do/not do to ensure proper use of face protection:

DO read all warnings on the machine before operating it

DON’T operate or even go near machines unless you’re trained and authorized to do so

DO check all motion control switches at least once a day

DON’T operate a machine unless and until you verify that all machine guards, interlocks, and other safety devices are in place and working properly

DO let the machine and spindle come to a complete stop before touching parts, tools or the spindle

DON’T operate machines with electrical cabinets or safety door enclosures open

DO use extra guards if necessary

DON’T perform service, maintenance or repairs on machines unless they’re properly de-energized under the lockout tagout program