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Wherever there is machinery, there is also the risk of mechanical hazards. Any operation in which material is cut, shaped, bored, or formed creates the potential for injury to employees. To protect employees from mechanical hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to implement the safeguarding methods necessary to prevent exposure to injury.
Wherever there is machinery, there is also the risk of mechanical hazards. Any operation in which material is cut, shaped, bored, or formed creates the potential for injury to employees. To protect employees from mechanical hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to implement the safeguarding methods necessary to prevent exposure to injury.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specific guarding requirements for certain types of machinery (i.e., woodworking; grinding; power presses; forging machines; and pulleys, belts, and shafting). For most equipment, such as balers, compactors, shears, and press brakes, OSHA relies on the “catch-all” standard for machine safeguarding, 29 CFR 1910.212, “General requirements for all machines.”
Safeguarding machinery involves taking the necessary steps to protect employees from hazardous mechanical components and processes. A central lesson of the catch-all standard is:
Mechanical hazards for which employers must provide proper safeguarding include:
Protecting employees from these hazards is a matter of choosing effective safeguarding methods. Effective safeguarding methods must:
Conveyors are used in many industries to transport materials horizontally, vertically, at an angle, and around curves. Because many conveyors have unique features and uses, the hazards that conveyors pose to employees will vary depending on the material conveyed, each conveyor’s location, and each conveyor’s proximity to employees.
Conveyors eliminate or reduce manual material handling tasks, but they also present amputation hazards associated with nip points, shear points, and mechanical motion. To protect employees from conveyor hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with conveyors in the workplace to implement adequate safeguarding methods.
Safeguarding requirements for conveyors
OSHA requires all employers with conveyors to:
(These requirements are found at 29 CFR 1910.212 or are extensions of the “General Duty Clause” at 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act of 1970. Some industry-specific OSHA standards, such as those for bakeries, also cover conveyor safety to varying degrees.)
General
Employers should check whether:
(29 CFR 1910.212; Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act [General Duty Clause])
Crossovers, aisles, and passageways
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Emergency stops/shut-offs
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Work practices and controls
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Electric drill presses use a rotating bit to drill or cut holes in wood or metal. These holes may be cut to preset depths or completely through the stock. Electric drill presses are highly useful across industry, but the ease with which these powerful tools can operate makes the hazards they pose very real.
Drill presses pose amputation hazards from employees making direct contact with the rotating drill bit during and from clothing or hair getting caught in rotating parts. To protect employees from these and other hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with drill presses to establish adequate safeguards.
Safeguarding requirements for drill presses
OSHA requires all employers with drill presses to:
(These requirements are found at 1910.212 and 1910.213.)
General
Employers should check whether:
Operation
Employers should check whether:
Maintenance
Employers should check whether:
PPE
Employers should:
Emergency stop devices, or “E-stops,” protect workers who become entangled in machinery. To protect workers effectively, these devices must be properly installed, identified, and maintained wherever workers are exposed to hazardous machinery. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) only addresses emergency stop controls in a few standards, and these standards do not provide a great deal of information. (For example, 29 CFR 1910.216,?“Mills and calendars in the rubber and plastic industries”; 1910.217,?“Mechanical power presses”; 1910.261,?“Pulp, paper, and paperboard mills”; and 1910.144(a)(1)(iii),?“Safety color code for marking physical hazards.”)
Absent a particular requirement, OSHA has used the General Duty Clause to cite for emergency stop issues, sometimes referencing NFPA 79,?Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery. In fact, the following is an excerpt from an actual General Duty Clause citation for lack of an e-stop:
E-stops cannot detect or prevent hazardous situations before they happen, but they are a vital last defense for employees exposed to mechanical hazards.
Safety requirements for emergency stop devices
In workplaces where employees are exposed to hazardous machinery, OSHA requires employers to:
Grinding machines primarily alter the size, shape, and surface finish of metal by placing a workpiece against a rotating abrasive surface or wheel. Grinding machines may also be used for grinding glass, ceramics, plastics, and rubber. Many of the hazards posed by grinders, such as flying fragments, sparks, and air contaminants, are the same hazards posed by cutting wheels, polishing wheels, and wire buffing wheels. But grinders also pose several unique hazards: abrasive wheels can shatter; a rotating wheel, flange, or spindle end may be exposed; and the convergence of a rotating wheel and a work rest creates a natural nip point.
Safety requirements for grinding machines
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with grinding machines to:
A mechanical power press shears, punches, forms, or assembles metal or other materials using an upper die attached to a movable slide and a lower die attached to a stationary bed. Metalworking occurs by placing stock on the lower die and striking it with the upper die. Connecting rods attach the movable slide to a crankshaft, and a clutch is used to connect this crankshaft to a motorized flywheel. When an operator engages the clutch, the crankshaft converts the rotational motion of the flywheel into the lowering and raising of the slide and upper die.
Typical mechanical power presses fall into two main categories based on their type of clutch system: full-revolution clutch and part revolution clutch. Which type of clutch a press uses determines the specific barrier guards and safeguarding methods required for protecting against its hazards.
Power presses are extremely dangerous because of their use in high-production manufacturing and integral operator involvement. Careful operation and strict adherence to safety precautions are essential for protecting operators from the hazards posed by these machines.
Safety requirements for mechanical power presses
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with mechanical power presses to:
(These requirements are found at 1910.217 and do not apply to press brakes or hydraulic presses, which are instead covered by the general requirements for all machines at 1910.212.)
Primary safeguarding methods for mechanical power presses prevent or minimize employee exposure to a press’s hazard areas, in particular the point of operation. The most common injuries associated with mechanical power presses are amputations due to contact with the die area. Two primary safeguarding methods are used to protect employees from such point-of-operation hazards:
Employers are required to provide and ensure the use of point-of-operation guards or properly installed point-of-operation safeguarding devices for every operation on presses where the die opening is greater than one-fourth of an inch. Barrier guards and safeguarding devices must be properly designed, installed, used, and maintained in good condition to ensure employee protection. (29 CFR 1910.217)
Because mechanical power presses are extremely versatile, the appropriate safeguarding methods for a particular press will depend on its specific design and use. When selecting appropriate safeguards, an employer must consider the type of clutch a press uses, the size of the stock, how the stock will be fed, and the length of production runs.
Full-Revolution Clutch | Part-Revolution Clutch |
Point-of-Operation Guard | Point-of-Operation Guard |
Pullback | Pullback |
Restraint | Restraint |
Type A Gate | Type A Gate, Type B Gate* |
Two-Hand Trip | Two-Hand Control* |
Presence-Sensing Device* | |
*“Hands-in-Die” operations require additional safeguarding measures: See 1910.217(c)(5). |
Press barrier guards must prevent hands and fingers from entering the point of operation through, over, under, or around the guard. In addition, guards must conform to the maximum permissible openings listed in Table O-10 of 1910.217:
Distance of opening from point-of-operation hazard | Maximum width of opening |
This table shows the distances that guards shall be positioned from the danger line in accordance with the required opening. | |
1/2 to 11/2 | 1/4 |
11/2 to 21/2 | 3/8 |
21/2 to 31/2 | 1/2 |
31/2 to 51/2 | 5/8 |
51/2 to 61/2 | 3/4 |
61/2 to 71/2 | 7/8 |
71/2 to 121/2 | 11/4 |
121/2 to 151/2 | 11/2 |
151/2 to 171/2 | 17/8 |
171/2 to 311/2 | 21/8 |
Safeguarding methods that offer some protection but do not prevent employees from reaching into the die area are considered secondary safeguarding methods. Examples of secondary safeguarding include:
Employers may use secondary safeguarding methods to supplement primary safeguarding methods for protecting employees against the hazards of mechanical power presses. However, employers are prohibited from using secondary safeguarding methods alone unless they can show that it is impossible to use any of the primary safeguarding methods.
The following are some work practices, complementary equipment, and energy control procedures that should supplement primary safeguarding methods.
“No-hands-in-die” policy and hand-feeding tools
Employers need to enforce a “no-hands-in-die” policy that prohibits power press operators from placing hands in the die area during normal operations, unless a press is designed for “hands-in-die” work. Employers must also enforce the use of hand tools to feed and remove material from the die area to minimize the time operators’ hands spend near it, even when hand feeding is allowed according to 29 CFR 1910.217(d)(1)(ii).
However, hand-tool feeding alone does not ensure that the operator’s hands cannot reach the danger area. For this reason, employers must still use primary safeguarding methods to protect operators, such as secure barrier guards and a properly applied two-hand control or two-hand trip safeguarding device.
Integrating point-of-operation safeguarding with lockout/tagout
When guards are removed from the die area for press servicing and maintenance work such as die setting and repair, exposure to hazardous slide motion creates serious point-of-operation hazards. Employees performing this kind of servicing and maintenance must energy control procedures that integrate point-of-operation safeguarding methods with lockout/tagout procedures.
One essential point-of-operation safeguarding method is the safe use of an inch or jog safety device. By operating a part-revolution press in the inch mode, using two-hand controls or a single control mounted at a safe distance from the die area, die setters and service personnel can control hazardous slide motion by gradually “inching” the press through small portions of a stroke.
However, an inch or jog safety device cannot prevent the slide from falling if there is a component or control system malfunction or if the press is activated by others. For this reason, additional energy control precautions (e.g., safety blocks; lockout/tagout of the press disconnect switch if re-energization presents a hazard) are necessary if employees must place hands or arms between a press’s bolster plate and slide for servicing and maintenance such as adjusting, cleaning, or repairing dies.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers a mechanical power-transmission apparatus to be all components of the mechanical system that 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. These types of systems present rotating parts and nip points that can cause injury by catching employees’ hands, arms, clothing, or hair. In addition, power-transmission apparatuses installed above work areas can injure employees with flying and falling materials if the guards break.
OSHA requires guarding for most types of power-transmission apparatus. Generally, power-transmission components such as flywheels, shafting, belts, and pulleys must be guarded unless they are located more than seven feet above a floor or platform. (29 CFR 1910.219)
This section covers all types and shapes of power-transmission belts, except the following when operating at 250 feet per minute or less:
Note: There are a few other exceptions to specific guarding requirements; see 1910.219.
Guard securement
Guards may be fastened by any secure method that prevents them from being inadvertently dislodged or removed, including but not limited to screws, bolts, wing nuts, and lock fasteners. OSHA allows the use of guards that can be easily removed for efficient maintenance or repair, so long as these guards can be securely reattached to protect employees once maintenance or repair is completed.
Shafting
All exposed parts of horizontal shafting seven feet or less from a floor or working platform, except for runways used exclusively for oiling or running adjustments, must be protected by a stationary casing that encloses the shafting completely or by a trough that encloses the sides and top or sides and bottom of the shafting as its location requires.
Shafting under bench machines must also be enclosed by a stationary casing or by a trough at the sides and top or sides and bottom as its location requires. The sides of the trough must come within at least six inches of the underside of the table, or if shafting is located near floor within six inches of floor. In every case the sides of trough shall extend at least two inches beyond the shafting or protuberance.
Vertical and inclined shafting seven feet or less from a floor or working platform, except for maintenance runways, must be enclosed with a stationary casing in accordance with the requirements of 1910.219(m) and (o).
Projecting shaft ends
Projecting shaft ends must have smooth edges and ends and may not project more than half the shaft diameter unless guarded by nonrotating caps or safety sleeves. Unused keyways must be filled up or covered.
Machines used in woodworking are dangerous, particularly when used improperly or without proper safeguards. Operators of woodworking equipment commonly suffer laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blindness. For this reason, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to implement effective safeguards on all woodworking machines.
Safety requirements for woodworking machines
Employers must:
(These guarding requirements for woodworking machinery are found in 29 CFR 1910.213, “Woodworking equipment,” and apply to all employers in General Industry who have workers using such equipment. Sections 1910.212 and 1910.219 can also apply.)
Safety hazards and health hazards
The main hazards woodworking poses to employees can be divided into safety hazards and health hazards. Safety hazards?expose employees to the risk of immediate injury, such as electrocution from the energized metal framework of an improperly grounded circular saw or severed fingers from contact with a saw blade. Safety hazards include:
Many health hazards are associated with long-term exposure to harmful substances and conditions, but health hazards can cause both immediate (acute) and long-term (chronic) health effects. Health hazards from woodworking machinery include the following.
Hazard controls
Using engineering controls together with work practice controls is the preferred way to control woodworking hazards. When these controls are not possible or provide inadequate protection, employees must be provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Employers must institute all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE to protect employees.
Hand-fed ripsaws
Employers must check whether:
Hand-fed crosscut table saws
Employers should check whether:
Circular resaws
Employers should check whether:
Self-feed circular saws
Employers should check whether:
Swing cutoff saws and sliding cutoff saws
Employers should check whether:
Radial saws
Employers should check whether:
Bandsaws and band resaws
Employers should check whether:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specific guarding requirements for certain types of machinery (i.e., woodworking; grinding; power presses; forging machines; and pulleys, belts, and shafting). For most equipment, such as balers, compactors, shears, and press brakes, OSHA relies on the “catch-all” standard for machine safeguarding, 29 CFR 1910.212, “General requirements for all machines.”
Safeguarding machinery involves taking the necessary steps to protect employees from hazardous mechanical components and processes. A central lesson of the catch-all standard is:
Mechanical hazards for which employers must provide proper safeguarding include:
Protecting employees from these hazards is a matter of choosing effective safeguarding methods. Effective safeguarding methods must:
Conveyors are used in many industries to transport materials horizontally, vertically, at an angle, and around curves. Because many conveyors have unique features and uses, the hazards that conveyors pose to employees will vary depending on the material conveyed, each conveyor’s location, and each conveyor’s proximity to employees.
Conveyors eliminate or reduce manual material handling tasks, but they also present amputation hazards associated with nip points, shear points, and mechanical motion. To protect employees from conveyor hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with conveyors in the workplace to implement adequate safeguarding methods.
Safeguarding requirements for conveyors
OSHA requires all employers with conveyors to:
(These requirements are found at 29 CFR 1910.212 or are extensions of the “General Duty Clause” at 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act of 1970. Some industry-specific OSHA standards, such as those for bakeries, also cover conveyor safety to varying degrees.)
General
Employers should check whether:
(29 CFR 1910.212; Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act [General Duty Clause])
Crossovers, aisles, and passageways
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Emergency stops/shut-offs
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Work practices and controls
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
General
Employers should check whether:
(29 CFR 1910.212; Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act [General Duty Clause])
Crossovers, aisles, and passageways
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Emergency stops/shut-offs
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Work practices and controls
Employers should check whether:
(1910.212; General Duty Clause)
Electric drill presses use a rotating bit to drill or cut holes in wood or metal. These holes may be cut to preset depths or completely through the stock. Electric drill presses are highly useful across industry, but the ease with which these powerful tools can operate makes the hazards they pose very real.
Drill presses pose amputation hazards from employees making direct contact with the rotating drill bit during and from clothing or hair getting caught in rotating parts. To protect employees from these and other hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with drill presses to establish adequate safeguards.
Safeguarding requirements for drill presses
OSHA requires all employers with drill presses to:
(These requirements are found at 1910.212 and 1910.213.)
General
Employers should check whether:
Operation
Employers should check whether:
Maintenance
Employers should check whether:
PPE
Employers should:
General
Employers should check whether:
Operation
Employers should check whether:
Maintenance
Employers should check whether:
PPE
Employers should:
Emergency stop devices, or “E-stops,” protect workers who become entangled in machinery. To protect workers effectively, these devices must be properly installed, identified, and maintained wherever workers are exposed to hazardous machinery. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) only addresses emergency stop controls in a few standards, and these standards do not provide a great deal of information. (For example, 29 CFR 1910.216,?“Mills and calendars in the rubber and plastic industries”; 1910.217,?“Mechanical power presses”; 1910.261,?“Pulp, paper, and paperboard mills”; and 1910.144(a)(1)(iii),?“Safety color code for marking physical hazards.”)
Absent a particular requirement, OSHA has used the General Duty Clause to cite for emergency stop issues, sometimes referencing NFPA 79,?Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery. In fact, the following is an excerpt from an actual General Duty Clause citation for lack of an e-stop:
E-stops cannot detect or prevent hazardous situations before they happen, but they are a vital last defense for employees exposed to mechanical hazards.
Safety requirements for emergency stop devices
In workplaces where employees are exposed to hazardous machinery, OSHA requires employers to:
Grinding machines primarily alter the size, shape, and surface finish of metal by placing a workpiece against a rotating abrasive surface or wheel. Grinding machines may also be used for grinding glass, ceramics, plastics, and rubber. Many of the hazards posed by grinders, such as flying fragments, sparks, and air contaminants, are the same hazards posed by cutting wheels, polishing wheels, and wire buffing wheels. But grinders also pose several unique hazards: abrasive wheels can shatter; a rotating wheel, flange, or spindle end may be exposed; and the convergence of a rotating wheel and a work rest creates a natural nip point.
Safety requirements for grinding machines
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with grinding machines to:
A mechanical power press shears, punches, forms, or assembles metal or other materials using an upper die attached to a movable slide and a lower die attached to a stationary bed. Metalworking occurs by placing stock on the lower die and striking it with the upper die. Connecting rods attach the movable slide to a crankshaft, and a clutch is used to connect this crankshaft to a motorized flywheel. When an operator engages the clutch, the crankshaft converts the rotational motion of the flywheel into the lowering and raising of the slide and upper die.
Typical mechanical power presses fall into two main categories based on their type of clutch system: full-revolution clutch and part revolution clutch. Which type of clutch a press uses determines the specific barrier guards and safeguarding methods required for protecting against its hazards.
Power presses are extremely dangerous because of their use in high-production manufacturing and integral operator involvement. Careful operation and strict adherence to safety precautions are essential for protecting operators from the hazards posed by these machines.
Safety requirements for mechanical power presses
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with mechanical power presses to:
(These requirements are found at 1910.217 and do not apply to press brakes or hydraulic presses, which are instead covered by the general requirements for all machines at 1910.212.)
Primary safeguarding methods for mechanical power presses prevent or minimize employee exposure to a press’s hazard areas, in particular the point of operation. The most common injuries associated with mechanical power presses are amputations due to contact with the die area. Two primary safeguarding methods are used to protect employees from such point-of-operation hazards:
Employers are required to provide and ensure the use of point-of-operation guards or properly installed point-of-operation safeguarding devices for every operation on presses where the die opening is greater than one-fourth of an inch. Barrier guards and safeguarding devices must be properly designed, installed, used, and maintained in good condition to ensure employee protection. (29 CFR 1910.217)
Because mechanical power presses are extremely versatile, the appropriate safeguarding methods for a particular press will depend on its specific design and use. When selecting appropriate safeguards, an employer must consider the type of clutch a press uses, the size of the stock, how the stock will be fed, and the length of production runs.
Full-Revolution Clutch | Part-Revolution Clutch |
Point-of-Operation Guard | Point-of-Operation Guard |
Pullback | Pullback |
Restraint | Restraint |
Type A Gate | Type A Gate, Type B Gate* |
Two-Hand Trip | Two-Hand Control* |
Presence-Sensing Device* | |
*“Hands-in-Die” operations require additional safeguarding measures: See 1910.217(c)(5). |
Press barrier guards must prevent hands and fingers from entering the point of operation through, over, under, or around the guard. In addition, guards must conform to the maximum permissible openings listed in Table O-10 of 1910.217:
Distance of opening from point-of-operation hazard | Maximum width of opening |
This table shows the distances that guards shall be positioned from the danger line in accordance with the required opening. | |
1/2 to 11/2 | 1/4 |
11/2 to 21/2 | 3/8 |
21/2 to 31/2 | 1/2 |
31/2 to 51/2 | 5/8 |
51/2 to 61/2 | 3/4 |
61/2 to 71/2 | 7/8 |
71/2 to 121/2 | 11/4 |
121/2 to 151/2 | 11/2 |
151/2 to 171/2 | 17/8 |
171/2 to 311/2 | 21/8 |
Safeguarding methods that offer some protection but do not prevent employees from reaching into the die area are considered secondary safeguarding methods. Examples of secondary safeguarding include:
Employers may use secondary safeguarding methods to supplement primary safeguarding methods for protecting employees against the hazards of mechanical power presses. However, employers are prohibited from using secondary safeguarding methods alone unless they can show that it is impossible to use any of the primary safeguarding methods.
The following are some work practices, complementary equipment, and energy control procedures that should supplement primary safeguarding methods.
“No-hands-in-die” policy and hand-feeding tools
Employers need to enforce a “no-hands-in-die” policy that prohibits power press operators from placing hands in the die area during normal operations, unless a press is designed for “hands-in-die” work. Employers must also enforce the use of hand tools to feed and remove material from the die area to minimize the time operators’ hands spend near it, even when hand feeding is allowed according to 29 CFR 1910.217(d)(1)(ii).
However, hand-tool feeding alone does not ensure that the operator’s hands cannot reach the danger area. For this reason, employers must still use primary safeguarding methods to protect operators, such as secure barrier guards and a properly applied two-hand control or two-hand trip safeguarding device.
Integrating point-of-operation safeguarding with lockout/tagout
When guards are removed from the die area for press servicing and maintenance work such as die setting and repair, exposure to hazardous slide motion creates serious point-of-operation hazards. Employees performing this kind of servicing and maintenance must energy control procedures that integrate point-of-operation safeguarding methods with lockout/tagout procedures.
One essential point-of-operation safeguarding method is the safe use of an inch or jog safety device. By operating a part-revolution press in the inch mode, using two-hand controls or a single control mounted at a safe distance from the die area, die setters and service personnel can control hazardous slide motion by gradually “inching” the press through small portions of a stroke.
However, an inch or jog safety device cannot prevent the slide from falling if there is a component or control system malfunction or if the press is activated by others. For this reason, additional energy control precautions (e.g., safety blocks; lockout/tagout of the press disconnect switch if re-energization presents a hazard) are necessary if employees must place hands or arms between a press’s bolster plate and slide for servicing and maintenance such as adjusting, cleaning, or repairing dies.
Primary safeguarding methods for mechanical power presses prevent or minimize employee exposure to a press’s hazard areas, in particular the point of operation. The most common injuries associated with mechanical power presses are amputations due to contact with the die area. Two primary safeguarding methods are used to protect employees from such point-of-operation hazards:
Employers are required to provide and ensure the use of point-of-operation guards or properly installed point-of-operation safeguarding devices for every operation on presses where the die opening is greater than one-fourth of an inch. Barrier guards and safeguarding devices must be properly designed, installed, used, and maintained in good condition to ensure employee protection. (29 CFR 1910.217)
Because mechanical power presses are extremely versatile, the appropriate safeguarding methods for a particular press will depend on its specific design and use. When selecting appropriate safeguards, an employer must consider the type of clutch a press uses, the size of the stock, how the stock will be fed, and the length of production runs.
Full-Revolution Clutch | Part-Revolution Clutch |
Point-of-Operation Guard | Point-of-Operation Guard |
Pullback | Pullback |
Restraint | Restraint |
Type A Gate | Type A Gate, Type B Gate* |
Two-Hand Trip | Two-Hand Control* |
Presence-Sensing Device* | |
*“Hands-in-Die” operations require additional safeguarding measures: See 1910.217(c)(5). |
Press barrier guards must prevent hands and fingers from entering the point of operation through, over, under, or around the guard. In addition, guards must conform to the maximum permissible openings listed in Table O-10 of 1910.217:
Distance of opening from point-of-operation hazard | Maximum width of opening |
This table shows the distances that guards shall be positioned from the danger line in accordance with the required opening. | |
1/2 to 11/2 | 1/4 |
11/2 to 21/2 | 3/8 |
21/2 to 31/2 | 1/2 |
31/2 to 51/2 | 5/8 |
51/2 to 61/2 | 3/4 |
61/2 to 71/2 | 7/8 |
71/2 to 121/2 | 11/4 |
121/2 to 151/2 | 11/2 |
151/2 to 171/2 | 17/8 |
171/2 to 311/2 | 21/8 |
Safeguarding methods that offer some protection but do not prevent employees from reaching into the die area are considered secondary safeguarding methods. Examples of secondary safeguarding include:
Employers may use secondary safeguarding methods to supplement primary safeguarding methods for protecting employees against the hazards of mechanical power presses. However, employers are prohibited from using secondary safeguarding methods alone unless they can show that it is impossible to use any of the primary safeguarding methods.
The following are some work practices, complementary equipment, and energy control procedures that should supplement primary safeguarding methods.
“No-hands-in-die” policy and hand-feeding tools
Employers need to enforce a “no-hands-in-die” policy that prohibits power press operators from placing hands in the die area during normal operations, unless a press is designed for “hands-in-die” work. Employers must also enforce the use of hand tools to feed and remove material from the die area to minimize the time operators’ hands spend near it, even when hand feeding is allowed according to 29 CFR 1910.217(d)(1)(ii).
However, hand-tool feeding alone does not ensure that the operator’s hands cannot reach the danger area. For this reason, employers must still use primary safeguarding methods to protect operators, such as secure barrier guards and a properly applied two-hand control or two-hand trip safeguarding device.
Integrating point-of-operation safeguarding with lockout/tagout
When guards are removed from the die area for press servicing and maintenance work such as die setting and repair, exposure to hazardous slide motion creates serious point-of-operation hazards. Employees performing this kind of servicing and maintenance must energy control procedures that integrate point-of-operation safeguarding methods with lockout/tagout procedures.
One essential point-of-operation safeguarding method is the safe use of an inch or jog safety device. By operating a part-revolution press in the inch mode, using two-hand controls or a single control mounted at a safe distance from the die area, die setters and service personnel can control hazardous slide motion by gradually “inching” the press through small portions of a stroke.
However, an inch or jog safety device cannot prevent the slide from falling if there is a component or control system malfunction or if the press is activated by others. For this reason, additional energy control precautions (e.g., safety blocks; lockout/tagout of the press disconnect switch if re-energization presents a hazard) are necessary if employees must place hands or arms between a press’s bolster plate and slide for servicing and maintenance such as adjusting, cleaning, or repairing dies.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers a mechanical power-transmission apparatus to be all components of the mechanical system that 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. These types of systems present rotating parts and nip points that can cause injury by catching employees’ hands, arms, clothing, or hair. In addition, power-transmission apparatuses installed above work areas can injure employees with flying and falling materials if the guards break.
OSHA requires guarding for most types of power-transmission apparatus. Generally, power-transmission components such as flywheels, shafting, belts, and pulleys must be guarded unless they are located more than seven feet above a floor or platform. (29 CFR 1910.219)
This section covers all types and shapes of power-transmission belts, except the following when operating at 250 feet per minute or less:
Note: There are a few other exceptions to specific guarding requirements; see 1910.219.
Guard securement
Guards may be fastened by any secure method that prevents them from being inadvertently dislodged or removed, including but not limited to screws, bolts, wing nuts, and lock fasteners. OSHA allows the use of guards that can be easily removed for efficient maintenance or repair, so long as these guards can be securely reattached to protect employees once maintenance or repair is completed.
Shafting
All exposed parts of horizontal shafting seven feet or less from a floor or working platform, except for runways used exclusively for oiling or running adjustments, must be protected by a stationary casing that encloses the shafting completely or by a trough that encloses the sides and top or sides and bottom of the shafting as its location requires.
Shafting under bench machines must also be enclosed by a stationary casing or by a trough at the sides and top or sides and bottom as its location requires. The sides of the trough must come within at least six inches of the underside of the table, or if shafting is located near floor within six inches of floor. In every case the sides of trough shall extend at least two inches beyond the shafting or protuberance.
Vertical and inclined shafting seven feet or less from a floor or working platform, except for maintenance runways, must be enclosed with a stationary casing in accordance with the requirements of 1910.219(m) and (o).
Projecting shaft ends
Projecting shaft ends must have smooth edges and ends and may not project more than half the shaft diameter unless guarded by nonrotating caps or safety sleeves. Unused keyways must be filled up or covered.
Machines used in woodworking are dangerous, particularly when used improperly or without proper safeguards. Operators of woodworking equipment commonly suffer laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blindness. For this reason, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to implement effective safeguards on all woodworking machines.
Safety requirements for woodworking machines
Employers must:
(These guarding requirements for woodworking machinery are found in 29 CFR 1910.213, “Woodworking equipment,” and apply to all employers in General Industry who have workers using such equipment. Sections 1910.212 and 1910.219 can also apply.)
Safety hazards and health hazards
The main hazards woodworking poses to employees can be divided into safety hazards and health hazards. Safety hazards?expose employees to the risk of immediate injury, such as electrocution from the energized metal framework of an improperly grounded circular saw or severed fingers from contact with a saw blade. Safety hazards include:
Many health hazards are associated with long-term exposure to harmful substances and conditions, but health hazards can cause both immediate (acute) and long-term (chronic) health effects. Health hazards from woodworking machinery include the following.
Hazard controls
Using engineering controls together with work practice controls is the preferred way to control woodworking hazards. When these controls are not possible or provide inadequate protection, employees must be provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Employers must institute all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE to protect employees.
Hand-fed ripsaws
Employers must check whether:
Hand-fed crosscut table saws
Employers should check whether:
Circular resaws
Employers should check whether:
Self-feed circular saws
Employers should check whether:
Swing cutoff saws and sliding cutoff saws
Employers should check whether:
Radial saws
Employers should check whether:
Bandsaws and band resaws
Employers should check whether:
Safety hazards and health hazards
The main hazards woodworking poses to employees can be divided into safety hazards and health hazards. Safety hazards?expose employees to the risk of immediate injury, such as electrocution from the energized metal framework of an improperly grounded circular saw or severed fingers from contact with a saw blade. Safety hazards include:
Many health hazards are associated with long-term exposure to harmful substances and conditions, but health hazards can cause both immediate (acute) and long-term (chronic) health effects. Health hazards from woodworking machinery include the following.
Hazard controls
Using engineering controls together with work practice controls is the preferred way to control woodworking hazards. When these controls are not possible or provide inadequate protection, employees must be provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Employers must institute all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE to protect employees.
Hand-fed ripsaws
Employers must check whether:
Hand-fed crosscut table saws
Employers should check whether:
Circular resaws
Employers should check whether:
Self-feed circular saws
Employers should check whether:
Swing cutoff saws and sliding cutoff saws
Employers should check whether:
Radial saws
Employers should check whether:
Bandsaws and band resaws
Employers should check whether: