(1) Types of guarding.
One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to
protect the operator and other employees in the machine area
from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing
nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples
of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices,electronic
safety devices, etc.
(2) General requirements for machine guards.
Guards shall be affixed to the machine where possible and secured
elsewhere if for any reason attachment to the machine is not
possible. The guard shall be such that it does not offer an
accident hazard in itself.
(3) Point of operation guarding.
(i) Point of operation is the area on a machine where work
is actually performed upon the material being processed.
(ii) The point of operation of machines whose operation exposes
an employee to injury, shall be guarded. The guarding device
shall be in conformity with any appropriate standards therefor,
or, in the absence of applicable specific standards, shall
be so designed and constructed as to prevent the operator
from having any part of his body in the danger zone during
the operating cycle.
(iii) Special handtools for placing and removing material
shall be such as to permit easy handling of material without
the operator placing a hand in the danger zone. Such tools
shall not be in lieu of other guarding required by this section,
but can only be used to supplement protection provided.
(iv) The following are some of the machines which usually
require point of operation guarding:
(a) Guillotine cutters.
(b) Shears.
(c) Alligator shears.
(d) Power presses.
(e) Milling machines.
(f) Power saws.
(g) Jointers.
(h) Portable power tools.
(i) Forming rolls and calenders.
(4) Barrels, containers, and drums.
Revolving drums, barrels, and containers shall be guarded by
an enclosure which is interlocked with the drive mechanism,
so that the barrel, drum, or container cannot revolve unless
the guard enclosure is in place.
(5) Exposure of blades.
When the periphery of the blades of a fan is less than seven
(7) feet above the floor or working level, the blades shall
be guarded. The guard shall have openings no larger than one-half
(1/2) inch.