ABSTRACT
Unguarded or inadequately guarded machines cause a high percent of injuries which are normally serious, and many of them are permanent. Unguarded machines are also responsible for a number of accidental deaths each year. Point-of-operation guards effectively shield the area on a machine where the material is positioned for processing and where an exchange of energy takes place. Interlocking guards are mechanical, electrical, or pneumatic and prevent the operation of the controls that set the machine in motion until the guard is in position. An automatic guard functions independently of the operator, and its action is repeated as long as the machine is in operation. The following machine guarding standards and procedures will apply to all company workplaces and sites and include all areas, equipment, and machinery within the company. A physical inspection of a random sample of guarded machines or items must be carried out to ascertain how efficient the guarding or barricading is.
