Document No: ROG-HSE-PRO-015

PROCEDURE FOR MACHINE GUARDING

PURPOSE

The purpose of this safety procedure is to establish requirements for the safety of the company
employees while working near machines with hazardous moving parts.

A wide variety of mechanical motions and actions on machines may present hazards to
employees. These can include movement of rotating members, reciprocating arms, moving belts,
meshing gears, cutting teeth, and any part that may impact or shear.

This safety procedure provides guidelines for safeguarding and recognizing mechanical hazards
due to dangerous moving parts. It includes provisions for discussion on where these hazards
occur, machine guarding requirements, machinery maintenance and repair requirements, label,
signs, and marking requirements for machines with hazardous moving parts.

This document also affects any employee who is exposed to mechanical hazards due to a
machine's moving parts including machine operators and maintenance and repair personnel.

DEFINITIONS

Abrasive Wheel

A bench grinder wheel consisting of various particles bonded together and used for grinding
objects to a particular shape or size.

Electrical Guard

Electronic means of protection provided to protect employees from electrical components or

accidental equipment start-up.

Guard

An enclosure designed to protect employees from rotating or moving mechanical parts.

Kickback Device

Any device that protects the operator from equipment throwing the work back towards the
operator.

Portable

Hand-held operated.

Ring Test

The use of a non-metallic object to tap a grinding wheel at 45 degree intervals. If the wheel
exhibits a dead sound, the wheel is unsafe to use.
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Document No: ROG-HSE-PRO-015

Shield

An enclosure or barrier designed to protect employees from processes involving the possibility of
disintegrating machine parts or parts being ground upon, pressed, or struck.

Recognizing Where Hazards Occur

Dangerous moving parts on machines presents hazards that need guarding. The three basic areas
that require machine guarding are:

 Point of Operation
 Power of Transmission Apparatus
 Other Moving Parts

The point of operation is that point where work is performed on the material, such as cutting,
shaping, boring, or forming of stock.

Power transmission apparatus are all components of the mechanical system which transmit
energy to the part of the machine performing the work. These components include flywheels,
pulleys, belts, connecting rods, couplings, cams, spindles, chains, crank, and gears.

Other moving parts include all parts of the machine which move while the machine is in
operation. These can be reciprocating, rotating, and transverse moving parts, as well as feed
mechanisms and auxiliary parts of the machine.

Machine Guard Types

Guards are barriers which prevent access to danger areas. The four general types of guards are:

 Fixed
 Interlocked
 Adjustable
 Self-adjusting

A fixed guard is a permanent part of the machine. It is not dependent upon moving parts to
perform its intended function.

Interlock guards, when they are opened or removed, automatically shuts off or disengages the
machine. Adjustable guards allow flexibility in accommodating various sizes of stock. Self-
adjusting guards protect the operator by placing a barrier between the danger area and the
operator.

Self-adjusting guards allow a large enough opening to admit stock. After the stock is removed,
the guard returns to its rest position.

Machine Guarding Requirements

Machine guards must protect employees from mechanical hazards. To do so, these machine
guards must:

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Document No: ROG-HSE-PRO-015

 Prevent contact
 Be secured to the machine
 Protect from falling objects
 Not create new hazards
 Not interfere with job performance
 Allow for safe lubrication of the machine.

Examples of guarding methods include barrier guards, two hand-tripping devices, and electronic
safety devices.

Machinery Maintenance and Repair

Machine design should permit lubrication and adjustment without removal of guards. If machine
guards must be removed, the maintenance and repair crew must never fail to replace them.

Ideally, maintenance work should not be performed until the machine is disconnected and locked
out. For mechanical power presses, safety blocks should be used as an additional safeguard,
although the machine may be locked out electronically.

All woodworking machines will be maintained in good condition. This includes replacing dull
blades, cutting heads, and damaged or unserviceable parts. Equipment blade changes or
adjustments will be performed only when the power source has been disconnected to comply
with the lockout, tagout standard. Equipment in which guards cannot be installed shall be
removed from service. This includes older equipment which never had factory-installed guards.

All bearings will be lubricated and any debris removed from their surface to prevent fires. All
adjustments will be made by an employee who is trained and knowledgeable about the particular
piece of equipment being adjusted.

Revision: 00 Issued: 18.06.2010