Amputation Hazards

Hazardous Mechanical Components

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

Hazardous Mechanical Motions

 Rotating Motion  Punching Action

 Reciprocating Motion  Shearing Action
 Traversing Motion  Bending Action
 Cutting Action  In-Running Nip Points

Hazardous Activities

 Machine set-up/threading/preparation
 Machine inspection
 Normal production operations
 Clearing jams
 Machine adjustments
 Cleaning of machine
 Lubricating of machine parts and
 Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance

Controlling Amputation Hazards

 Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury

must be safeguarded.

Guard: A barrier that prevents exposure to an identified hazard.

Safeguarding device: A device that detects or prevents inadvertent

access to a hazard
 Criteria for Machine Safeguarding
• Prevents employee contact with the hazard area during machine operation
• Avoids creating additional hazards
• Is secure, tamper-resistant, and durable
• Avoids interfering with normal operation of the machine
• Allows for safe lubrication and maintenance
Commonly Used Machine Guards
Method of
Type
Safeguarding
Barrier that allows for stock
feeding but does not permit
Fixed
operator to reach the danger
area
Barrier that adjusts for a
Adjustable variety of production
operations.
Barrier that moves according
to the size of the stock
entering point of operation.
Self- Guard is in place when
Adjusting machine is at rest and
pushes away when stock
enters the point of
operation.
Shuts off or disengages
Interlocking power and prevents
Barrier machine start-up when
Guards guard is open. Should allow
for inching of machine.
Advantages Limitations
• Can be constructed
to suit many
• Sometimes not practical for
applications.
changing production runs
• Permanently
involving different size stock or
encloses the hazard
feeding methods.
area.
• Machine adjustment and
• Provides protection
repair often require guard
against machine
removal.
repeat.
• Other means of protecting
• Allows simple, in-
maintenance personnel often
plant construction,
required
with minimal
maintenance.
• Can be constructed
to suit many • May require frequent
applications. maintenance or adjustment.
• Can be adjusted to • Operator may make guard
admit varying stock ineffective
sizes.
• Does not provide maximum
Off-the-shelf guards
protection.
are often
• May require frequent
commercially available
maintenance and adjustment.
May require periodic
Allows access for some
maintenance or adjustment.
minor servicing work,
• Movable sections cannot be
in accordance with the
used for manual feeding.
lockout/ tagout
• Some designs may be easy to
exception, without
defeat.
time-consuming
• Interlock control circuitry may
removal of fixed
not be used for all maintenance
guards
and servicing work.