Machine Guarding Safety Checklists
Importance of Machine Guarding
Workers who operate and maintain machinery suffer approximately 18,000 amputations, lacerations, crushing injuries, abrasions, and over 800 deaths per year in the United States alone (OSHA source). These incidents can be minimized or eliminated through machine guarding. Installation and regular maintenance of machine guards can prevent worker’s body parts from making contact with hazardous machine equipment and flying debris. Additional defenses such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and proper training are key to ensuring safety when operating machinery in your workplace.
Machine Guarding Safety Tips
Employers should strive to keep their workplace and workers safe particularly when working with machinery. Here are some safety reminders when working with machine guards:
- Always check if guards are properly installed before commencing work.
- Machine guards must be placed in proper position and prevent physical contact with the operator.
- Ensure machine guards are secure and strong.
- Ensure workers cannot bypass, remove, or tamper machine guards.
- When installing machine guarding ensure that no objects can fall into moving parts of the machine.
- Ensure employees are trained on a specific machine guard.
- Machine guards should not obstruct the operator’s view.
- If possible, the machine should be lubricated without removing machine guards.
- A competent person must correct the machine guard immediately if defects were detected.
- Machine operators should be trained on the hazards associated with particular machines.
- Employees should be aware of emergency protocols.
- Lockout the machine before removing guard when performing maintenance.
Mobile-ready Machine Guarding Inspection App
Use iAuditor, the world’s most powerful inspection app, to conduct safety inspections before and after machine operation. Use this free collection of customizable machine guarding safety templates to capture photos of machine deficiencies, create corrective actions, and generate on the spot reports with a handheld device.
Featured Machine Guarding Checklists
Machine Guarding Checklist
This template covers the pre and post operation check of machine guards. Pre-operation checks are conducted to evaluate the condition of machine guards and the protection and training of workers. Begin with a description of the work, the names of employees and the type of guards to be inspected. Check the machine guards and determine if they are sufficient to prevent body parts from making contact with dangerous moving parts. Evaluate workers if they have sufficient knowledge of the machine and its operation including the guard types. Ensure that all workers are wearing appropriate protection and are following safe handling instructions when using machineries. Perform post-operation checks to determine if all machine guards are in good condition and that all incidents have been reported to the supervisor.
OSHA Machine Guarding Checklist
This Machine Guarding OSHA checklist is for evaluating the preparedness of operators when handling machines. It also covers the inspection of the machine guards to ensure that it is securely placed and anchored. Use iAuditor to take photos of identified issues and immediately generate a report for review and action.
Machine Lockout Tagout (LOTO) Checklist
Perform LOTO checks before performing any maintenance work, repairs or installation of guarding on machinery. Record the nature of work, hazardous energy sources and the employees involved in the procedure. Evaluate if the step-by-step LOTO procedures are followed when applying and removing devices.
PPE Checklist
Wearing appropriate PPE minimizes or eliminates injury in the workplace. Use this template to check if the worker is fully protected against hazards in machine operation. Use iAuditor to evaluate the condition of the equipment and the readiness of the worker before proceeding with the job.
Accident Injury Checklist
Accurately documenting accidents is important to effectively formulate safety improvements in the organization. Use this template to record and track incidents related to machine use. Record injured worker’s information, injury details, report from emergency services and witness statements to identify the root cause and formulate solutions.
