MACHINEGUARDING CHECKLIST MACHINEGUARDING CHECKLIST

Guarding Requirements Education & Training Safeguarding

1. Do the guards prevent workers hands, arms, Yes 1. Do operators and skilled trades workers Yes
and other body parts from making contact No have the necessary education and training No in
with dangerous moving parts? in how to use the guards?
2. Are the guards firmly secured Yes 2. Does the education include examples of Yes
Manufacturing
and not easily removable? No workers in your workplace or elsewhere who No
might have lost their life or their limbs from
3. Do the guards ensure that no objects will Yes lack of machine guarding?
fall into the moving parts or explode out? No
3. Have production workers and skilled trades Yes
4. Do the guards permit safe, comfortable, and Yes workers been trained in where the guards
relatively easy operation of the machine? No No
are located, how they provide protection,
5. Can the machine be oiled or greased Yes and what hazards they protect against?
without removing the guard? No 4. Have production workers and skilled Yes
6. Does the machine automatically shut Yes trades workers been trained in how and No
down when the guard is removed? No under what circumstances guards can be
Yes removed?
7. Can the existing guards be improved?
No 5. Have workers been trained in the procedure Yes
Mechanical Hazards: Point of Operation to follow if they notice guards that are No
1. Is there a point-of-operation guard Yes damaged, missing or inadequate?
provided for the machine? No 6. Do skilled trades workers have the Yes
2. Does it keep the operators hands, Yes necessary education and training in how No
fingers, body out of the danger area? No to build the safety aspects of guards?
3. Is there evidence that the guards have Yes Protective Equipment & Proper Clothing
been tampered with or removed? No Yes
1. Is protective equipment required? No
4. Can you suggest a more Yes
practical, effective guard? No 2. If protective equipment is required, is it Yes
appropriate for the job, in good condition, No
5. Can you make changes on the machine to Yes kept clean and sanitary, and stored carefully
eliminate point-of-operation hazard entirely? No when not in use?
Mech. Hazards: Power Transmission Apparatus 3. Is the operator dressed safely for the job Yes
(no loose fitting clothing or jewelry)? No
1. Are there any unguarded gears, sprockets, Yes A Companion Guide to
pulleys or flywheels on the apparatus? No
Machinery Maintenance & Repair
2. Are there any exposed Yes 1. Have skilled trades workers received Yes Safeguarding Machinery
belts or chain drives? No up-to-date instructions on the machines No
they service?
and Equipment
3. Are there any exposed set Yes
screws, key ways, collars, etc.? No 2. Do skilled trades workers lock out the Yes
4. Are starting and stopping controls Yes machine from all of its energy sources No
within easy reach of the operator? No before beginning repairs?
5. If there is more than one operator, Yes 3. Is the maintenance equipment itself properly Yes
guarded? No
are separate controls provided? No

Mechanical Hazards: Other Moving Parts This presentation has been formatted by:
1. Are guards provided for all Flip Productions Ltd Nanaimo, BC Canada
hazardous moving parts of the Yes 1-888-220-FLIP (3547) www.flipproductions.com
machine, including auxiliary parts? No Made in Germany by Infoflip ULM e.K. IF.G.01.00272.A.01

12/2006 BK109
 Hierarchy of Safeguarding Controls

MOST Safeguarding Controls

Effective
Eliminate human interaction in the process
1. Elimination/ Eliminate pinch points
Substitution Automate material handling
Mechanical hard stops Interlocked guards
2. Engineering
Barrier guards 2-handed controls
Controls
Presence-sensing devices
Computer warnings Lights, beacons,
3. Awareness Warning signs/labels Strobes, beepers
Restricted Space Horns and sirens
painted on floor
4. Training & Safe work procedures Training
Procedures Safety Equipment Inspections Lockout
5. PPE Safety eyewear Gloves
LEAST Hearing protection Respirator
Face shield Hardhat
Effective
Steel toe safety boots

WorksafeBC makes no representations, warranties, or

condition, expressed or implied, that this document is and
will remain accurate at all times. WorkSafeBC is not
responsible for direct, indirect, special, or consequential
damages, however caused, arising from the use of this
document and its information. Employers and workers
should always refer to the Act/Regulation and applicable
guidelines for specific requirements that apply to their work
operations and activities.

This Infoflip is a companion guide and is merely

intended to draw attention to some hazards and
preventative safeguarding measures: the user is
required to do a complete hazard analysis

For more information, please refer to the full manual:

Safeguarding Machinery and Equipment
General Requirements
(WorksafeBC #BK101)
 This infoflip was produced to help:
Employers to comply with the Occupational
Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) and Part
3 of the Workers Compensation Act, and to
exercise due diligence in providing a safe work
environment

Supervisors to assess risks to their workers

from harmful contact with machinery and
equipment, and to evaluate safeguarding
solutions that satisfy the competing needs of
safety, production, and quality assurance

Workers to gain greater awareness of the

hazards associated with equipment operation
and maintenance, and of the safeguarding
protection they have a right to expect

Suppliers to understand the requirements for

machinery and equipment to conform to the
Workers Compensation Act and the OHSR

Individuals involved in risk assessment,

maintenance, operations management, and
health and safety committees.
1 Overview and Terminology

Safeguarding is the first line of defence in ensuring the

safety of workers operating powered machinery and
equipment. It protects workers when machinery/equipment
is in operation. Safeguarding should consider the Hierarchy
of Safeguarding choose the most effective option.
Steps to Effective Safeguarding
1. Recognize the hazard (2)
2. Assess the risk (3)
3. Develop and/or apply safeguarding to eliminate the risk to
an acceptable level
4. Ensure required communication, orientation and training
is performed
5. Evaluate safeguarding for its effectiveness and make
adjustments as required.
Do not confuse safeguarding with lockout, which protects
workers when machinery or equipment is shut down for
maintenance (including repairs and clearing jams). Training
and supervision are essential to ensure worker safety for
any activity around machinery.
Terminology
Safeguards
This is the umbrella term for measures that give workers
effective protection from harmful contact with hazardous
moving parts or other harmful conditions. Safeguards
include barrier guards, safety devices, shields, awareness
barriers, warning signs, etc., used singly or in combination.

Guards/Barrier Guards
These are physical barriers MUST and SHOULD
or covers that are designed, Must a requirement or
constructed, and installed to standard in Part 12, OHSR
prevent contact with moving Should a course of
parts, e.g., belts and drive action that, although not
chains. They are reliable specified in the OHSR, will
and cost-effective solutions improve workplace safety
when access to moving
parts is not needed during operation. They usually require
low maintenance if properly designed and installed.
Alternatives to barrier guards are interlocked movable barrier
guards, two-hand controls, and electronic presence-sensing
devices, e.g., light curtains and pressure-sensitive mats.
These solutions are more complex/technical but may be the
only option when access to danger areas is required during
normal operation, e.g., when materials are fed into a
machine for processing.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment may have to be used even
when other machine hazards are effectively safeguarded. In
some cases, such as operating a powered forging hammer,
the only protection available to the operator, besides training
and safe work procedures, may be eye and face protection,
hearing protection, and hand protection.

1 Overview and Terminology

2 Hazard Recognition

Most machines have three principal components: a power

source (often an electrical motor), a power train that
transfers moving energy, and tooling where machines work
is performed. Hazards from these components generally
involve belts, pulleys, chains, sprockets, gears, shafts, and
couplings used with the power train, and the operations and
processes completed by the tooling.
Recognizing Mechanical Hazards
Observe how moving parts of a machine operate and how
parts of a workers body may come
Sliding
into contact with them.
Milling
Parts that rotate (e.g., shafts or Table
couplings), present a risk of
entanglement/snagging. Two or
more parts rotating together
(e.g., feed rolls, V-belt and pulley
drives), create nip points
Parts that slide or reciprocate
(e.g., dies in punch presses),
create shearing or crushing Nip
hazards. Point
Parts that rupture or fragment
(e.g., abrasive wheel), may
Common Hazards
cause impact injuries.
Some machinery/equipment can endanger a worker in more
than one way. For example, an abrasive wheel can explode
and cause serious impact injuries. Or, a worker can receive
minor abrasions from accidental contact with the wheel.

Recognizing Health Hazards

Without safeguards, control measures, and PPE (1), (1) a
worker may be exposed to:
Toxic/corrosive chemicals that irritate or pass through skin
Airborne substances, e.g., oil Hazards from Fragments
mist, metal fumes, solvents and Projectiles
Heat, noise, and vibration
Ionizing radiation such as X-
rays and gamma rays
Non-ionizing radiation such as
ultraviolet light (UV), radio
frequency (RF) energy, lasers
Biological contamination/waste
Soft tissue injuries resulting
from repetitive motion,
awkward posture, extended
lifting, and pressure grip
Recognizing Other Hazards
Slips/falls from and around machinery during maintenance
Unstable equipment not secured against falling over
Fire or explosion
Pressure injection injuries from the release of fluids and
gases under high pressure
Electrocution from faulty/ungrounded electrical components

2 Hazard Recognition
3 Risk Assessment

The two most important factors affecting risk are:

How likely will an accident occur Measure of Probability
How serious will the injuries be Measure of Severity
Combining the two factors determines the level of risk. For
example, if the likelihood that a worker will come in contact
with dangerous moving parts of a machine is low, and if he
does, the expected injury is only a mild abrasion, the risk
level is very low. However, if harmful contact is almost
certain and expected injuries are very severe, the risk level
is extremely high.
Assessing Risk
A risk assessment must involve the operator, maintenance
personnel, and the supervisor. You should also consult with
manufacturers, suppliers of safeguards, and safety
professionals. Each party sees the machine from a different
perspective, and will provide a valuable contribution.
Follow the steps to effective safeguarding (1). (1) Gathering
information for a risk assessment may require repeated
observations, especially when determining what the worker
does when normal production flow is interrupted. Do not
limit your assessment to the question, What is a worker
likely to do? Try to determine ALL possible actions, i.e., if
someone can access a hazard, a safeguard is warranted.

Factors Affecting the Probability of Injury

Factors that increase the probability of contact with
unguarded hazardous machine moving parts include:
Lack of familiarity with the machine
Hand-feeding a machine activated by a foot control
Reaching into a machine to clear jams and misfeeds
Boredom and repetition
Frequent access to danger areas of the machine for
setup and adjustments
Lack of operator training and experience
Machine cycle speed
Machine Risk Assessment Survey
A Machine Risk Assessment Survey form is available at:
www2.worksafebc.com/PDFs/manufacturing/
Machine_Risk_Assess_Survey.pdf
The form can be revised and adapted to suit your needs
use it to prioritize your safeguarding measures:
Identify/describe each hazardous machine motion and
condition (e.g., rotating shaft, nip point, shearing part,
punching/impact hazard, flying debris, abrasive/hot
surface, electrical hazard, hot/toxic fluid or vapour, etc.)
Describe in detail the worst injury that would reasonably
occur (e.g., death, loss of sight, spinal damage,
amputation/crushing, respiratory damage, loss of
consciousness, burns, fracture, bruising, cuts, abrasions)
Estimate the severity (fatal, major/irreversible,
serious/reversible, minor) and the likelihood (unlikely,
possible, probable, certain) of injury
Calculate the level of risk by factoring the severity of the
injury multiplied by the likelihood of its occurrence

3 Risk Assessment
4 Selecting the Right Safeguard

The most effective safeguard is a device or system that

provides the maximum protection for the minimum impact on
normal machine operation. Use the guide below to determine
the most effective safeguard.

Safeguard Selection Guide

Have you completed

a risk assessment
for each machine? No
Perform a risk
Yes assessment
(3)
Is there a low
risk of injury?
Yes
Install a shield, an
No
awareness barrier,
How much access warning signs
is required to the
danger area?

No access is Full access is

required during required during
normal operation normal operation

Install a Install safeguarding

barrier guard device

Fixed power Two-hand controls

transmission
barrier guard Presence-sensing device:
Light curtains
Fixed point-
Radio frequency
of-operation
Pressure-sensitive mat
barrier guard

Barrier guard Limited machine

with simple movement devices (jog
interlocking inch & set-up modes)

Barrier guard
Self-adjusting feed guard
with powered
interlocking
Emergency body contact
(Semi)automatic devices such as crash
feed with point bar, panic bar, belly bar
of operation
enclosed Passive worker restraint
devices (pull-backs)
Self-retracting
guard (skill saw)
Awareness barriers:
Perimeter Protective shield
fencing Splash guard

4 Selecting the Right Safeguard

5 Barrier Guards

As per the Hierarchy of Safeguarding Controls, barrier

guards provide the most effective protection to workers.
Fixed Barrier Guards
Protect workers from hazardous moving parts or harmful fluids
and projectiles, particularly when access is not normally
required during operation. Fixed barrier guards must
Physically prevent a worker from reaching around, over,
under, and through the guard to the danger area.
Not create additional pinch points or other hazards
Safely contain broken parts (such as belts and chains)
Allow for safe lubrication and minor adjustments.
Unless interlocked with a control system, barrier guards must
be secured with at least one fastener requiring a tool for
removal. When a barrier guard must be moved aside to
enable a worker access to a point of operation or feed point
during normal operation, the guard must be interlocked to
disable the control
Requires
system until guard is
tool to open
put back in place and
control system is reset.
Fixed barrier guards
should offer good
visibility to feed points,
Access to drive belt and stand up to normal
pulleys prevented by guard wear and tear, meet
normal production and
quality needs and be difficult to modify or defeat.
Self-adjusting (self-
retracting) Guards
Although a self-retracting
guard of a handheld
circular saw (as shown Guard
on right) works very well, retracted
guards designed for right-
handed people can often
cause problems for left-
Stock
handed persons.

Adjustable Guards

Adjustable Band Adjustable Power Press Feed Guard

Saw Guard

5 Barrier Guards
6 Power Transmission Guards

Provision for lubricating without Chain-Sprocket

having to remove the guard
& V-Belt Guards
Wire mesh with openings meeting
maximum requirements
Power
transmission
Guard secured with at parts typically
least one fastener
requiring a tool for consist of belts,
removal pulleys, chains,
sprockets, gears,
shafts, and
couplings.
Contact with
Both underside and
backside of guard are enclosed these moving
to prevent access to moving parts parts accounts for
a large number of
Typical V-Belt/Chain-Sprocket Guard
preventable
injuries. It is usually a straightforward task to fabricate and
install guards for these hazards by following appropriate
grid guard design considerations (7). (7)

PTO (Power Take-Off) Drive Shaft Guards

Unguarded PTO drive shafts are frequently used on tractors

to power portable agricultural machinery. Because equipment
is powered for frequent, short periods, installing guards over
these drives is often neglected. Install a chain or cable
tether at each end of the PTO drive shaft guard so that the
guard can be readily secured to the tractor or portable
equipment when not in use.
Flexible rubber boot for
PTO Drive
connecting to machinery
Shaft Guard
with tether
chain
attached to
each end of
the guard
Tether Chain

Rotating PTO shaft

Cutaway
view of
PTO Drive
Spline guard Shaft and
attached typical
Spline guard to machine
housing
guard
attached to PTO shaft guard
machine housing

Rotating Shaft and Coupling Guard

Typical Design of Rotating Shaft and Coupling Guard

6 Power Transmission Guards

7 Grid Guard Design Considerations

Grid Guards and Enclosures

These guards generally consist of woven wire, or expanded
or perforated metal and must be installed with sufficient
clearance to prevent any person from reaching through the
openings and contacting the danger point. This is done by
placing the guard at a safe distance from hazardous moving
parts. Test the effectiveness of guard openings with the
machinery locked out and safely at rest.
Grid Guard Opening and Distance to Danger Point

b
b

a
a

If a is between If a is 8 mm 12 mm (3/8 '' 1/2 ''),

4 mm and 8 mm b must be at least 80 mm (3 1/8 '')
(3/16 '' and 3/8 ''),
If a is 12 mm 20 mm (1/2 '' 3/4 ''),
b must be at least
b must be at least 120 mm (4 3/4 '')
15 mm (5/8 '')

b b
a

If a is 20 mm 30 mm If a is 30 mm 150 mm
(3/4 '' 1 1/8 ''), b must be (1 1/8 '' 6 ''), b must be
at least 200 mm (7 7/8 '') at least 850 mm (33 1/2 '')

Point-of-Operation (Feed) Guards

Point-of-operation guards (also known as feed guards) often
enable the operator to insert flat stock into a machine. Feed
guards must ensure that the workers hands cannot access
the danger point. Note in the table below how the openings
between the horizontal guarding members decrease as the
workers fingers come closer to the pinch point.

Maximum Permissible Openings in Feed Guards

Barrier Opening Size Minimum Distance From Hazard
(smallest dimension)
mm in Slotted opening Square opening
6.1 11 1/4 3/8 64 mm (2-1/2 '') 48 mm (2 '')
11.1 16 3/8 5/8 89 mm (3-1/2 '') 66 mm (2-5/8 '')
16.1 32 5/8 1-1/4 166 mm (6-1/2) 166 mm (6-1/2 '')
32.1 49 1-1/4 2 445 mm (17-1/2 '') 445 mm (17-1/2'')
49.1 132 2 5 915 mm (36 '') 915 mm (36 '')

7 Grid Guard Design Considerations

8 Protective Barriers

Protective barriers such as rail enclosures or perimeter

fences should be at least 1.8 m (6 ') high. If this is not
practical, use the figure and table below to find the reach
distance from the guardrail or perimeter fence to the danger
point. For example, if the height of the danger zone (A) is
1,400 mm (55 '') and its horizontal distance (C) from the
proposed protective barrier is 1,000 mm (40 ''), the height of
the protective barrier (B) must be at least 1,120 mm (44 '').

Danger Point

Recommended Height of Protective Barrier

Based on Distance to Hazard

Danger Fixed Barrier/Protective Structure Height (B) mm ('')

Zone (A) 1000 1120 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2500
Height (40) (44) (55) (63) (71) (78) (86) (94) (98)
mm ('') Horizontal Distance to Danger Zone C, mm ('')
2500
(98)
2400 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
(94) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4)
2200 600 600 500 500 400 350 250
(86) (24) (24 ) (20) (20) (16) (14) (10)
2000 1100 900 700 600 500 350
(78) (43) (36) (28) (24) (20) (14)
1800 1100 1000 900 900 600
(71) (43) (40) (36) (36) (24)
1600 1300 1000 900 900 500
(63) (51) (40) (36) (36) (20)
1400 1300 1000 900 500 100
(55) (51) (40) (36) (20) (4)
1200 1400 1000 900 500
(48) (55) (40) (36) (20)
1000 1400 1000 900 300
(40) (55) (40) (36) (20)
800 1300 900 600
(32) (51) (36) (24)
600 1200 500
(24) (48) (20)
400 1200 300
(16) (48) (12)
200 1100 200
(8) (43) (8)
0 1100 200
(0) (43) (8)

8 Protective Barriers
 Legal Background Information

Topics discussed in this infoflip, and other related

issues, are based on the following legislation:
Safeguarding: Operational Health and Safety
Regulation (OHSR), Part 12
Safeguarding protects workers when
machinery or equipment is in operation
Training & Supervision: Workers Compensation
Act, Sections 115-17
Training and Supervision is needed for all
aspects of equipment operation and
maintenance.
Lockout: Operational Health and Safety
Regulation (OHSR), Part 10
Lockout protects workers when machinery or
equipment is shut down for maintenance.
The OHSR, associated policies and guidelines, and
excerpts/summaries of the Workers Compensation
Act are available on www.worksafebc.com. Some
publications may also be available in print:
(604) 232-9704 or toll-free 1-866-319-9704
9 Two-Hand Controls and Trips

Two-Hand Controls
Both controls (buttons, levers, sensors) must be activated at
the same time and kept engaged throughout the hazardous
portion of the machine cycle. If the controls are released the
machine either stops or returns to top of stroke (the position
that opens the dies). This type of machine operation is called
part revolution clutch (12) or friction clutch, and is found
with pneumatic clutches/brakes and
with hydraulically powered machinery
such as brake presses.

Two-Hand Trips
Both controls must be activated at
the same time to initiate the machine
cycle but releasing the controls will
not interrupt the machine cycle. This
type of machine operation is called
full revolution clutch (12) or
mechanical clutch. Two-Hand Controls
Two-hand controls and trips must be: Power Press

Protected against unintended or accidental operation, i.e.,

surrounding the activating button with a ring guard
Separated or otherwise designed to require both hands to
activate controls (no hand-and-elbow operation)
Designed so that both hands must be released before
another cycle can be initiated (anti-repeat feature). The
design should also prevent the operator from tying down
one of the controls by using tape, rubber band, wedge,
etc., (anti-tie down feature
Located a safe distance from the nearest hazard so that
the operator cannot reach it with a hand/other body part
before the hazardous machine cycle has stopped. This
safe distance is calculated using a Hand Speed Constant
of 1,600 mm (63 '') per second (sec.), considered the
speed of a person reaching into a machines point of
operation to retrieve an object or correct a fault.
In a simple example, the
WARNING
safe location of a two-hand
control for a machine that Two-hand controls alone
comes to a complete stop may not provide sufficient
1 sec. after the controls are safeguarding. Additional
released is 1,600 mm (63 '') barrier guards may be
from the nearest point of required to protect workers
operation. For a machine other than the operator.
that stops in 1/2 sec., the
safe distance is 800 mm (31-1/2 ''), etc.
To find the precise
stopping time of a
machine cycle
requires specialized
measuring equipment.
Safeguarding of
Machinery: CSA
Two-Hand Controls (Paper Guillotine) Standard Z432 ?
9 Two-Hand Controls and Trips
10 Presence-Sensing Devices

Devices such as light curtains, proximity sensors, and safety

mats do not prevent access to hazardous points of operation.
They simply prevent dangerous machine motion by sending
a stop signal if any part of a workers body is in the danger
area when a machine cycle is initiated. Choose this type of
safeguard when frequent access is needed for loading parts
and making adjustments, and physical guarding is restrictive.
There are many technical factors, such as machine control
reliability and safety distance, that affect the proper selection
and positioning of presence-sensing devices.
CSA Standard Z432, Safeguarding of Machinery
CSA Standard Z142, Punch/Brake Press Operation
CSA Standard Z434, Industrial Robots/Robot System ?
Presence-Sensing Device Limitations
They may not provide sufficient safeguarding when used
alone; additional barrier guarding may be required
Do not use for machines with a full-revolution clutch
Review the requirements of relevant standards before
installing a presence-sensing device
Use only during production, not as substitute for lockout.
Photoelectric Light Curtains
These devices emit a curtain of harmless infrared light
beams in front of the hazardous area. When any of the
beams is blocked, the light curtain control circuit sends a
stop signal to the machines control system. This type of
safeguard offers the maximum protection with the minimum
impact on normal machine
operation. It is particularly well
suited to safeguarding brake
press operations. Note: steam or
dust can inadvertently affect a
light curtain.
Pressure-Sensitive Safety Mats
These devices are used to guard
the floor area around a machine.
A matrix of interconnected mats
Light Curtain: Brake Press
is laid around the hazard area,
and the proper amount of pressure (such as an operators
footstep) will cause the mat control unit to send a stop
signal to the guarded
machine. Pressure-sensitive
mats are often used within
an enclosed area containing
several machines, such as
flexible manufacturing or
robotics cells. When access
into the cell is required (for
example, in the case of
robot teaching), the mats
prevent dangerous motion
if the operator strays from
the safe area. Safety Mat: Stamping Machine

10 Presence-Sensing Devices
11 Safety Interlocks

Movable openable barrier guards interlocked with the

machines power source (electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic)
can be a reliable and cost-effective solution. The control
power is routed through the Safeguarding of
interlocks safety contact so the
machine will not operate if the
guard is in the open position.
Machinery: CSA
Standard Z432 ?
Simple Interlocking
The interlocked guard can be opened during operation, and
the machine will stop.
Power Interlocking
The power interlocking device locks the guard door closed
and will not release it
Hinged Door Hidden
with Transparent Tamperproof until the machine
View Panel Interlock comes to a safe stop.
It is used with
machinery such as
tumblers and
centrifuges, where the
coasting-down time
may take several
seconds to several
minutes, such as a
Interlocked Gate Guard Horizontal
households spin cycle
Injection Molding Machine
washing machine.

Considerations For System Selection

Most interlock switches are intended for use in production
processes. They may not have the integrity and reliability
required for worker safety; check with the manufacturer
Where the risk assessment (3) indicates a high level
of risk, the integrity of the safety interlock circuit may
require monitoring. In addition, the use of redundant
interlocks may be required
Safety-rated interlock switches feature positive-break
normally closed contacts. This ensures that the electrical
contacts are forced open by a non-resilient mechanical
action. This means that they do not rely on spring action
to open the contacts. The international symbol for
positive-break contacts is
Interlock switches should be tamper-resistant and difficult
to defeat or bypass using readily available means (piece
of wire, tape, simple hand tool, etc.). Safety interlock
manufacturers address this by designing two-piece keyed
interlocks or interlocks using coded magnet sensors
Interlocks should be installed using positive-mode
mounting. When mounted in the positive mode, the non-
resilient mechanical mechanism that forces the normally
closed (NC) contacts to open is directly driven by the
safety guard. In this mounting mode, opening the safety
guard physically forces the NC contacts to open
Power interlocks may require that certain parts of the
machine retain a supply of power when the machine is
shut down. The implementation of lockout procedures
should address this concern. Lockout must be performed
if this safeguard becomes ineffective.

11 Safety Interlocks
12 Movable Gates

This unique safeguarding application provides protection to

an operator when hand-feeding parts into various machines
such as a punch press.
When the machine completes its cycle or returns to top of
stroke (in the case of a power press), the gate automatically
opens, allowing the operator to remove the formed part. The
operator then places a feed stock (blank) into the machine
and activates the controls to start another cycle. This can be
done with either a foot control, a single hand control, or
preferably two-hand controls (9). (9) The gate must close
before the machine can cycle. A low-pressure air cylinder
attached to the gate performs this closing function. If there
are any obstructions under the gate (such as the operators
hands), the gate will not fully close. The interlock switch will
prevent further machine operation until the obstruction has
been removed and the controls reset.
There are A Type and B Type movable gate guards.
A Type safeguards machines with full revolution clutches
(9) and uses the following steps to complete a typical cycle:
Place part in machine and initiate the cycle. As long as
there are no obstructions, the gate will close.
The machine makes one complete cycle.
The gate opens after the cycle has ended.
The B Type protects the operator only on the downstroke
of press cycle (or closing stroke of a machine). Therefore, it
can only be used to safeguard machines with part
revolution clutches (9).
(9) It uses the following steps to
complete a typical cycle:
Place part in machine and initiate the cycle. As long as
there are no obstructions, the gate will close.
Once the machine reaches the portion of the cycle where
the point-of-operation hazard has been eliminated, and
before the cycle has ended, the B gate opens, allowing
the operator to remove the formed part.

Air cylinder
(moves gate up
and down)

Movable gate
guard (slides up
and down)

Electric safety
interlock switch

Fixed panel
barrier guards

Movable Interlocked Gate Mounted on a Punch Press

12 Movable Gates
13 Pull Wires Trip Wires Contact Bumpers

These safeguarding devices function somewhat like

presence-sensing devices. The difference is that they may
permit access to the actual danger area before they are
activated and send a stop signal to the machine.
Consequently, they entail a limited risk of injury, however,
they may be the only reasonable choice of safeguarding
when other, more effective means are not practical.
Whenever possible, Pull Wire
grab wires, pull
wires, and contact
bars such as crash
bars, belly bars,
and similar devices
should be mounted Emergency Trip Wire (Conveyor)
so that they will be
activated involuntarily as
the worker approaches the
danger area. For example,
Pressure
sensitive a worker accidentally falling
edge onto a conveyor belt would
automatically activate the
emergency trip wire.
A pre-shift inspection and
test should be done
Safety Contact Bumper wherever these devices are
Overhead Door Machine installed.

Grab Wire and Pull Wire Devices

These devices usually allow the worker a first/last chance
to stop the machine in the event of accidental contact. They
must be selected and mounted so that pulling the wire/cable
from any direction will activate the emergency stop. The
activating switch must also sense a broken or slack cable
condition, and automatically activate the emergency stop.

PCV-Covered Tensioner
Rope grips Steel Rope Tensioner Eye Bolts Spring

Slack
Cable
Indicator

Pull Wire System With One Emergency Stop Switch. Note wall-
mounted tension spring; activation by pulling from any direction.

PCV-Covered
Rope grips Steel Rope Tensioner Eye Bolts Reset Knob

Slack
Cable
Indicator

Pull Wire System With Two Emergency Stop Switches.

The switch is activated by a pull from any direction.

13 Pull Wires Trip Wires Contact Bumpers

14 Shields Awareness Barriers

Shields
Shields, often Transparent
in the form of Shield
transparent
barriers, are
typically
installed on Lathe
lathes, milling Chuck
machines,
drill presses
and boring
machines.
They can also Awareness Barrier: Lathe Chuck
be used on woodworking machines. They are generally
intended to deflect chips, sparks, swarf, coolant, or lubricant
away from the operator and other workers in the machine
area. Besides providing some protection as a barrier, most
shields also provide good visibility into the point of
operation.

Awareness Barriers
Awareness barriers include installations such as electrically
interlocked pull cable assemblies installed in the rear area of
machines such as brake presses and shears to restrict
worker entry. These areas are often out of the operators
view. The machine is stopped if someone pulls or loosens
the cable. It is recommended that a sign denoting the
danger be placed on the pull cable.
Although shields and awareness barriers offer some degree
of safeguarding, they cannot be considered guards because
they only restrict but do not prevent access to danger areas.
When installing these devices and before moving them from
their normally applied position, always turn off power to the
machine; follow lockout procedures if there is a risk of
accidental startup.

Pull Cable with

Interlock Switch

Warning Sign

Awareness Barrier: Sliding Table

14 Shields Awareness Barriers

15 Safeguarding by Location

With the body upright and standing at full height, the safe
clearance when reaching upward to an unguarded hazard is
a minimum of 2.5 m (8 ') (see below). Any hazardous moving
parts beyond this distance are considered to be guarded by
location. If access to hazardous locations is gained by use
of ladders, scaffolds, and so on, temporary guarding or
lockout procedures must be used.

Overhead
unguarded hazard

Hazards above
this plane are Guard all hazards
considered from reference
8 ' (2.5 m)

guarded by plane to here

location
Reference plane
(floor, walkway)

Safe Distance For Reaching Up To An Unguarded Hazard

Safeguarding Equipment With Infrequent Access

When the question is raised of safeguarding equipment that
is located out of the way of normal work areas, comments
such as nobody ever goes there or we access that
equipment only when it is locked out are sometimes heard.
The fact that a worker can access unguarded moving parts
that are not already safeguarded by location means that
accidental contact can occur. And an accident will occur
over time, although the level of risk on any given day may
be quite low. It is not a question of whether these locations
will be safeguarded but rather of establishing priorities and
determining which machinery in the plant will be
safeguarded first based on a risk assessment (3) and
machine survey.

The Occupational Health and Safety

Regulation permits safeguarding
installations in place before January 1,
1999, to have unguarded parts more
than 2.1 m (7 ') but less than 2.5 m (8 ')
above the floor, walkway, or platform,
unless the work process presents an
undue risk to workers or until such
time as the installation is substantially
overhauled or renovated.

15 Safeguarding by Location
16 E-Stops

E-stop is the industry term for

Emergency Stop. It is a red
mushroom-shaped stop button
that is manually depressed in the
event of an emergency condition,
upset condition, or accident. An
emergency stop is not considered
a primary safeguarding device.
Because it requires intentional
activation, an emergency-stop
device seldom prevents E-Stop With Run Button
accidents; it is an after-the-fact & Main Power Disconnect
device. It may, however, prevent
an unsafe machine operation
from continuing and, when
activated, will stop a machine
after an accident has occurred.
The various published
safeguarding standards contain
specific requirements for E-
stops, including how many are
required and where they should
Standard E-Stop be located.

E-Stop Installation Requirements

The following requirements apply to all E-stop installations:

Mushroom-shaped and red in colour
Located within immediate and unimpeded reach of the
operator or other persons directly affected by the
machine operation
Designed to allow immediate activation with any part of
the body (no ring guards or recessed position)
Requires a manual push to activate and a manual pull to
reset; remains in the depressed position when activated
(not a hold-to-run type switch)
A check for safe machine operation is required before an
E-stop is reset
Must be hard-wired into the control circuit to allow the
magnetic coil to drop out (cannot be routed through a
Programmable Logic
Controller [PLC] except for
monitoring purposes)
The machine must not
restart merely by pulling out
and resetting the E-stop. A
second, independent
control must also be
activated before the
machine will restart.

E-Stop With Run Button

16 E-Stops