How to Prevent Common Machine Guarding Mistakes

Due to the nature of the work, industrial accidents are common. They happen from mishandling flammable liquids or not following proper procedures to operate equipment. Then again, some companies don’t do the right things. For instance, they make mistakes with machine guarding at their Ontario facility.

The Most Common Guarding Mistakes

Machine guards play a critical role in workplace safety. As the name implies, they serve as a barrier between a machine’s moving parts and humans. If you have concerns in this particular area, you can turn to a trusted source that provides machine guarding assessments. With that, an expert will ensure that you’re using the right product correctly.

Below are the five mistakes with machine guarding seen the most in Ontario industrial facilities.

Making Assumptions about New Machinery

This isn’t necessarily a business owner’s fault. After all, when buying new guarding equipment, you’d expect it to meet regulatory safety requirements. However, that’s not always the case. Before installing a new guard, it’s important to make sure it meets OSHA regulations. Failing to do so could put someone at risk for sustaining an injury and lead to a violation and hefty fine.

Not Replacing Guards Following Maintenance

Whether you perform maintenance in-house or utilize professional machine guarding services, always make sure guards get reinstalled following maintenance. While that might sound like a given, it’s relatively common for industrial businesses to make this mistake.

To prevent something like this from happening, you should have strict safety policies in place. Along with posting reminder signs, employees responsible for machine guard maintenance need proper training.

Failing to Use Adequate Materials When Installing or Replacing Guard Parts

When buying machine guarding in Ontario, rely on a reputable source. That way, you’ll feel 100 percent confident that the materials will not end, break, crack, or distort. This is especially important if your business handles chemicals, oils, and other harsh substances. The same applies to a facility where there’s ultraviolet radiation or extreme temperatures.

Respected suppliers provide machine guarding assessments to determine which system is best based on the type of industry. Another thing to note, if you need to replace any components of the guard, be sure to choose original manufacturer’s parts.

Not Updating Your Company’s Guarding Safety Practices

For newly installed guards, you’ll need to update your company’s safety practices. Newer systems usually have more advanced technological features. So, you’ll need to provide operators with new training and update documentation they use as a reference. If you’re unsure about the updates, you can hire a company that specializes in machine guarding assessments.

Overlooking the Importance of Operator Training

Whether they use an older style or new guarding system, frequent training is essential. As part of that, operators need to know the steps for safe cleaning and maintenance. Also, training should cover various malfunctions and how to quickly identify them. Some companies sell systems, install them, and provide training as part of their machine guarding services.

We Provide Personalized Service

To get the caliber of machine guarding services deserved, contact us at S.A.F.E. Engineering, Inc. We can perform an assessment to ensure you have the correct system installed.