OSHA’s Code of Federal Regulations 1910.212 General Requirements For All Machines states that “Point of operation is the area of a machine where work is actually performed upon the material being processed. The point of operation of machines whose operation exposes an employee to injury, shall be guarded.”
There are five basic requirements to consider (OSHA and ANSI) when choosing a point-of-operation guard.
They are:
1. hands/fingers can’t reach through, over, under, or around
2. meets OSHA’s Table O-10 for openings and distances
3. does not create secondary hazards between guard and machine parts
4. offers good visibility (for the operator) when required
5. uses fasteners not readily removable (requires a tool to remove/adjust)
Two additional considerations (from ANSI B11.1-2009) for best safety practices include:
• materials strong enough to protect the operator and others
• constructed of material free of sharp edges
Rockford Systems encourages all employees to exceed the minimum requirements and abide by best safety practices at all times.