SAFETY BLOG
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An Overview of Perimeter Safeguarding
Perimeter safeguarding is perhaps the simplest, most affordable way to create a safer workplace for your employees. No matter the industry, installing perimeter safeguarding around
What to Do if You are Issued an OSHA Citation
The Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency responsible for overseeing workplace safety. On the federal level, OSHA conducted 24,333 inspections in
Do’s and Don’ts of Safely Using Bench Grinders
Statistics indicate half of grinder accidents result from operator error. Because grinders are commonly used machines in workplaces nationwide, many workers become complacent about their
Rockford Systems Introduces Protector Series Light Curtains with Expanded Features
Reliable detection, advanced safety functions, combined with simplified selection, installation and maintenance ROCKFORD, IL, FEBRUARY 3, 2022 — Rockford Systems, LLC today introduced its new
Ten Tips for Safeguarding Your Shop’s Metal Lathes
Operators of lathes are one of the largest machine worker populations in the United States, estimated to account for over 140,000 machinists. Of this population,
OSHA, Happy Golden Anniversary!
The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 29, 1970 – that measure that created OSHA
Lack of Machine Guarding Again Named to OSHA’S Top 10 Most Cited Violations List
Every year around this time, the awards season kicks off with the Emmys, Golden Globes and the grand daddy of them all, the Oscars, eagerly
Machine Risk Assessment vs. Safeguarding Assessment? Start 2021 off on the right safety foot.
When it comes to accidents, manufacturing ranks second highest of all industries. That comes despite OSHA regulations and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. A
Shield Against Debris
When a machinist is cutting, drilling, shaping or milling raw materials, there are always inherent risks. Thankfully, proper and up-to-date safeguarding equipment drastically minimizes the
Limiting the Transmission of COVID-19 in Schools with Sneeze Shields
Block the Virus, Not the Learning In the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Considerations for Schools: Operating Schools During COVID-19, the CDC recommends the
Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 with Cough and Sneeze Shields
According to the American Lung Association, sneezes and coughs are your body’s way of releasing irritants found in the nose and lungs. In effect, people
How to Get Your Hands on the Right Safety Gloves
Hands are the most used tools in the workplace, making their protection from on-the-job hazards critically important to maintaining employee productivity. Hand dangers are around
Machine risk assessments vs. safeguarding assessments
When it comes to accidents, manufacturing ranks second highest of all industries. That comes despite OSHA regulations and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. A
Choosing the Right PPE for Machinists
Workplace safety is a growing concern among workers in North America. According to Injury Facts®, preventable workplace deaths totaled 4,414 in 2017 in the U.S.,
Bye-Bye Boomers: What Retiring Machinists Mean to Plant Safety
Within the next decade approximately 2.7 million Baby Boomers (1946-1964) will retire, thereby ensuring that tens of thousands of positions will become available without a
Minimize Conveyor Injury Risks with Safeguarding
While conveyor belts are integral facets of the distribution process and most warehouses could not function without them, they also pose the potential to cause
The good old days? Not for machine operators.
History of U.S. Machine Safeguarding When manufacturing moved from small shops to factories during the Industrial Revolution, inexperienced, often very young workers were confronted
Valve Safety Trains Require Regular Inspections, Maintenance and Training
Thermal processes are used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material or coating. Two common examples of thermal processing would be
Evaluating the Machine Guarding ROI
Insurance studies indicate machine safeguarding provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to reduce bottom-line operating costs by eliminating both the direct and indirect costs of
Safeguarding Press Brakes without Sacrificing Productivity
Technology advances can keep the operator safe and the press brake running. Even though the U.S. has some very strict machine guarding regulations, the U.S.
Ten Most Reported Worker’s Compensation Injuries
Last year in America 2.9 million employees (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics) suffered a workplace injury from which they never recover, at a cost to
Avoiding Pinch-Point Injuries on Riveters and Welders
Pinching your finger in a door can be painful but certainly not life threatening. Pinch-point injuries involving industrial machinery are another story, one that rarely
Work Safety Topics
Did you know that June is National Safety Month? Rockford Systems has partnered with the National Safety Council to promote safety to our valued customers!
SAFETY IN NUMBERS: Stop Time Measurements
Stop-Time Measurements Keep Safeguarding Equipment in Peak Performance We’ve all heard the phrase “what a difference a day makes,” yet when it comes to industrial
I, COBOT
I, COBOT: The Rise of Industrial Robotics and the Need for Employee Safeguarding In general, OSHA’s view on robot safety is that if the employer
Press Brake Safeguarding To Prevent Injuries
Including In-Depth Analysis of Light Curtains vs. Laser AOPD Press brakes are unforgiving machines and a common source of workplace amputations of hands, fingers and
Safeguarding Press Brakes: Light Curtains vs. Laser AOPD
This webinar will provide a discussion of the pro’s and con’s of light curtains versus laser AOPD products for safeguarding press brakes, including a discussion
Detect-A-Finger® Prevents Welding and Riveting Injuries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 5,000 American manufacturing workers suffer injuries involving amputation or limb loss every single year. In all,
The Alternative Universe of Lockout/Tagout
On the surface, at least, machine lockout/tagout (LOTO) appears simple: Identify and isolate energy sources, lock and tag, and perform the procedure that needs to
Press Brake Safeguarding Basics
Press Brakes are currently a hot topic in the “Machine Safeguarding” arena. OSHA regulations consider press brakes to be a 1910.212 machine, saying to the
How To Use a Guard Opening Scale
Point-of-operation barrier guards are essential safeguarding equipment for hazardous industrial processes and machinery such as presses, pumps, motors and drills. When properly installed the barriers
Safeguarding Lathes
Lathes are often overlooked when Risk Assessments are conducted to determine appropriate “Machine Safeguarding.” OSHA regulations consider lathes to be a 1910.212 machine, saying to
Safeguarding Mechanical Power Presses
Mechanical power presses (a.k.a. punch presses, stamping presses, flywheel presses), have existed in the U.S. since 1857. They were originally designed as either full-revolution, or
Calculating a Safeguarding ROI
In the United States, workers operating or maintaining industrial machinery suffer more than 18,000 amputations, crushed fingers and other traumatic injuries each year. While these
Got Grinders? Get Safeguarding
Safeguarding Standards for Bench and Pedestal Grinders Grinders are one of the most frequently cited machines during OSHA machine-safety inspections. This is frequently due to
Risk Assessment vs. Machine Survey: Which is right for your organization?
This webinar will compare and contrast the Risk Assessment versus the Machine Survey, oftentimes confused but very different. You will learn which is best for
Demystifying Die Safety Blocks
OVERVIEW Die safety blocks are called by many names: safety blocks, ram blocks, die blocks, or prop blocks. Regardless of the term, die safety blocks
What’s the Difference Between a Guard and a Shield
The terms guard and shield are often used interchangeably when referring to safeguarding cutting and turning machines. However, there is a significant difference between the
Basic Requirements for a Point-of-Operation Guard
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
Safeguarding Choices for Milling Machines (With or Without Automatic Control)
OSHA’s Code of Federal Regulations 1910.212 General Requirements For All Machines specifies that one or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect
Most Common Reasons To Upgrade Machine Safeguarding
Hydraulic press with a light curtain and two-hand control device as the point-of-operation safeguard. Also has a hydraulic control with control reliability. People often wonder
OSHA Inspection Priorities
The following is an excerpt taken from OSHA Fact Sheet DEP FS-3783. OSHA inspectors are experienced, well-trained industrial hygienists and safety professionals whose goal is
Do I Really Need to Safeguard My Machines?
Yes, you really do need to safeguard machines in your workplace. But to what extent can be a matter of interpretation based on minimum safety
Safeguarding Choices For Metal Cutting Saws
Although OSHA’s Code of Federal Regulations does not have a machine-specific regulation for metal cutting saws, 1910.212 General Requirements For All Machines says that one or more