Machine Guarding – An Introduction
Machine guards are different type of devices installed on machinery to protect the workers from any type of injury. It was only at the end of 19th century that people learned about the importance of machine guarding. The first patent for an interlocking guard was given in 1899. Protective devices now included sensors that helped in detecting the of hand or operator’s finger, light guards and fixed barrier guards and movable interlocking guards.
According to Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), machines in most of the workplaces are inadequately guarded or unguarded. Although OSHA Act requires that all the employers should provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards” but workers maintaining and operating machinery suffer approximately 19,000 lacerations, abrasions, amputations and crushing injuries annually. According to a study, about 8,000 deaths occur every year due to unsafe equipments.