Machine safeguard procedures

Guards and guard devices may not provide enough protection for all the operations and activities involved in the use, maintenance, cleaning and repair of machines and tools. Several safeguarding procedures will help prevent accidents from occurring. Remember, procedures do not remove hazards. 

Inappropriate response and incompatibility. These two factors can also cause human errors. Three examples of inappropriate response by a person are he/she disregarded the specified procedures, he/ she defecfed a hazardous condihon buf took no corrective action, and he/she removed a safeguard from a machine to increase output. Incompatibility refers to fhe incompafibilify of a person s workstation with respect to factors such as reach, size, feel, and force. These incompatibilihes can cause accidenfs and injuries. 

Production equipment and machines fall under the safeguarding requirements of 29 CFR, Subpart O. OSHA requires the employer to conduct periodic inspections and ensure adherence to following proper procedures or requirements. This periodic inspection includes a review of each authorized worker s responsibilities under the energy control procedures. The inspections and the reviews provide a representative sample of compliance with the requirements of the standard and not a 100% inspection. 

For the safeguarding of the entire active system of man-machine-environment, exactly the same principles are applied as have been referred to in Reliability and Suitability of Machines. In the case of man, the pertinent procedures can likewise be subdivided into planning, control, and testing. During the planning of a man-machine-environment-system, the anatomical data of the human body and its physiological processes and functions must be taken into account as contributory prerequisites in the same way as the stress characteristics of a material used in the construction of a machine. 

Rational judgements about the acceptability of safety provisions for particular machines and processes can only be made when all the potential hazards have been identified, the likelihood of personnel exposure to these hazards has been assessed, and the extent of possible injuries estimated. Thus the long-term effectiveness of any safeguard depends intimately upon its detail design, and its compatibility with the operating procedures and function of the machine. 

Inappropriate response/incompatibility. This is another major factor that can cause the occurrence of human errors. Three typical examples of inappropriate response would be when an individual (a) disregards the specified safety procedures, (b) detects a hazardous condition but takes no corrective action, and (c) removes a safeguard from a machine to increase output. 

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