Improper Use of Safeguards for Machinery

Each year, worker injuries and fatalities occur as a result of having no safeguards or improper safeguards on workplace equipment.  When the operation of or contact with moving parts of a machine can result in injury, safeguards should be used.  Any machine action that involves rotating members, reciprocating arms, moving belts, meshing gears, bending apparatus, shearing parts, or cutting teeth are potentially hazardous. 

A variety of safeguards exist, depending on the particular hazard.  Successful designs will (1) prevent human contact with dangerous components, (2) prevent fallen objects (such as tools) from contacting moving parts, and (3) prevent the removal or tampering of the safeguard.

Some commonly used safeguards include the use of fixed guards, interlocked guards, adjustable guards, self-adjusting guards, presence-sensing devices, pullback devices, restraint devices, pressure sensitive body bars, safety trip-rods, safety trip-wire cables, two-hand controls, two-hand trips, and gates. 

The responsibility of providing appropriate safeguards may reside with a premise owner, manufacturer, supplier, and/or contractor.  If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt while on the job, the attorneys at Law Offices of Jerry Neil Paul can help. Contact us for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.