Ensure the Safety of Your Workplace by Investing in Quality Machine Guards

Blog | January 6th, 2022

Many processing plants these days maximise a lot of machines to carry out and finish a wide array of operations. Some may have to cut or remove portions of the workpieces, while others have to separate parts and products based on their qualities.

The main functions of machines are expected to vary based on the requirements of the processing plants. But one common thing about most machines today is that they can bring hazards to workers and the surroundings. Without proper care, machines can easily cause burns, cuts, or minor abrasions to workers. They can even amputate body parts.

To avoid causing fatal injuries in your workplace, you should invest in and install quality machine guards on your machines.

Common Hazards with Machines

Before knowing how machine guards can make your machines safe, you must first understand the hazards associated with your machines. Machines generally have moving parts that often interact with workpieces. Most of their operations are controlled by nearby operators. Hence, if something goes wrong with these machines, they are the ones who will be at risk of getting injured and hospitalised.

There are three types of mechanical hazards that are related to machines. These hazards are as follows:

1. Hazardous Motions– One of the hazards that are related to machines is hazardous motions. Machine components that rotate, slide up or down, and move in a continuous line can generate hazards to those who are around the machines during their operations.
2. Points of Operation – Another type of hazard that machines may generate is points of operation. Areas where the machine bores, bends, or cuts workpieces can easily cause injuries if safety measures are not in place.
3. Pinch and Shear Points – Pinch and shear points, ultimately, are areas where a part of the body or clothing is caught between a moving machine component and a stationary object. These areas can be hazardous since damaging components can injure and even amputate body parts.

Aside from mechanical hazards, machines can also trigger non-mechanical hazards as they operate. Some examples of non-mechanical hazards are flying chips, debris, or splinters, sparks, and splashes.

Machine Guards Against Hazards

To prevent both mechanical and non-mechanical hazards from occurring, you must invest in and install quality machine guards from a reputable company. Machine guards are physical barriers that can minimise and even prevent contact between the workers and the machines. Some machine guards can be fixed or interlocked. Others, however, can be self-adjusting or adjustable.

When picking the best machine guards for your machines, you must make sure that they are designed to truly prevent contact between your employees and any dangerous areas of the machines. They should also have components that will attach and put them in place strongly. Your machine guards must likewise not interfere with the daily operations of your machines.

Ultimately, your machine guards must be built with strong materials and designed with quality specifications so that they do not create new hazards.

To buy quality machine guards, you can call us at McKean’s Sheetmetal Fabricators.

Optimized by NetwizardSEO.com.au