MACHINE SAFETY

 

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·       GUARDING

Ø    Requirement

Ø    Design

·       OPERATING CONTROLS

·       LOCKOUT

Ø    Energized equipment

 

GUARDING

Requirement

Machines must be designed and built to make danger zones inaccessible. If no person has access to a danger zone, it must be fitted with a fixed guard, an interlocked guard, or a sensor. If a person has access to a danger zone, it must be fitted with an interlocked guard, an automatically closing guard, an adjustable guard, a sensor, or a two-hand control.

 

If installing a guard makes machine operation impractical, the employer must take precautions to ensure equivalent protection i.e. work organization, training, operating conditions, or personal protective equipment.

 

Guards must be installed before operating a machine. (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 885-2001, 182-184)

 

Design

A guard must be designed so that it does not cause extra risks or be a source of danger. (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 885-2001, 187)

 

OPERATING CONTROLS

Machines must be equipped with a control device to start and stop the machine under safe conditions.

When the starting of a machine causes danger, it must be equipped with a warning device.

 

If the machine requires a worker to operate it, it must be equipped with an emergency stop that stops the machine in the shortest possible time. The stop must be visible and within easy reach, require a single action to activate it, and be clearly identified. Resetting the emergency stop must not start the machine. (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 885-2001, 189-192)

 

LOCKOUT

Lockout is required before any maintenance, repair, or unjamming in a danger zone. The power to the machine must be switched off, the machine come to a stop, and workers exposed must lock off all sources of energy. (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 885-2001, 185)

 

Energized equipment

When a worker must access a danger zone for adjustment, repair, or detecting abnormal operations and must remove a guard, the machine shall only be restarted by a manual control or with a safety procedure. Manual start or safety procedure must have the following features: it must cause any other control mode or procedure to become inoperable, only allow dangerous parts of machine to operate by continuous control device or two-hand control, or allow operation under special security e.g. low speed, reduced tension, or step by step. (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 885-2001, 186)

 

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