Any machine part, function or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded. This may include points of operation, power transmission apparatus or other moving parts. Safeguards are generally grouped under five classifications:

• Guards
• Devices
• Location/Distance
• Other methods to improve safety for the operator, such as automatic feeding and ejection, and
• Miscellaneous Aids, such as awareness barriers, feeding tools and holding fixtures

State and federal occupational safety regulations require that:

Guarding shall be provided to protect employees (students) in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, nip points, rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks. The guard shall be such that it does not offer an accident hazard in itself.

OSHA goes on to say that: The point-of-operation guarding device shall be so designed as to prevent the operator from having any part of his/her body in the danger zone during the operating cycle. Supervisors and instructors must ensure all equipment is code-compliant, in safe working order and that users are properly trained in the safe use of the equipment including machine guarding and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

This old institutional mixer does meet minimum OSHA requirements. This device poses an imminent hazard to the machine operator.

Please see the following links for additional information, or call University Safety & Assurances for a site assessment.

• OSHA Machine Guarding:   Standards
• OSHA Machine Guarding:   eTool
• OSHA Machine Guarding:   Safety and Health Topic Page
• OSHA Guarding of Portable Powered Tools (29 CFR 1910.243)