Machine safety guards are very important. They keep the operator as safe as possible. They are not meant to be a guarantee that you will not get hurt though. They are only there to make it so that the operator is not able to easily reach into moving parts. It protects against cuts, burns, smashed fingers and other things.

Guards are required by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration or OSHA. They do inspections of some machines. They are able to take them out of operation if they are not within the standards also. There are many types of guards used for this purpose.

These can be made out of plastic. If it is hot or oily this type is not the best choice though. Oil can break the plastic down and it can break easily. When it gets hot, it may melt. There are many uses that a plastic guard will work for though.

They work well for guarding the moving parts on a conveyor belt system. They also work well for covering the tops of a machine if needed. Guards are not always used for protecting a person though. Sometimes they are used to keep debris from flying into an area of the machine also. If the debris is not hot or large pieces, a plastic guard would work great for this.

A metal guard will work for just about any type of surfaces also. They are not recommended for machines that deal with food packaging though because they can rust. Water and some chemicals can also make them rust. They can be made of stainless steel also. One problem with using a metal guard is that the edges have to either be folded over or have some type of edging on it. It can be sharp and it can cut the operator badly.

There can also be wooden ones made. These are not as common though. They do not last as long and do not hold up to the conditions of a lot of the machines. Food plants cannot have wood because it is a place for mold and other bacteria to grow. It can be coated but it still will hold the mold spores and bacteria. It cannot be cleaned as thorough.

Some people will take the guards off of the machine because they say that it slows them down. You never want to do this. You can to ask yourself if you would rather be slowed down or would you rather lose your finger or a hand. When placing a guard on a machine, it is important to make it so that it does not slow you down but it is not always possible. Safety should be the number one priority for doing anything.

Many guards are already on the machines that you can buy now. Some of them do not have enough though or they may break. Sometimes you can order them from the manufacturer but other times you may have to find somebody to make them for the machine.

Author Bio: As a leader in machine guard and safety fencing installation they understand what it takes to make people safe around potentially dangerous machinery.

Category: Business Management
Keywords: business, safety, services, fencing, guards, machines, production, hazards, operations, protection