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Machines are both drivers of productivity in industrial settings and the source of many hazards. One of the most common questions we receive time and time again is, what are machine guards?
Machine guards are physical barriers that stop moving parts, electricity, debris or any other hazard from contacting workers and are a legal requirement for compliance with health and safety standards.
Machine guards are protective devices that physically prevent machines from harming bystanders or those using them. They come in different forms, for example a fixed barrier, an adjustable guard to accommodate different sizes and shapes or an interlocked guard that stops the machine from operating / continuing to run when the guard is not in place. They can even function as presence-sensing systems, stopping the machine from functioning when someone enters the danger zone.
The most common types of machine guarding include:
Fixed Machine Guard: The most common type of machine guard. ‘Fixed’ means that it’s permanently attached to the machine and stays in place while the machinery’s being used. This type of guard is most suitable for machines that don’t have moving parts that need to be adjusted frequently.
Interlocked Machine Guards: These guards automatically prevent the machine from functioning when it’s being handled/opened. They’re most suitable for machines that need frequent maintenance or adjustments.
Guarding for Moving Machinery Parts: Also called power transmission guards, these protect workers from risks related to gears, chains, pulleys or any other moving machinery parts that may accidentally contact and hurt the machine operator.
Machine Perimeter Guarding: Machine perimeter guarding typically consists of fences and/or barriers that restrict access to the dangerous perimeter around one or multiple machines altogether. They’re often used in automated assembly lines, for example.
Laser Machine Guarding: Laser machine guarding is a type of presence-sensing machine guard that detects the presence of a person/object in the machine’s perimeter and stops it automatically. There are also other presence-sensing machine guards that work using technologies like light curtains or pressure-sensitive mats.
Adjustable Machine Guards: These can be adjusted to accommodate different machine sizes and shapes.
Machine guards are most commonly made from clear, high-impact plastics, e.g. polycarbonate, PETG and acrylic. PVC is often used for environments where chemical resistance is important, as well as HDPE for tough environments.
Mesh machine guards are usually made from high-tensile strength wire mesh. Materials can include mild steel, galvanised steel, stainless steel and others depending on the application.
First and foremost, machine guards are used to improve the safety of workers and any bystanders, but uses also include making sure your business complies with relevant regulations, better productivity and reduced downtime.
Employees can sometimes get used to carrying out tasks a certain way or to having a certain flow to the way they work which sometimes means becoming unaware of the dangers machines can pose, even if they do have good knowledge of how these machines work. This, unfortunately, can result in serious injuries from abrasions to amputations.
The primary purpose of machine guarding is to prevent injury by creating a physical barrier between workers and moving parts, electrical currents, flying debris and any other forms of danger. According to a study, proper machine guards can actually lead to 13% improvement in machine guarding practices and up to 23% improvement in safety audit scores.
To learn more about the additional benefits of machine guarding systems like better productivity and reduced downtime, feel free to have a look at our blog on the importance of machine safety here.
The main piece of legislation covering machine guarding regulations in the UK is the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) requiring employers to regulate risks by providing suitable machine guarding.
PUWER is specific to industrial and professional use and covers everything from what machine guarding solutions are needed to how they should be installed. All workplace machinery is covered by PUWER regardless of its size.
Some of the regulations outlined by PUWER include:
Employers should carry out thorough risk assessments to find out what the most appropriate machine guarding solutions would be
The machine guarding must be fixed in place and secure (bolted down instead of just positioned)
Access to dangerous zones should be prevented or the machine must stop when someone enters the danger zone
To find out more, have a look at the full PUWER guidelines here.
Accessafe specialises in providing high-quality industrial machine guarding designed to fit the needs of a wide range of industries. Our machine guards are designed to provide the best possible protection without preventing machinery from functioning smoothly. Our machine guarding solutions include:
To learn more about our machine guards, feel free to take a look at our dedicated machine guarding page. Alternatively, if you have any questions, get in touch with our team on 0121 348 7420. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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