Machine Guarding Checklist
This checklist is part of a document provided by Association partner Sentry to its policyholders. The complete product safety process guide offers tips on:
- establishing a product safety team
- hazard analysis
- quality assurance
- guarding and shielding
- safety messages and labels
- developing an operator’s manual
- post-product release
To see the complete document, go to FarmEquip.org/SentrySafety. You will need your member ID and password.
Basic Machine Guarding Requirements
- Do the provided guards or shields meet the minimum OSHA requirements and applicable ANSI or ASABE standards?
- Do the guards prevent workers’ hands, arms, and other body parts from contacting dangerous moving parts?
- Are the guards firmly secured and not easily removable?
- Do the guards ensure no objects will fall into the moving parts?
- Do the guards permit safe, comfortable, and relatively easy machine operation?
- Can the product be lubricated without removing or circumventing the guard?
- Is there a system for shutting down the machine before guards are removed?
- Can the existing guards or shields be improved?
Mechanical Hazards
- Is there a point-of-operation guard?
- Does it keep the operator’s hands and body out of the hazardous area?
- Is there a more practical, effective guard such as an interlocked grate or guard?
- Is there a way to eliminate the point-of-operation hazard entirely?
- Are there any unguarded gears, sprockets, pulleys, or flywheels on the equipment?
- Are there exposed belts or chain drives?
- Are there any exposed set screws, key ways, collars, etc.?
- Are starting and stopping controls within easy reach for the operator?
- If there is more than one operator, are separate controls provided?
- Are guards provided for all hazardous moving parts, including all auxiliary machinery or parts?