This article highlights six key misconceptions about machine safeguarding. ANSI / ISO 12100:2012 Safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and risk reduction is the primary reference.

Although we talk about a company’s bottom line as the reason to implement engineering controls to reduce or eliminate respiratory hazards in the workplace, that doesn’t mean most organizations put profit above worker safety.

Machine Guarding (1910.212) was the ninth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing was the most-cited industry for violations of 1910.212 in FY 2019, with 423 citations, 371 inspections and $2,409,690 in proposed penalties.

Eye and Face Protection (1926.102) was the tenth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. Specialty Trade Contractors were the most-cited category for this standard, with 1,440 citations stemming from 1,434 inspections, resulting in $3,557,690 in proposed penalties.

As defined by OSHA, combustible dust is “a solid material composed of distinct particles or pieces, regardless of size, shape or chemical composition, which can present a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations.”

Last issue, we discussed whether it was hazards or is it hazardous energy. The conclusion is that it's really hazardous or potentially hazardous energy… which can move. People can also move, which means that eyes and mind on task are very important, which means that human error is important whenever people are moving or things around them are moving.

Flame-resistant (FR) doesn’t last forever. Since FR clothing can be expensive to replace, it’s usually best to repair these garments whenever possible. But if your FR clothing is beyond repair, your only choice will be to replace these garments.

Material handling consists of the moving, handling, and storing of materials in a facility using manual force, employee-operated equipment (forklifts), and automated equipment (conveyors). The handling and storing of materials inside a facility includes activities like:

Fall protection has been the number one most frequently cited OSHA violation for several years now, which means, worksites simply are not understanding the need to keep employees upright. Employers continue to take significant unnecessary “risk” when it comes to workplace slips, trips and falls by not taking the appropriate measures in evaluating their worksites.