BCSP Viewpoints: Don’t let your guard down

When OSHA unveils its Top 10 list of most frequently cited standards at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo each year, you can always find one hiding in plain sight (much like the control itself). It’s typically somewhere near the bottom of the list, but it’s always there.

It’s Machine Guarding (1910.212), also known as “general requirements for all machines.” This fiscal year is no exception. The 1,239 citations issued by OSHA in FY 2025 for violations of the standard were the fewest since 2021, but still enough to land it at No. 10 on the preliminary list.

Before FY 2025, Machine Guarding accounted for more than 1,500 OSHA citations a year over the past decade, and the agency estimates that around 18,000 severe injuries occur each year because of inadequate or missing guards.

Machine guards may not grab your attention quite like other types of safety controls, but they’re integral for protecting workers from exposure to points of operation, in-running nip points, rotating parts, reciprocating and traverse motions, flying chips, and sparks. They’re physically attached to the machine, so they can blend in and become part of its normal appearance.

Even when workers are aware of guards, they may not appreciate the hazards present. They also may consider the guard inconvenient or lack training on proper use.

When proper machine guarding isn’t in place, any number of devastating outcomes can occur. Blades, presses and saws can cut or amputate limbs. Moving parts can trap and crush body parts. Belts, chains and gears can catch clothing or hair and pull workers into machines. Ejected material can cause impact injuries. Contact with hot parts can burn workers. The list is long.

Protecting workers starts by recognizing the most common violations when it comes to machine guarding.

At the top of the list: inadequate or missing guards. All too often, guards are removed for maintenance and never replaced. It may be the result of simple forgetfulness, but it can have disastrous consequences. Other violations:

Improper use of safety devices – tampering with or bypassing interlocks or leaving adjustable guards open

Lack of guards on power transmission and points of operation – failing to guard the most hazardous parts of the machine

Failure to provide training – not educating operators with critical knowledge of guards and their functions

Failure to inspect – allowing guards to become damaged, worn or dirty

To protect workers, it’s important to understand the types of machine guards and how they work:

Fixed guards are always in place, but if they’re removed, operators can be exposed to the hazard.

Interlocked guards stop the machine if the barrier is opened or removed. They aren’t foolproof, though, as workers can sometimes bypass or disable the guards.

Adjustable guards must be manually put into place. If not set correctly or at all, they can expose workers to hazardous machine parts.

Self-adjusting guards completely cover the danger area when no material is present and widen only enough to allow the material being introduced. They can fail if their parts become worn or dirty.

Dodge common pitfalls by developing a plan to ensure guards are immediately replaced after removal for maintenance, providing detailed training to machine operators on the specific types of guards they’ll use and following a regular inspection schedule to ensure guards are in proper working order. Let’s all do our part to bump Machine Guarding off the next Top 10 list!