Many unnecessary injuries occur every year due to a lack of proper machine safeguarding. Depending on the type of machinery involved, there may be a particular ANSI standard with which the machine should comply. OSHA has requirements with respect to machine safeguarding. Many times employers or employees remove or disable machine safeguards which then cause injury.

Generally speaking Engineers are taught that if a hazard can be identified, the first priority is to design out the hazard. If this can't be done, and it can't in many cases, the second priority is to guard the hazard. The next priority is to warn about the hazard, and finally proper training regarding the hazard is necessary.

Machine safeguarding can become quite complex in the sophisticated manufacturing machinery seen in factories today. Most of the new equipment sold today complies with industry practices and standards with respect to safeguarding, however there are exceptions. Even though some machinery seen in factories today can be decades old, OSHA still requires them to be properly safeguarded.

Vidal Engineering can assist in analyzing whether proper safeguarding methods were in place and whether they comply with current industry practices and standards.