Machine Guarding Program
Montana State University
Machine Guarding Program
Safety and Risk Management Office
Effective Date: 2024
Program Owner: Safety and Risk Management
1. Purpose
This Machine Guarding Program establishes guidelines and procedures to protect university employees who operate or work in proximity to machinery or equipment requiring guarding for safe operation. The objective is to prevent injuries such as cuts, amputations, crushing, and entanglement by ensuring compliance with OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910 Subpart O.
2. Scope
This program applies to all university employees, contractors, and vendors who:
•Operate or maintain machinery and equipment with moving parts, pinch points, or rotating
components;
•Work in areas where unguarded machinery or equipment is present;
•Supervise or train personnel on safe machinery operation.
This includes, but is not limited to:
•Shop equipment (e.g., saws, presses, grinders);
•Laboratory machinery;
•Facilities maintenance equipment;
•Grounds and landscaping machinery;
•Food service equipment.
3. Regulatory Requirements
The program aligns with:
•Montana Safety Culture Act
•OSHA 29 CFR 1910.212 – General Requirements for All Machines
•OSHA 29 CFR 1910.213 – Woodworking Machinery Requirements
•OSHA 29 CFR 1910.219 – Mechanical Power-Transmission Apparatus
•ANSI B11 Series – Safety Standards for Machinery (as reference)
4. Definitions
•Machine Guard: A barrier or device that prevents contact with hazardous moving parts.
•Point of Operation: The area on a machine where work is performed on the material.
•Hazardous Moving Parts: Includes rotating parts, belts, pulleys, gears, sprockets, chains, flywheels, cutting
edges, and other elements that pose risk.
•Authorized Employee: Trained personnel who operate or maintain machinery.
•Lockout/Tagout (LOTO): Procedures to ensure machinery is properly shut off and cannot be started during
servicing.
5. Responsibilities
5.1 Safety and Risk Management
•Develop and update this Machine Guarding Program.
•Provide training materials and support.
•Conduct periodic inspections and audits.
•Investigate machine-related incidents.
•Coordinate repairs or upgrades of guarding.
5.2 Supervisors and Department Heads
•Ensure machinery is equipped with appropriate guards.
•Verify employees are trained on guarding requirements.
•Ensure damaged or missing guards are promptly repaired.
•Enforce safe operating procedures.
5.3 Employees and Operators
•Use machinery only with all guards in place.
•Report missing, damaged, or ineffective guards immediately.
•Do not bypass or disable guards.
•Participate in required safety training.
6. Machine Guarding Requirements
6.1 General Guarding Principles
•Guards must prevent hands, arms, and other body parts from contacting moving parts.
•Guards should be secure, durable, and not create additional hazards.
•Where fixed guards are impractical, interlocked or adjustable guards may be used.
•Guards must not interfere with the machine’s operation or maintenance.
6.2 Types of Guards
•Fixed Guards: Permanent barriers covering dangerous parts.
•Interlocked Guards: Shut down machine when opened or removed.
•Adjustable Guards: Can be positioned according to the size of the workpiece.
•Self-Adjusting Guards: Move in response to material being fed into the machine.
6.3 Specific Equipment Considerations
•Cutting Tools: Blade guards must cover all parts except the cutting edge.
•Rotating Shafts and Belts: Must be covered by fixed or adjustable guards.
•Power Transmission Components: Gears, sprockets, chains, and pulleys must have full guarding.
•Point of Operation: Guards must not obstruct operator visibility unnecessarily but must prevent inadvertent
contact.
7. Inspection and Maintenance
•Supervisors must ensure daily pre-use inspection includes verification of guard condition.
•Safety and Risk Management will conduct quarterly machine guarding audits.
•Damaged or missing guards must be tagged “Out of Service” and reported immediately.
•Repairs or replacements must be completed before equipment use resumes.
•Records of inspections and repairs shall be maintained by the department.
8. Training
All employees operating or working near guarded machinery must receive:
•Initial training on the hazards of unguarded machinery.
•Instruction on the specific guards and safety features of equipment.
•Training on procedures for reporting guard issues.
•Annual refresher training or as needed after incidents or changes.
Training attendance is documented and maintained by the department.
9. Lockout/Tagout and Servicing
•Prior to servicing or maintenance involving exposure to hazardous energy, machinery
must be locked out and tagged out per the university’s Lockout/Tagout Program.
•Guards may be removed only during authorized maintenance.
•After servicing, guards must be replaced and secured before restarting machinery.
10. Incident Reporting
Any injury or near-miss involving machinery or guarding must be reported immediately to:
•The supervisor or department head
•Safety and Risk Management Office
An investigation will determine root causes and corrective actions.
11. Program Review
This program will be reviewed every two years or after a significant incident, regulatory change, or operational change affecting machinery use.
12. Appendices
•Appendix A: Machine Guarding Inspection Checklist
•Appendix B: Employee Machine Guarding Training Record
•Appendix C: Machine Guard Repair Request Form