Machine Guarding 29 CFR 1910 - Subpart O

General Background:

Thousands of workers are injured every year due to non-existent or improperly installed machine guards. Death, serious injury, crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness and a host of other types of injuries can be the result of improper machine guarding. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that most of these accidents can be prevented if proper safety precautions at job sites are initiated. This poses a serious problem for exposed workers and their employer. The OSHA Machine Guarding Standards establishes uniform requirements to ensure that the hazards of non-existent or improper machine guarding in U.S. workplaces are evaluated, safety procedures implemented and that the proper hazard information is transmitted to all affected workers.