Description
At first glance, this poster seems a little rough. But so is the potential consequence for ignoring machine guarding and lockout tagout standards. I am personally aware of several people who lost fingers or worse because a machine was not properly guarded or as a result of a failure to lockout and tagout. In this case, I posed for this photo. That's my hand. No, I am not missing any fingers. I simply went into Photoshop and cut them off. It wasn't painful; it didn't require any medical attention; and it didn't prevent from me going back to work and providing for my family. But if you are not careful you can just as easily cut your fingers off, and the loss will be painful, expensive, and permanent.
Lockout-tagout (LOTO) or lock and tag is a safety procedure which is used to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not able to be start ed up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work. It requires that hazardous energy sources be "isolated and rendered inoperative" before work is started on the equipment in question. The isolated power sources are then locked, and a tag is placed on the lock identifying the worker who has placed it. This prevents accidental startup of a machine while it is in a hazardous state or while a worker is in direct contact with it.
- OSHA Lockout Tagout Standard: CFR 1910.147, the Control of Hazardous Energy
Machine guarding is a precautionary safety feature on manufacturing or other engineering equipment. Specifically, it is a shield or device covering hazardous areas of a machine to prevent contact with body parts or to control hazards like chips and noise from exiting the machine. Machine guarding provides a means to protect humans from injury while working nearby or while operating equipment. Machine guarding is often the first line of defense to protect operators from injury while working on or around industrial machinery during normal operations.
- OSHA Machine Guarding Standard: CFR 1910.212
- Canada Machine Guarding Standard: Z432-04, Safeguarding of Machinery
