Machine Guarding

Standards

Machine guarding hazards are addressed in specific OSHA standards for agriculture, general industry, maritime, and construction. This section highlights OSHA standards and documents related to machine guarding.

OSHA Standards

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)		Related Information
1910 Subpart O - Machinery and Machine Guarding		Related Information
	1910.211, Definitions.	Related Information
	1910.212, General requirements for all machines.	Related Information
	1910.213, Woodworking machinery requirements.	Related Information
	1910.215, Abrasive wheel machinery.	Related Information
	1910.216, Mills and calenders in the rubber and plastics industries.	Related Information
	1910.217, Mechanical power presses.	Related Information
	1910.218, Forging machines.	Related Information
	1910.219, Mechanical power-transmission apparatus.	Related Information
1910 Subpart R - Special Industries
	1910.262, Textiles.	Related Information
	1910.263, Bakery equipment.	Related Information
	1910.268, Telecommunications. Paragraph (b)(1)(v) addresses some general requirements for machine guarding.	Related Information

Maritime (29 CFR 1915, 1917, 1918)
Maritime (29 CFR 1915, 1917, 1918)		Related Information
1917 Subpart G - Related Terminal Operations and Equipment		Related Information
1917 Subpart G - Related Terminal Operations and Equipment	1917.151, Machine guarding.	Related Information
1918 Subpart I
1918 Subpart I	1918.96, Maintenance and repair work in the vicinity of longshoring operations. Paragraph (e) contains general requirements for machine guarding (see also 29 CFR 1918.2, definition of "danger zone").	Related Information

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)
Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)		Related Information
1926 Subpart I - Tools - Hand and Power		Related Information
	1926.300, General requirements.	Related Information
	1926.301, Hand tools.	Related Information
	1926.302, Power-operated hand tools.	Related Information
	1926.303, Abrasive wheels and tools.	Related Information
	1926.304, Woodworking tools.	Related Information
	1926.305, Jacks-lever and ratchet, screw, and hydraulic.	Related Information
	1926.306, Air receivers.	Related Information
	1926.307, Mechanical power-transmission apparatus.	Related Information

Agriculture Industry (29 CFR 1928)
Agriculture Industry (29 CFR 1928)		Related Information
1928 Subpart D - Safety for Agricultural Equipment		Related Information
1928 Subpart D - Safety for Agricultural Equipment	1928.57, Guarding of farm field equipment, farmstead equipment, and cotton gins.	Related Information

State Plan Standards

There are 29 OSHA-approved State Plans operating state-wide occupational safety and health programs. State Plans are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or more stringent requirements.

Note: The federal registers in this list provide additional information that is not necessarily connected to a specific OSHA standard highlighted on this Safety and Health Topics page.

Power Presses. Proposed Rules 72:30729-30734, (June 4, 2007). OSHA is seeking comments on whether and how the mechanical power presses standard should be amended, including whether the requirements pertaining to the use of presence-sensing-device initiation (PSDI) systems should be revised and whether the scope of the standard should be expanded to cover other types of presses.
Mechanical Power -- Transmission Apparatus; Mechanical Power Presses; Telecommunications; Hydrogen. Final Rules 69:31880-31882, (June 8, 2004). Corrects errors in four OSHA standards:
1. The first correction deletes two references to a non existing table in the Mechanical Power-Transmission Apparatus Standard.
2. The second is a correction of typographical errors in the Mechanical Power Presses Standard.
3. The third correction is to a cross-reference in the Telecommunications Standard.
4. The fourth correction is to a reference to a table contained in the Hazardous Materials Standard for Hydrogen.
Notice of Availability of the Regulatory Flexibility Act Review of Presence Sensing Device Initiation for Mechanical Power Presses. Proposed Rules 69:31927-31929, (June 8, 2004). OSHA has conducted a review of the Presence Sensing Device Initiation (PSDI) requirements of the Mechanical Power Presses Standard pursuant to section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and section 5 of Executive Order 12866 on Regulatory Planning and Review. Based on this review and public comments, OSHA has decided to update its mechanical power press standard to ANSI B.11.1-2001
Mechanical Power Presses. Final Rules 53:8322-65, (March 14, 1988). Amendment of the standard for mechanical power presses, 29 CFR 1910.217, to allow (but not require) presence sensing device initiation (PSDI) on certain types of power presses.

Additional Directives

Note: The directives in this list provide additional information that is not necessarily connected to a specific OSHA standard highlighted on this Safety and Health Topics page.

National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries. CPL 03-00-022, (December 10, 2019).
Guidelines for Point of Operation Guarding of Power Press Brakes. CPL 02-01-025, (February 14, 1997).
Abrasive Operation Using Cutoff Wheels and Masonry Saws. STD 01-12-026, (September 26, 1994).
Awareness Barriers Installed on Metal Cutting Shears. STD 01-12-025, (July 12, 1994).
Guarding of Three-Roller Printing Ink Mills. STD 01-12-023, (July 12, 1994).
Alternative Abatement Methods of 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) and (a)(2) As Applied to the Oil and Gas Drilling Industry. STD 01-12-028, (February 14, 1983).
Portable Belt Sanding Machines as Covered by 29 CFR 1910.243(a)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.304(f). STD 01-13-004, (August 05, 1981).
29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii) Point of Operation Guarding for All Machines as Applied to the Hand-Fed Engraving Presses Used .... STD 01-12-022, (January 02, 1979).
29 CFR 1910.212 General Requirements for all Machines. STD 01-12-009, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.213(a)(4), Woodworking Machinery Requirements. STD 01-12-015, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.213(c)(l) and (h)(1), Woodworking Machinery Guarding Requirements. STD 01-12-018, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1), Radial Saw Guards. STD 01-12-017, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.215(a)(4), Abrasive Wheel Machinery Work Rests. STD 01-12-008, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.217 Mechanical Power Presses, Clarifications. STD 01-12-021, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.217 and 29 CFR 1910.212; Applicability of Platen Presses. STD 01-12-007, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.217(b)(3)(i), Mechanical Power Presses Single Stroke Mechanism Requirements. STD 01-12-020, (October 30, 1978).
29 CFR 1910.218 Forging Machines. STD 01-12-006, (October 30, 1978).
Acceptable Guarding for Circular Meat Cutting Saws: 29 CFR Section 1910.212(a)(3)(ii). STD 01-12-005, (October 30, 1978).
Application 1910.212(a)(1) to Sewing Machines in the Light Apparel Manufacturing Industries. STD 01-12-019, (October 30, 1978).
Application of 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) to Food Waste Disposal Equipment. STD 01-12-010, (October 30, 1978).
Caution Labeling of Radial Saws: 29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5). STD 01-12-004, (October 30, 1978).
Clarification of 29 CFR 1910.219, the Terms "Enclosed" and "Fully Enclosed", as applying to Power Transmission Belts. STD 01-12-014, (October 30, 1978).
Defining Acceptable Guarding of Fan Blades. STD 01-12-001, (October 30, 1978).
Reduction of Air Pressure below 30 psi for Cleaning Purposes. STD 01-13-001, (October 30, 1978).

Additional Letters of Interpretation

Note: The letters in this list provide additional information that is not necessarily connected to a specific OSHA standard highlighted on this Safety and Health Topics page.

Use of laser guarding systems with hydraulic press brakes (February 11, 2004).
Maximum permissible guard openings for blade guards on cooling fans (August 21, 2003).
Questions and answers about color coding machine and machine guards according to ANSI Z535.1-1990 (August 19, 2003).
OSHA machine guarding standards and the ISO/IEC standards adopted under the GATT; National Emphasis Program on Amputations (May 13, 2003).
Standards that apply to cotton gins (August 06, 2002).
Request for guidance on saws operated on "cut-climb/reverse-rotation" mode (July 12, 2002).
Guarding/hazards of using woodcutting sawblades on a cut-off machine (November 15, 1999).
Multiple interpretations regarding mechanical power presses (May 08, 1998).
Machine-guarding requirements (December 20, 1994).
Applicability of the Machine Guarding and Lockout/Tagout standards to printing presses (June 14, 1993).
Printing Presses: requirements for normal production and servicing operations (September 16, 1992).

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

ANSI B11 Subcommittees. The ANSI B11 committee is responsible for developing machine tool safety standards. This document provides brief descriptions of the subcommittees and the hazards they are addressing.
- B11.1, Safety Requirements for Mechanical Power Presses
- B11.2 (R05), Hydraulic Power Presses - Safety Requirements for Construction, Care, and Use
- B11.3, Safety Requirements for Power Press Brakes
- B11.4, Safety Requirements for Shears
- B11.5 (R05), Ironworkers - Safety Requirements for Construction, Care, and Use
- B11.6, Safety Requirements for Manual Turning Machines with or without Automatic Control
- B11.7 (R05), Cold Headers & Cold Formers - Safety Requirements for Construction, Care, and Use
- B11.8, Safety Requirements for Manual Milling, Drilling, & Boring Machines with or without Automatic Control
- B11.9 (R05), Safety Requirements for the Construction, Care, and Use of Grinding Machines
- B11.10, Safety Requirements for Metal Sawing Machines
- B11.11, Safety Requirements for Gear and Spline Cutting Machines
- B11.12, Safety Requirements for Roll Forming & Roll Bending Machines
- B11.13 (R98), Single and Multiple-Spindle Automatic Bar, and Chucking Machines - Safety Requirements for Construction, Care, and Use
- B11.14, Coil Slitting Machines - Safety Requirements for Construction, Care, and Use
- B11.15, Safety Requirements for Pipe, Tube and Shape Bending Machines
- B11.16 (MPIF #47), Safety Requirements for Powder/Metal Compacting Presses
- B11.17, Safety Requirements for Horizontal Hydraulic Extrusion Presses
- B11.18, Safety Requirements for Machines and Machinery Systems for Processing or Slitting or Non-Coiled Metal Strip, Sheet or Plate
- B11.19, Performance Criteria for Safeguarding
- B11.20, Safety Requirements for Integrated Manufacturing Systems
- B11.21, Safety Requirements for Machine Tools Using Lasers For Processing Materials
- B11.22, Safety Requirements for Turning Centers and Automatic Numerically Controlled Turning Machines
- B11.23, Safety Requirements for Machining Centers and Automatic Numerically Controlled Milling, Drilling and Boring Machines
- B11.24, Safety Requirements for Transfer Machines
- B11.TR 1, Ergonomic Guidelines for the Design, Installation And Use of Machine Tools
- B11.TR 2, Mist Control Considerations for the Design, Installation And Use of Machine Tools Using Metalworking Fluids
- B11.TR 3, Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction- A Guideline to Estimate, Evaluate and Reduce Risks Associated with Machine Tools
- B11.TR 4, Selection of Programmable Electronic Systems (PES/PLC) for Machine Tools
- B11.TR5, Sound Level Measurement Guidelines (not an approved document; in development)
- B11.TR6, Control Reliable Circuits and Servo Drive Technology