IS IT SAFE?

HOW TO ENSURE MACHINE GUARD SAFETY COMPLIANCE FOR MECHANICAL POWER TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENT!
STATIONARY MACHINE GUARDS ARE BROADLY USED ON ROTATING INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT TO:
protect people from moving hazards protect equipment and components from external and environmental damage

These guards provide physical protection from the rotating components and they also can be opened or removed to service the connected equipment, after proper power lock out procedures have been followed.

Pump

Motor

Side View

Pump Top View

Pump Assembly Coupling Guard

Motor

Orange Peel Coupling Guard

Pump Assembly

Orange Peel
Rotating Shaft Guards

TYPES OF STATIONARY MACHINE GUARDS USED ON POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

Guards are typically used on motor or engine driven; pumps, gear drives, fans, conveyors and mixers plus a wide range of industrial process machinery. Guards can be either base mounted or supported by the connected equipment. Every guard application has a discrete set of performance needs to consider including; operating environment, temperature range, material corrosiveness, wash down/cleaning, cooling, equipment inspection/maintenance, color and safety label requirements.

Coupling Guard

Chain Drive Guard

Belt Drive Guard

Shaft Guard

In order to provide a safe work environment and to limit liability exposure, it is important to provide guards that comply with the current safety standards. US Safety Standards governing stationary machinery guards for mechanical power transmission apparatus are a based on three national standards: OSHA 1910.219 (Occupational Safety and Health Act) 1996 ANSI/ASME B15.1 (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) 2000 ANSI Z535 (American National Standards Institute) 1998 In addition, other state and local safety codes may also apply. The standards provide the equipment designer guidelines and certain design specifics to yield a safe and practical work environment. People having access to areas where motion hazards exist, shall be protected by safeguarding means, from contact with moving parts. Such safe guarding means shall prevent people from walking into, reaching over or under, or other inadvertent contacts. All motion hazards associated with the operation of mechanical power transmission apparatus shall be eliminated by design of the equipment or protection by a guard, device, safe distance or safe location.

KEY SAFETY STANDARD PROVISIONS

OSHA 1910.219 - 1996 Motion hazards which are seven (7) feet or less from the floor or working platform, shall be guarded in accordance with the standard specifics for that power transmission mechanism. Shall provide stationary guards/caps over all rotating shafts with projecting keys, keyways, set screws, etc. Shall provide hinged or sliding covers when lubrication is required. Shall be constructed of a substantial material. Shall withstand a 113 kg. (250 lb) load. Shall be free from burrs and sharp edges. Shall be inspected and maintained at intervals not exceeding 60 days, and kept in good working condition at all times. ANSI/ASME B15.1 - 2000 Shall prevent entry of hands, fingers or other parts of the body into a point of hazard by reaching through, over, under or around the guard. Shall be stationary in use. Shall create no additional motion hazards between the guard and the moving parts. Shall prevent entry with gaps no greater than 6mm (.250"), based on a distance of .5 to 2.5 inches to the moving part (larger gaps are permissible at greater distances from the moving part). Shall prevent injury from component breakage. Shall utilize fasteners not readily removed by people other than authorized persons. ANSI Z535 - 1998 Shall be Safety Orange, when a safety color is used to identify hazardous parts of machines with an intermediate level of hazard alert (Warning). The Warning alert indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury. Shall have a readily visible Warning safety label when an intermediate level of hazard alert is used, to identify potential risks that are not self evident. The safety label shall comply to ANSI Z535 standards. ANSI Z535.4 safety labels are a USA standard. ISO 3864, or other national and local standards, govern international safety label requirements. It is the users responsibility to identify the language and training needs of the local work force and determine how to inform workers of the hazards depicted by the alert and pictogram used in any safety labels.

ANSI Z535.4 Warning Label

ISO 3864 Safety Label

HOW DO YOU ENSURE GUARD SAFETY COMPLIANCE?

The following guard specification can be used with potential equipment suppliers at the quotation stage: Guards shall comply with current USA national safety standards; OSHA 1910.219 (1996), ANSI/ASME B15.1 (2000), ANSI Z535 (1998). Guards shall have gaps no greater than .250", shall be Safety Orange in color, and have an ANSI Z535.4 compliant warning label. (Specify any additional local safety codes and add additional requirements specific to company, industry or application needs.)

Non Safety Compliant Coupling Guard

Safety Compliant Coupling Guard

STATIONARY GUARD SELECTION CRITERIA

safety compliance and labeling initial cost installation costs equipment servicing costs

availability design/transaction costs guard maintenance costs operating life

WHAT ABOUT COMPLIANCE OF EXISTING GUARD INSTALLATIONS?

The ASME B15.1 standard states, existing equipment performance should be reviewed relative to the current standard requirements, and if performance differs substantially, an upgrade may be warranted . This article is intended to provide a summary of the current USA safety standards and practices. Please refer to all applicable safety standards. Web site links of interest: www.osha.gov www.asme.org www.ansi.org www.iso.ch www.asse.org www.safetyinfo.com www.europort.com www.bowman-brooke.com (Occupational Health & Safety Act) (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) (American National Standards Institute) (International Standards Organization) (American Society of Safety Engineers) (Safety Web Site) (EC Safety Standards) (Safety/Labeling Articles)

Form 040105, January 2004 (formerly RSG0129) The Falk Corporation 2000, 2004. All Rights Reserved. Litho in USA. FALK, ORANGE PEEL, and a good name in indusry are registered trademarks. Patent Pending. The contents of this bulletin are subject to change without notice or obligation.

The Falk Corporation 3001 West Canal Street Milwaukee, WI 53208-4200 USA

Ph: 414-342-3131 Fx: 414-937-4359 E-mail: falkinfo@falkcorp.com Web: www.falkcorp.com/opguards