SAFETY MOMENT, MARCH 16

Guards stay on and stay working

See today's safety moment How to give a safety moment

Safety moment, March 16

Machines do not know the difference between the material and your hand. Moving parts can crush, cut, pull in or throw things faster than anyone can react. Guards are there because nobody can stay perfectly careful every minute of every shift. A missing or bypassed guard can turn a normal day into a serious injury.

SAFETY MOMENT

March 16

The hazard

Machines do not know the difference between the material and your hand. Moving parts can crush, cut, pull in or throw things faster than anyone can react. Guards are there because nobody can stay perfectly careful every minute of every shift. A missing or bypassed guard can turn a normal day into a serious injury.

The action

The point of operation is where the machine does its work on the material, such as cutting, pressing, shaping or bending. If it can injure you, it must be guarded, and the guard is there to keep every part of your body out of the danger zone while the machine cycles. Never remove, bypass, prop open or tape over a guard to save time. If a guard is missing or broken, do not run the machine, and tell your supervisor. (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii))

ASK THE CREW

What is our procedure when a machine jams, and who is authorized to lock it out?

From the talk: Machine guarding. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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