A Complete Guide on Safety Equipment: Why Quality Machine Guarding Matters

At North American Safety Products, Inc. (NASP), we are committed to delivering high-quality workplace safety equipment that adheres to all OSHA and ANSI regulatory standards. Our Made in America products are far superior to low-cost imitations, and they are much safer and more reliable than any other product on the market today.

Machine guarding is designed to create an essential barrier between workers and the potentially hazardous moving parts of equipment and machinery in industrial settings. Safety managers and plant supervisors in warehousing and manufacturing facilities rely on these tools to protect employees and reduce the risk of workplace injuries.

When it comes to machine guarding, quality matters. An inferior product can lead to dangerous and life-altering consequences, making it crucial to invest in a trustworthy, reliable product that promotes workplace safety.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard 1910.212, machine guarding must meet the following requirements:

Types of Guarding

A method(s) of machine guarding must be installed to protect the operator and other workers from hazards created at the point of operation, such as rotating parts, sparks, flying chips, and ingoing nip points, which may originate from hydraulic presses, lathes, saws, and more.

Examples of OSHA-approved machine guarding methods include:

• Barrier guards
• Electronic safety devices
• Two-hand tripping devices

General Requirements for Machine Guards

Machine guards should be attached to the machine whenever possible. It may be secured elsewhere if direct attachment is not feasible, but the guard itself should not cause or contribute to a workplace injury.

Expandable Barriers and Fall Protection Systems

According to OSHA Standard 1910.29, employers must install fall protection systems in designated areas where workers may be exposed to hazardous conditions. These systems, which should be installed between the working and walking area, can include:

• Barrier guards
• Electronic safety devices
• Two-hand tripping devices

OSHA guidelines indicate that fall protection systems should be smooth-surface to protect workers from lacerations or punctures, and to prevent snagging or catching of clothing.

Established in 1918, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) promotes reliability and compliance in various industries. The goal of the ANSI B11 standards is to minimize the potential risk of machinery-related hazards through the following tasks:

Developing procedures to reduce exposure to hazardous situations

Establishing safer work procedures

Restricting employee access to hazardous areas

These standards provide a comprehensive framework for identifying machinery safety hazards, offering technical guidance for users and manufacturers on methods for implementing machine guarding to create a safer workplace.

While heavy-duty machinery often offers integrated machine-guarding systems, most industrial facilities benefit from a user-implemented machine guard, such as an expandable barrier, installed directly at the point of operation to achieve the following benefits:

Enable best safety practices

Minimize downtime

Improve employee morale

Provide legal defensibility

Increase the overall workspace

Reduce hazardous areas around equipment and machinery

Maintain regulatory compliance with OSHA and ANSI standards

There is no comparison between quality, robust machine guard solutions and poorly made, inferior knock-off products. Purchasing a reliable, well-known brand from NASP is a worthwhile investment that will pay for itself tenfold in the long run.

The standard Original Versa-Guard® portable expanding barrier features:

Durable Construction and Lightweight Design

Compliance With Regulatory Standards

Unsurpassed Reliability

Quality Power Coat Finish

Specifications