The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of The United States Department of Labor has safeguarding standards for robotics industry applications. These standards ensure that anyone who interacts with robotic equipment remains safe. Therefore, it’s essential to understand what those requirements are and how your facility equipment stacks up when it comes to compliance. One such requirement is safety perimeters, also known as machine guarding.
What is Machine Guarding?
This may be a regular part of your operations already but we’ll start by defining the basics.
Machine guarding devices are put in place to separate people from a physical hazard created by the machines they are working with. Once a risk assessment of your machinery is complete, the necessary fixed-perimeter guarding is implemented and often combined with other safety devices, such as interlocks and light curtains, to create the safest work environment possible.
Uses for Machine Guarding
Machine guarding has many robotic industry applications – from robotic welding to pelletizing to packaging. If you have a piece of equipment that is potentially hazardous, you want to make sure that there is a physical barrier between those working with and around it.
Perimeter Machine Guarding can come in a variety of forms:
- Wire mesh configuration
- Solid metal configurations (for laser cutting and other operations that are dangerous to the eye)
- Lexan application (for instances when you need visibility)
The type of machine guarding material you need is determined by a complete assessment of the environment in which it will be utilized.
Recognizing the Hazard and Need for Safeguarding
Measures for workplace safety in the robotics industry are essential. To reduce the number of injuries and fatalities associated with your operations, you need to understand how to identify and minimize the hazards. Here’s how:
- Complete a thorough evaluation of your equipment
- Pinpoint compliance issues and understand how to fix them
- Control and prevent workplace injuries and fatalities with training and proper machine guarding
The goal is to recognize that there are hazards present in your workplace and it’s your responsibility to find innovative and sustainable solutions to improve the safety of the people in your facility.
Where can I find Machine Guarding products?
These standards discussed today are defined by OSHA.
You should have to look no further than WireCrafters to comply with these requirements. RapidGuard II® Machine Guarding is delivered by our trusted team and has a simple, compact design that improves safety in your facility. In addition, it has been specially engineered for robotics industry applications and safety needs.
The RapidGuard® II – Lift-Off Machine Guarding System is:
- Easy to install
- Has lift-out features
- Provides quick access for maintenance
- Maximizes safety features
- Saves floor space
- And best of all: it’s OSHA and ANSI/RIA safety compliant!
Contact WireCrafters today. We’d be happy to provide you with a free quote. Just share a few details with us, and one of our team members will take it from there.
