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29 CFR 1910.212: Machine guarding

Subpart O—Machinery and Machine Guarding · official heading: General requirements for all machines

Machines must be guarded so the point of operation, nip points, rotating parts and flying chips can't hurt the operator or anyone nearby. Machines meant to stay in one place must be anchored.

32,998citations since 2015
25,431employers cited
91%serious, willful or repeat
$2,838median penalty per item

OSHA has cited 29 CFR 1910.212 32,998 times since 2015, against 25,431 employers. Penalties on these items add up to $150,142,725 at their current amounts.

Citations per year

The parts of the rule cited most

1910.212(a)(1) · 19,683 citations

(a) Machine guarding—(1) Types of guarding. One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guarding methods are—barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.

1910.212(a)(3)(ii) · 7,855 citations

(ii) The point of operation of machines whose operation exposes an employee to injury, shall be guarded. The guarding device shall be in conformity with any appropriate standards therefor, or, in the absence of applicable specific standards, shall be so designed and constructed as to prevent the operator from having any part of his body in the danger zone during the operating cycle.

1910.212(b) · 2,805 citations

(b) Anchoring fixed machinery. Machines designed for a fixed location shall be securely anchored to prevent walking or moving.

1910.212(a)(2) · 899 citations

(2) General requirements for machine guards. Guards shall be affixed to the machine where possible and secured elsewhere if for any reason attachment to the machine is not possible. The guard shall be such that it does not offer an accident hazard in itself.

1910.212(a)(5) · 811 citations

(5) Exposure of blades. When the periphery of the blades of a fan is less than seven (7) feet above the floor or working level, the blades shall be guarded. The guard shall have openings no larger than one-half ( 1/2) inch.

1910.212(a)(3)(iii) · 529 citations

(iii) Special handtools for placing and removing material shall be such as to permit easy handling of material without the operator placing a hand in the danger zone. Such tools shall not be in lieu of other guarding required by this section, but can only be used to supplement protection provided.

1910.212(a)(4) · 102 citations

(4) Barrels, containers, and drums. Revolving drums, barrels, and containers shall be guarded by an enclosure which is interlocked with the drive mechanism, so that the barrel, drum, or container cannot revolve unless the guard enclosure is in place.

1910.212(a)(3)(i) · 85 citations

(3) Point of operation guarding. (i) Point of operation is the area on a machine where work is actually performed upon the material being processed.

Industries cited most

  • Manufacturing 24,401
  • Wholesale Trade 1,618
  • Retail Trade 1,140
  • Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 842
  • Construction 809
  • Other Services (except Public Administration) 750

States cited most

Recently cited employers