Benefits of Machine Guards in Automation Manufacturing
January 30, 2023The manufacturing sector is replete with machinery and moving parts. Nothing could be constructed, extruded, drilled or assembled without them. Every machine, however, comes with both mechanical and non-mechanical risks. Even though machine automation has advanced significantly, people are still needed to run and maintain these machines in the industrial industry. Machine guarding is crucial to protecting the health and safety of employees.
Types of machine guarding
The types of machine guarding used in manufacturing facilities include:
Benefits of machine guarding
Proper protection around any moving item is required for the workers’ safety and the manufacturers’ bottom line. A company’s top priority should be to prevent the employee from going through a traumatic event like an amputation. The company will need to manage the time and costs for the wounded employee’s days away from work as well as workers’ compensation reimbursement and disability.
Furthermore, machine guarding can boost workplace efficiency by providing workers with the confidence to work more productively. Assume a press operator has an extra layer of protection in the form of guards between them and the material they are drilling. Workers are more likely to complete the task in a timely manner because they are also protected by the visor and safety goggles. Personal protective equipment, such as goggles, gloves and protective footwear, is always the individual’s last line of defense against a hazard. The more machine guarding can help protect the individual, the better.