At a glance
- General industry: 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) to (a)(3). Construction: 29 CFR 1926.300(b)(1) and (b)(2).
- About 5 minutes: read the script out loud, then ask the three questions.
- FY2025 citations: 29 CFR 1910.212, 2,666 (111 at construction sites); 29 CFR 1926.300, 149 (140 at construction sites).
- Free PDF: the script, the questions, the rule and a 20-line sign-in sheet. No account, no email.
Read this to your crew
Today's talk is about machine guards. Every machine and power tool we use has a part that can hurt you: the point of operation where it cuts, bends or drills, the nip points where parts come together, and the parts that rotate. Guards keep your body out of those places.
Know the danger points. The point of operation: the blade, the bit, the die. Ingoing nip points: belts and pulleys, chains and sprockets, rollers. Rotating parts: shafts, couplings, spindles, which grab loose clothing, hair and gloves. And the flying chips and sparks from grinders and saws.
Guards stay on. A guard pulled back for a better look, or wired open to go faster, is how fingers get lost on a saw.
Check before you start. Is the guard there, secure and working? Does the saw's blade guard return freely? Is the grinder's tool rest adjusted? If a guard is missing, broken or does not work, the machine does not run. Tag it and tell me.
Never reach around, over or under a guard while the machine can move. To clear a jam, change a blade or make an adjustment, shut it off and lock it out so it cannot start, and wait for it to stop moving.
Portable tools have guards too. A grinder without its wheel guard, a circular saw with the lower guard pinned back, a cutoff saw with a cracked shield: each one puts the blade or the wheel right where your hand or your face is. Use the tool as it was built, with the right wheel or blade for the guard and the speed.
Dress for machines: no loose sleeves, no jewelry, long hair tied back. Gloves can get caught in rotating parts, so follow the machine's manual on whether to wear them.
Three questions for the crew
- Which machines or tools on this job have a point of operation, a nip point or a rotating part you could reach?
Listen for: Saws, grinders, drills, mixers, conveyors, pumps. - What do you do if a guard is missing or broken?
Listen for: Do not run it, tag it, tell the supervisor. - When is it safe to reach into a machine?
Listen for: Only when it is shut down and locked out so it cannot start, and it has stopped moving.
What are OSHA's rules for machine guarding?
One or more methods of machine guarding are provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks; barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices and electronic safety devices are examples (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1)). Guards are affixed to the machine where possible, and a guard is not an accident hazard in itself (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(2)).
The point of operation of a machine whose operation exposes an employee to injury is guarded. The guard conforms to any standard written for that machine; where none applies, it is designed and built to keep any part of the operator's body out of the danger zone during the operating cycle (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii)).
In construction, power tools designed to accommodate guards are equipped with those guards when in use (29 CFR 1926.300(b)(1)), and belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, chains and other moving parts are guarded when exposed to contact by employees (29 CFR 1926.300(b)(2)).
The paragraphs, word for word:
“(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.”
“(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.”
“(b) Guarding. (1) When power operated tools are designed to accommodate guards, they shall be equipped with such guards when in use.”
“(2) Belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, spindles, drums, fly wheels, chains, or other reciprocating, rotating or moving parts of equipment shall be guarded if such parts are exposed to contact by employees or otherwise create a hazard. Guarding shall meet the requirements as set forth in American National Standards Institute, B15.1-1953 (R1958), Safety Code for Mechanical Power-Transmission Apparatus.”
How often did OSHA cite these rules in FY2025?
| Standard | Construction sites | Other industries | All FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.212Machine guarding, general requirements | 111 | 2,555 | 2,666 |
| 29 CFR 1926.300Tools, general requirements, construction | 140 | 9 | 149 |
Citation items under 29 CFR issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, at federal and State Plan inspections, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Construction means an inspection whose NAICS code starts with 23. The counts describe inspected establishments, not every employer.
Which guard for which hazard?
| Hazard | Examples | Typical protection |
|---|---|---|
| Point of operation | Saw blade, drill bit, press die | Fixed or adjustable barrier guard, two-hand control |
| Ingoing nip point | Belt and pulley, chain and sprocket, rollers | Fixed enclosure |
| Rotating part | Shafts, couplings, spindles | Enclosure or cover |
| Flying chips and sparks | Grinders, cutoff saws | Wheel guard and shield, plus eye and face protection |
| Moving parts of a power tool | Circular saw blade, grinder wheel | The guard the tool was designed with |