Save this article
Use this article for free on your own website
Republish this article for free on your own website or blog. Or search or browse for more articles that your audience will appreciate. Huge choice available. Ideal for finding quality, free content. Read our publishers guide.
Employee Safety
Hazardous working conditions where machines do not have adequate guards in place can increase the risk of personal injury to workers. For at least a century technology has existed to protect workers in situations where machine guarding should be in place, but often management is reluctant to spend money that they deem unnecessary, although it could save a life.
In occupations where machine operation is prevalent, employees must take heed when it comes to safety precautions. Several thousand U.S. workers are injured each year when operating machinery that is not adequately guarded.
Severe lacerations or amputations can occur quite freqently with moving machine parts. Employees safety should include machine guards to protect them from completly preventable accidents and injuries. Whenever the operation of a machine can injure the operator or others, the hazards must be either eliminated or designed out of a product.
If this is not possible and the hazard cannot be eliminated, it must be guarded against and a warning must be provided to avoid the hazard. This is commonly known as ‘Engineering Hierarchy’: design out, guard against and warn.
Many guarding principles have been in use in the industry for over 100 years. In 1899, the patent on an interlocking guard for a power press was awarded. However, while guarding technology has been readily available for decades, many manufacturers fail to avail itself of basic safety engineering that could save lives and prevent needless suffering and tragedy. Employee safety should be number one on an employer’s and manufacturer’s mind, but when disregard for an employee occurs because of inadequate safety gear or poorly designed machines and machine guards, it is advisable to contact an experienced lawyer for a potential lawsuit.
There are many types of guards that are appropriate for different products depending on the use for which the product is intended. Some examples of guards include fixed barrier guards, movable interlocking guards, and light curtains and sensors that detect the entry of fingers or the operator’s hands.
Quite often, guards that interfered with the operation of machinery and which were removed are very common in causing serious injury to an individual. When the removal of a machine guard is commonly expected as part of a procedure on a machine, the manufacturers are not covered from liability.
It is advisable to conctact an experienced worker’s safety law firm if an employer does not supply adequate safety gear for an individual. When an employer refuses to ensure the safety of its workers, or merely disregards the safety of its workers, they can be held responsible.