Protecting Workers from Automated Machine Operations -- Occupational Health & Safety

Protecting Workers from Automated Machine Operations

Plan ahead by providing proper machine guarding equipment sooner rather than later; if not to prepare for future regulations, do it to keep employees safe.

In the ever-evolving industrial world, new technologies are constantly putting old safety rules out of date. Even old-fashioned processes such as stretch wrapping have become more technologically advanced and are often automated today. While OSHA doesn’t currently have a specific standard referencing automated stretch wrapping operations, broader OSHA regulations should apply.

Perhaps it is no surprise that "machine guarding" (specifically, 29 CFR 1910.212) consistently falls into the top 10 of most frequently cited OSHA violations on a yearly basis. When new safety regulations are introduced every year, it is easy to understand why this commonly misunderstood topic is more confusing than ever. The multitude of robotic applications and the growth of robot use and automation in all industries only enhance the challenge.

Automated Processes Increase the Danger
Simple stretch wrap machines are nearly as ubiquitous to loading dock areas as dock levelers, seals, or shelters. As with almost all other industrial processes, what began as a manual operation (the arduous task of bending, pulling, and moving stretch wrap around a pallet) is now commonly automated.

While most dock employees are happy about this, this particular aspect of plant operation has long been overlooked as a hazard—and its dangers are increasing. As more and more facilities automate the palletizing and stretch wrapping process, it becomes increasingly important to protect employees and pedestrians from coming into contact with the moving parts of those machines. And as suppliers add more automated functions to their floors (such as intelligent conveyors, AGVs, and AS/RS systems), it’s critical that the safety methodology is similar to that of other robotic cells and is compliant with current standards.

Right now in the United States there aren't OSHA guidelines specific to the simple basic stretch wrap machines, other than the OSHA B1910 standards. As a rule of thumb, companies want to ensure safety of their employees, and the OSHA General Duty Clause stipulates the following:

(a) Each employer:

(1) Shall furnish to each of his employees employment a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees; and

          (2) Shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.

This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.