COMMON MACHINE GUARDING GOOF-UPS - TECH EHS Solution

Common Machine Guarding Goof-ups (That Even the Best Teams Make!)



Machine guards are meant to protect. But too often, they’re bypassed, removed, or simply forgotten.



Our latest SlideShare breaks down real-life mistakes, a story, and 5 guard fails every EHS Manager should watch out for!



From “It’ll save me time” to “I wish I hadn’t,” these lessons hit close to home for anyone managing machinery or maintenance teams.



#EHS #MachineSafety #WorkplaceSafety #EHSManagers

1. Because sometimes, “It just lookedsafe!”
COMMON MACHINE
GUARDING GOOF-UPS
(And How Smart EHS Managers
Avoid Them!)
© 2025 TECH EHS Solution. All Rights Reserved.

2. What Really Happens Behind the Scenes
When guards are ignored or misunderstood:
They underestimate how often exposure
happens.
They hope they’ll dodge hazards in time.
Workers don’t grasp how bad injuries can
get.
COMMON MACHINE GUARDING GOOF -UPS | 2

3. An employee sweeping wheat near a
running machine.
Guard had a 4-inch gap. Rules said
nothing about cleaning nearby.
He reaches under the guard to brush.
The glove gets caught!
The machine doesn’t stop!!
A Story
COMMON MACHINE GUARDING GOOF -UPS | 3

4. Let’s Investigate -
Who’s Really at Fault?
Why did he reach under?
Was he trained?
Did he assume the guard made
it “safe”?
Should anyone clean under
moving parts?
Who checks guards anyway?
Questions every EHS Manager
should be asking daily.
COMMON MACHINE GUARDING GOOF -UPS | 4

5. Root Causes (and How to Avoid Them)
Inspect Train Never bypass Report missing guards
Your guard checklist:
No
inspection
of guards
Poor or
missing
work rules
“Quick fix”
mentality
No training
on point of
operation
hazards
COMMON MACHINE GUARDING GOOF -UPS | 5

6. 4Machine Guarding Mistakes to Stop Today
Always run a machine survey before letting
anyone operate.
Assuming New Machines = Safe Machines
01
Guards aren’t optional accessories!
Removing Guards for Maintenance
(and Forgetting to Reinstall!)
02
Reassess risk every time automation or
process tech changes.
Not Updating Guards for New Tech
03
Refresh training regularly especially on
lockout/tagout and malfunction handling.
Skipping Operator Training
04
COMMON MACHINE GUARDING GOOF -UPS | 6

7. [phone] [email protected]
Bring these stories to life through animated safety videos
soyour teams see the hazard before they face it.
https://techehs.com/animated-safety-videos
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