• Industrial machine requirements protect workers from rotating machine parts.machine image by Stanisa Martinovic from Fotolia.com
  
  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) creates workplace machine requirements to help reduce the thousands of injuries and deaths that occur in the U.S. each year at work. Many industrial machines have large blades, gears and belts that present a variety of safety hazards for nearby workers. OSHA holds employers responsible for making sure workplace machines meet its requirements.
  
  

Guards

• OSHA requires all types of workplace machines to have guards that protect workers from hazards including rotating parts, flying sparks and places where fingers can easily get caught. Guards generally prevent machine operators from having body parts in dangerous machine zones while operating a machine.
  
  

Anchors

• OSHA necessitates fixed machinery be securely anchored in its location to avoid it "walking" or moving. Anchors prevent machines from moving around and harming workers and also keeps machines out of necessary employee passageways.
  
  

Lead Forging Machines

• OSHA calls for functional heating control for forging machines so that they do not overheat. It also requires machines be kept clean and that employees wear protective gear including gloves, goggles and aprons when working with lead forging machines. As with other machine types, OSHA holds employers responsible for maintaining forging machines in safe conditions for workers.
  
  

Baking Machine Pipes

• OSHA regulations require industrial baking machine pipes have insulated covers if the baking machine reaches dangerously hot temperatures. All baking machine gears are required to have guards completely covering them.
  
  

Textile Machines

• OSHA tells employers to make sure that machines in the textile industry have individual stopping mechanisms that operate either mechanically or electrically. Textile machines are required to have guards to protect workers from "nip points," which are points where workers could easily catch hands or fingers in the machine
  
  

Woodworking Saws

• OSHA woodworking tool standards require employers to ensure that woodworking saws have safe operating speeds permanently etched upon the machine face when saws have diameters larger than 20 inches or reach speeds over 10,000 peripheral feet per minute.
  
  

Farming Equipment

• Workers should know to keep all guards in place when using farm machines, to keep clear of machinery when turning it on and to keep unnecessary riders off of farm equipment. Employers must ensure that employees have instruction on how to safely use farm machines at least once per year.