This policy procedure sets out how machine guarding is assessed and chosen, from physical guards and safeguarding devices to awareness barriers, and how guarding is inspected.
This policy template is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
The following document labelling is included in the footer:
- Policy number and title
- Information-classification
- Version
- Page number / total pages
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Machine Guarding Policy Procedure Template
The Machine Guarding Policy Procedure is a Word template that sets out how a business makes sure the right guarding is in place on machinery to prevent injury from moving parts. It covers the injuries machinery can cause, the general principles for assessing guarding, the approaches to choose from, including guards, safeguarding devices, secondary methods, location and awareness barriers, and ongoing inspection.
Title, File Location, Issue No, Issue Date, Controlled By and Approved By fields and an Amendment Record support document control, with a Business Use information classification in the footer. It applies to all personnel involved in activities within its scope.
What the Policy Covers
- Amendment record, summary, scope and applicability - the purpose of the policy, its scope across all company activities and locations, who it applies to and how guidance sections are marked
- Overview of machinery hazards - the company duty under health and safety law to guard machinery, and injuries from moving parts, sharp edges, crushing, shearing, heat and electricity
- Assessing required guarding - the general principles guards must meet, including suitable design, secure fixing, interlocks where access is frequent and checks that no body part can reach in
- Choosing an approach to guarding - when to use guards, safeguarding devices, secondary safeguarding methods, safeguarding by location or distance and awareness barriers
- Inspection of guarding - machine guarding included in the general premises inspection and set out as a pre-start inspection where required
Built for Guarding Moving Machinery
- Interlocked guards that isolate power and stop dangerous movement where there is frequent access to a danger zone
- Guards kept in position whenever a machine is operating, with training for everyone using the equipment
- Secondary safeguarding methods allowed only where guards or primary devices are not feasible, never in their place
- Awareness barriers treated as an additional control, since they give no physical protection
- Guarding checked during general premises inspections and in pre-start inspections where required
Who Needs a Machine Guarding Policy Procedure?
Any business that operates machinery with moving parts, rollers, belts or other danger zones. It is written for those who choose, fit and check guards and for the people who use the machines.
Using the Policy
Edit the guarding principles and approaches to reflect the machinery your business uses, and decide which machines need guarding checks in pre-start inspections. Name the person in the Controlled By field, give it top level approval and brief everyone who uses the machines.
Related Documents
The PP-7-02 Safe Use of Equipment Policy Procedure covers wider work equipment arrangements such as the equipment register and pre-start checks, and the GG-7-10 Machine Guarding Guidance and TT-7-10 Machine Guarding Training Talk can be used to brief staff on machine guarding.
Machinery Hazards Explained
The overview sets out the injuries guarding is there to prevent: being struck by moving parts or ejected material, being drawn in or trapped by rollers and belts, cuts and punctures from sharp parts, crushing and shearing, burns or scalds and electric shock, as well as faults and misuse through inexperience.
Would you rather we prepared it for you?
A day of remote support can take the risk assessments you already have, move them into one consistent format with the same scoring throughout, and build your hazard register from them, so the hazards this policy covers are backed by a current assessment.
Risk Assessment Reformatting and Hazard Register