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 often referred to as the "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. Because of this neglect or disregard for a company's employees, the creation of a employee compensation lawsuit may occur to bring safety to a workplace and dissolve remaing threats.

There are many types of guards that are appropriate for different products depending on the use for which the product is intended. Fixed barrier guards, moveable interlocking guards or even sensors and light curtains that can sense and detect when limbs or appendages have entered.

Machine guarding cases involving serious injury due to improper guarding often involve situations where a product had a poorly designed guard that was removed exposing the operator to serious injury. If the manufacturer could have, and should have reasonably expected that the guard would be removed, the removal of the guard does not shield the manufacturer 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.


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