H-Frame Hydraulic Press Hazards & Safeguarding Solutions

May 29, 2025 / in Machine Safety Blog
Why focus on H-frames? The classic H-frame (four-column) hydraulic press is popular because it offers an open front, generous visibility with maximum daylight*, and high tonnage in a compact footprint. Those benefits create broad exposure zones and strong ejection paths, raising the stakes for operators and anyone walking past. * I came across the technical…
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Safeguarding Plate Rolling Machines

April 9, 2025 / in Machine Safety Blog
Plate rolling machines, also known as three-roll bending machines, form curves on flat stock, such as sheet metal and plate stock. The infeed area of a plate rolling machine is one of the most hazardous zones on the shop floor. Suppose a worker gets caught between the counter-rotating rolls. In that case, the consequences can…
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Understanding Safety Rope Pull Switches

March 6, 2025 / in Machine Safety Blog
A Comprehensive Guide for Industry Professionals Over the years, I have visited many companies but realized I have not seen many rope pull switches installed. That could be because it was rare for me to frequent companies that used a lot of conveyor belts or large production line machinery. However, I have recommended installing rope…
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Anti-Restart Protection Devices

February 13, 2025 / in Machine Safety Blog
I frequently share blog posts with customers to inform them about various safety topics. Surprisingly, I realized I hadn’t written about anti-restart protection, which is a critical safety feature in many tools and machines. In brief, anti-restart protection prevents a machine from automatically restarting itself, such as during a power failure. One thing that I…
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Environmental Stress Cracking in Machine Guarding

December 3, 2024 / in Machine Safety Blog
Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC) of Polycarbonate Polycarbonate is a versatile material celebrated for its exceptional strength, impact resistance, and optical clarity. As a preferred choice for machine safety guards and shields, it provides unmatched protection in industrial settings. However, polycarbonate is not immune to challenges like any material, including environmental stress cracking (ESC). This article…
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Safety Relays Explained: A Guide to How It Works

October 1, 2024 / in Machine Safety Blog
Updated April 30, 2025 – Corrections made based on feedback. Thanks to Frank at Automated Machine Technologies for the input. Introduction A safety relay is an electromechanical or electronic device designed to reduce risk and implement safety functions, particularly in industrial environments. Its primary goal is to shut down power and remove risk safely and…
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Mechanical Hazards and Injuries in the Workplace

September 5, 2024 / in Machine Safety Blog
The primary purpose of machine guarding is to protect people from mechanical hazards in the workplace. However, to safeguard a machine, you should first be able to identify the primary hazards that can be found in and around machinery. But first, let’s define mechanical hazards, and later, we will give examples. Mechanical Hazards “Mechanical hazard”…
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Connecting Safety Interlock Switches in Series

July 29, 2024 / in Machine Safety Blog
To save on costs and simplify wiring, a standard method of connecting multiple interlock switches is daisy chaining them. Daisy chaining means connecting several devices in a linear series. But doing it that way may present what is called fault-masking, which are faults that the safety system may not detect. Daisy Chaining Mechanical Interlock Switches…
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Two-Hand Control for Machine Safeguarding

June 3, 2024 / in Machine Safety Blog
An adequately installed two-hand control on an operating machine will keep its operators’ hands away from dangerous areas. These hazardous areas include dangers such as crush points. What’s a crush point? A crush point is any location where a body part might become trapped between two moving objects or one moving towards a stationary object….
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Comparing Machine Safeguarding Assessments and Risk Assessments

April 17, 2024 / in Machine Safety Blog
Are you uncertain if your machinery can meet modern safety regulations? Using safeguarding or risk assessment methods, you can pinpoint areas where machine protection is lacking and identify potential safety hazards. Tons of machines are being set up in companies every day. From small machines like a Home Depot saw to giant machines like automated…
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