How to Calculate Safety Distances for Light Curtain Installation

February 22, 2023 / in Machine Safety Blog
Last Updated: 2024-04-12 Safety light curtains are an essential component of industrial safety systems. They detect the presence of people or objects in a hazardous area and prevent equipment from starting or operating if there is a risk of injury. However, to ensure that light curtains provide effective protection, we must calculate the safety distances…
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Interlocked Guarding

December 1, 2022 / in Machine Safety Blog
We always tell people to get interlocked guarding over their non-interlocked versions. In fact, most of the safety guards and shields that Ferndale Safety offers come with an electrical interlock switch. When wired correctly, this switch prevents a machine from starting and running while open. We believe that interlock guards prevent workers from doing unsafe…
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How to Safeguard Your Bench Grinder

November 23, 2022 / in Machine Safety Blog
Last updated: 2024-11-29 We get asked a lot about grinder guarding because there seems to be confusion about the safety requirements. Indeed, the standard bench and pedestal grinder is found in almost every machine shop and is undeniably a workhorse. Due to their popularity, OSHA often cites them for safety violations. There are various grinders,…
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A Safety Shield and a Guard – What’s the Difference?

January 3, 2022 / in Machine Safety Blog
You have two basic options for safeguarding your machinery: guards and safety shields. Great! So, what are they? How are they different? And how do you know you’re using the proper safety equipment in your shop? Let’s examine what it takes to protect your most valuable assets—your employees—with proper safety shields and guards. Safety Shields…
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Four Myths to Stop Believing About Machine Guarding

December 17, 2021 / in Machine Safety Blog
Updated: 2025-06-23 Regarding machine guarding in the workplace, some pervasive myths might undermine your safety efforts. You may have heard these four commonly believed myths, but they won’t hold up when tested against current knowledge about safeguarding. Here are the four most common machine-guarding myths and the truths you need to know to protect yourself,…
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Machine Safety – One of OSHA’s Most-Cited Violations!

December 10, 2021 / in Machine Safety Blog
Updated: 2025-06-23 OSHA’s list of the top ten most-cited violations for 2017 included machine safety as one of its top three. If you thought OSHA was going to brush this under the rug, cross their fingers, and hope that everyone would start doing better, well… Sorry, but you were wrong. Machine safety compliance has been…
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