How to Wire Safety Guard Interlock Switches

August 19, 2025 / in Machine Safety Blog
Safety guard interlock switches are used to protect workers from hazardous machine motion by ensuring the machine stops when a guard is opened or removed. These switches form part of the safety control system and are typically wired to remove power from the machine or trigger a safe state. Wiring them correctly helps maintain worker…
Read More

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.Updated December 5, 2025 – Additional refinements were made to improve clarity around wiring practices, diagnostic behaviour, and OSSD signal explanations. Introduction A safety relay is an electromechanical or electronic device designed to reduce risk and…
Read More

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”…
Read More

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….
Read More

Machine Shop Safety for Managers

July 4, 2023 / in Machine Safety Blog
“Building a Strong Foundation: Machine Shop Safety for Managers, Supervisors, and Safety Engineers” Thousands of machine shops are spread nationwide and play a vital role in manufacturing.  However, ensuring these shops meet safety standards can be challenging, especially for those not directly involved in machine operations.  This article on machine shop safety is not just…
Read More

Safety Guarding on Milling Machines

April 25, 2023 / in Machine Safety Blog
Safety guarding on milling machines is more important than ever due to occupational health and safety evolution. Milling machines have existed for centuries and are still vital to today’s manufacturing industry. Early milling machines did not have operator safety in mind and featured open drivetrain components and no safety shields.  As with any powered machinery,…
Read More

Guards for Drill Presses & Drill Press Safety

March 17, 2023 / in Machine Safety Blog
Updated: 2024-05-23 Are you looking to guard your drill press or learn how to ensure you or your employees can use it safely? In this article, I will discuss everything related to drill press safety, including what guarding upgrades you can make and drill press safety tips. What are Drill Presses & How are they…
Read More

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…
Read More

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,…
Read More