Builder-Designed and User-Built Guards
Today, many manufacturers who build single-purpose machines provide point-of-operation and power transmission safeguards as standard equipment. However, not all machines in use have built-in safeguards provided by the manufacturer.
Advantages of Builder-Designed Guards
Guards designed and installed by the builder offer two main advantages:
- They usually conform to the design and function of the machine.
- They can be designed to strengthen the machine in some way or to serve some additional functional purposes.
Advantages of User-Built Guards
User-built guards are sometimes necessary for a variety of reasons. They provide the following advantages:
- With older machinery, they are the only practical safeguarding solution.
- They may be the only choice for mechanical power transmission apparatus in older plants, where machinery is not powered by individual motor drives.
- They permit options for point-of-operation safeguards when skilled personnel design and make them.
- They can be designed and built to fit unique and even changing situations.
- They can be installed on individual dies and feeding mechanisms.
- Design and installation of machine safeguards by plant personnel can help to promote safety consciousness in the workplace.
Disadvantages of User-Built Guards
User-built guards also have disadvantages:
- User-built guards may not conform well to the configuration and function of the machine.
- There is a risk that user-built guards may be poorly designed or built.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-4. Which of the following is a disadvantage of user-built machine guards?
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