History and Practices of Machine Guarding

Abstract

While the title of this paper is The History and Practices of Machine Guarding, any approach to this topic should be broader than the title indicates. First, this paper deals not with just machine guarding but with SAFEguarding. This may seem to be a matter of semantics but in reality, it represents an approach or attitude that is broader than just guarding. For example, the two button/two hand trip control that is now used on punch presses (stamping presses) is not really a guard, but a safeguard. Secondly, this paper is not intended to apply only to machines but to any and all aspects of eliminating or minimizing hazards that may result from any and all physical circumstances where people come into contact with their environment, in daily living and especially in performing their necessary work. This includes everything from hand tools to home appliances, to stairway construction, to production machinery, to space shuttles.