Machine scorecards

In the U.S. metal fabrications trade there are 4.2-6.7 amputations per 10,000 workers per year. To reduce exposure to amputation hazards, the Minnesota Machine Guarding study issued scorecards to analyze machines and make sure they are in compliance with current standards.

Researchers developed 23 machine safety scorecards based on OSHA and ANSI standards. Safety scores depended on the absence of guards, other safety devices and implements and the presence of or absence of acceptable administrative programs. The researchers rated 59 machines in four shops.

It was found that the scorecards could quantify machine safety and identify safety-related problems within a specific shop. “Machinists and safety professionals may use this scoring system as a means of reproducible assessment of machine safety,” the report stated.

The goal of the study is to improve machine guarding methods in small to medium sized metal fabrication shops that are involved in activities such as metal stamping, sheet metal fabrication and metal grinding.