Machine operators suffer approximately 18,000 injuries and 800 deaths per year—a stat from ICW Insurance Companies—and year after year, machine guarding violations show up on OSHA’s top 10 list of most frequent citations.

Let’s not kid ourselves. No matter how well we guard our press brakes and no matter how experienced operators are, every time they stand in front of a machine and bend parts, they are at risk of injury. The repetitive, hands-on operation requires 100 percent focus to complete without making a mistake. Any slip [...]

Tube and pipe fabricators often take safety risks that wouldn't fly in other facilities Awareness of the hazards associated with press brakes and stamping presses has improved dramatically over the last decade. An emphasis on having a low workers’ compensation insurance modification factor as a prerequisite to winning contracts with FORTUNE 500 companies, the [...]

How shops can manage the complexities of machine safeguarding Machine safeguarding is becoming an increasingly intricate proposition for today’s manufacturer. Complex manufacturing and safeguarding technologies along with numerous safety standards and regulations challenge shop operators who, above all, must squeeze out increased productivity in a thorny business climate. For these reasons, any machine safeguarding [...]