Moving machine parts have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns or blindness. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries. Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be safeguarded.

When the operation of a machine or accidental contact injures the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled. This page contains general information on the various hazards of mechanical motion and techniques for protecting workers.

A brief overview of machine guarding safety standards in Canada

In Canada, each province has its own regulatory body for occupational health and safety, such as the Ministry of Labour in Ontario. There are fourteen jurisdictions - one federal, ten provincial, and three territorial. Each governs the way industrial safety is implemented and enforced in its specific province or territory.

Federal legislation covers employees of the federal government and Crown agencies and corporations across Canada. In each province or territory, there is an act (typically called the Occupational Health and Safety Act, or something similar) which applies to most workplaces in that region.

Duties of Employers and Other Persons

The various Occupation Health and Safety Acts impose duties on those who have any degree of control over the workplace, the materials and equipment in the workplace, and the direction of the work force. There is a general duty on employers to take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of workers.

In addition, the Act and regulations set out many specific responsibilities of the employer. For example, there are duties that specifically relate to toxic substances, hazardous machinery, worker education and personal protective equipment. There is a duty on all officers and directors of corporations to ensure that their corporations comply with the Act and regulations. The duties of workers are generally to work safely, in accordance with the Act and regulations.

Relevant Canadian Machine Safety and Guarding Standards

CAN/CSA Z142-10
Code for Power Press Operation: Health, Safety, and Guarding Requirements

This Standard applies to the design, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and operation of power presses (presses). The purpose of this Standard is to reduce the risk of injury to people working on or adjacent to presses during press set-up, operation, and maintenance.

This Standard covers the occupational health and safety requirements for all classes of presses – such as mechanical (servo, part-revolution clutch, and full-revolution clutch), hydraulic, and pneumatic – that are fitted with a slide/ram/platen (or slide/ram/platens), and with dies for blanking, cutting, trimming, drawing, punching, forming, bending, stamping, assembling, or processing metal or other materials, or for die proving and tryout.

A press is typically not a stand-alone device, but is integrated into an automated work cell with other machinery or devices that have Standards covering their use. Accordingly, users of this Standard should review the requirements of other applicable Standards as a part of implementing the requirements of this Standard.

This Standard specifies general health and safety requirements for presses and details safety requirements in danger zones in and around the point of operation.

CAN/CSA Z432-04
Safeguarding of Machinery

This Standard applies to the protection of persons from hazards arising from the use of mobile or stationary machinery. It provides the criteria to be observed and the description, selection, and application of guards and safety devices. Where a current CSA Standard exists for a specific type of machinery (e.g., CAN/CSA-B167, CAN/CSA-B354.2, CAN/CSA-M424.1, Z142, Z248, and CAN/CSA-Z434), it is to be used in conjunction with this Standard to provide the most effective protection to the particular situation.

This Standard does not apply to portable hand tools.

This Standard is intended for those who design, build, modify, install, use, operate or maintain machinery, machinery guarding, or safety devices. It is also intended to be used by those concerned with information, instruction and training in safe working practices.

Machinery safeguarding is not performed in isolation from other protective measures. Typically, industrial machinery is installed in workplaces where other associated activities take place (e.g., movement of materials, cables, pipes, and hoses supplying power, gases, and liquids, and workers on foot and operating vehicles). Other machinery and work environment standards applicable to any place where this Standard is being implemented should therefore be reviewed.

CAN/CSA Z434-03
Industrial Robots and Robot Systems - General Safety Requirements

This safety Standard applies to the manufacture, remanufacture, rebuild, installation, safeguarding, maintenance and repair, testing and start-up and personnel training requirements for industrial robots and robot systems.

The purpose of this Standard is to provide requirements for industrial robot manufacture, remanufacture, and rebuild; robot system integration/installation; and safeguarding methods to enhance the safety of personnel associated with the use of robots and robot systems.
As used in this Standard, the term "robot" or "robot system" is intended to mean "industrial robots" or "industrial robot systems" as defined in Clause 3.2.

This Standard applies to only industrial robots and robot systems. It does not apply to non-industrial robot applications such as undersea and space robots, tele-operated manipulators, prosthetics and other aids for persons with disabilities, micro-robots (displacement < 1 mm), autonomous mobile robots, surgery and service.

A robot is typically not a stand-alone device, but is integrated into an automated work cell with other machinery or devices that have Standards covering their use. Other machinery and work environment standards applicable to any workplace where this Standard is being implemented should therefore be reviewed.

CAN/CSA Z460-05
Control of Hazardous Energy - Lockout and Other Methods

The purpose of this Standard is to specify requirements and performance objectives for procedures, techniques, designs, and methods to protect personnel from injury from the inadvertent release of hazardous energy. Release of hazardous energy can include any motion, energization, start-up, or release of stored energy that, from the perspective of the person(s) at risk, is either unintended or deliberate. Lockout is recognized as the primary method of hazardous energy control.

This Standard specifies requirements for and provides guidance on:

(a) the responsibilities of the principal parties involved in hazardous energy control (Clause 4);
(b) the design issues that influence the effective application of control methodology (Clause 5);
(c) task and hazard identification procedures (Clause 6);
(d) the hazardous energy control program elements necessary for protection of workers (Clause 7.3);
(e) special applications where traditional methods of hazardous energy control are inappropriate or impractical (Clause 7.3.10);
(f) development of other methods for tasks that are integral to the production process, including tasks where traditional lockout prohibits completion (Clause 7.4);
(g) communication and training (Clause 7.5); and
(h) management review to ensure the effective functioning of the hazardous energy control process (Clause 7.6).

This Standard specifies requirements for controlling hazardous energy associated with potentially harmful machines, equipment, or processes. When a CSA Standard or other recognized Standard exists for a specific type of machinery, equipment, or process, it should be used with this Standard to provide the most effective protection.

This Standard applies, but is not limited to, activities such as erecting, installing, constructing, repairing, adjusting, inspecting, un-jamming, setting up, troubleshooting, testing, cleaning, dismantling, servicing and maintaining machines, equipment, or processes. Safeguarding of machines and the control of energy supply systems during normal production activities are addressed in CSA Z432, the Canadian Electrical Code, Part II, and other machine- and system-specific Standards.

This Standard does not specify safety procedures for hot tap operations involving transmission and distribution systems for substances such as gas, steam, water, or petroleum products when such operations are performed on pressurized pipelines.

CAN/CSA-Z615-87 (R2006)
Code for Hot Forging Producers, Health and Safety Requirements

This Standard covers the occupational health and safety requirements for all classes of power forging machinery, both for impression die and flat die forging, including: power-driven and gravity-drop hammers; mechanical, hydraulic and screw-forging presses; hot trimming presses; upsetters; forging rolls; ring-rolling; bolt-heading; and rivet-making machines used in conjunction with a warm or hot forging process. Warm forging is done at 1400 to 1500°F (760 to 815°C). Hot forging is done at 2200 to 2300°F (1200°C to 1260°C)

This Standard does not apply to those mechanically powered machines commonly referred to as cold heaters or cold formers, such as those used in the cold forging process.

The purpose of this Standard is to provide safety requirements to assist the manufacturers and users of forging equipment in creating conditions, practices, means, methods, operations and processes as appropriate to ensure safe and health conditions for those employed in the warm or hot forging industry.

This Standard is also intended for use as a guide to the appropriate governmental regulatory agencies, associations and departments in determining compliance to ensure that safe operating conditions and practices are universally applied in the warm and hot forging industry in Canada.

CAN/CSA Z462
Workplace Electrical Safety

This Standard specifies electrical safety requirements for workplaces that are necessary for the practical safeguarding of workers during activities such as the installation, operation, maintenance and demolition of electric conductors, electric equipment, signalling and communications conductors and equipment, and raceways for the following:
(a) public and private premises, including buildings, structures, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and floating buildings;
(b) yards, lots, parking lots, carnivals, and industrial substations;
(c) installations of conductors and equipment that connect to the supply of electricity; and
(d) installations used by the electric utility, (e.g., office buildings, warehouses, garages, machine shops, and recreational buildings, that are not an integral part of a generating plant, substation, or control centre).

This Standard does not cover the following:
(a) installations in ships, watercraft other than floating buildings, railway rolling stock, aircraft, and automotive vehicles other than mobile homes and recreational vehicles;
(b) installations of railways for the generation, transformation, transmission, or distribution of power used exclusively for operation of rolling stock or installations used exclusively for signalling and communications;
(c) installations of communications equipment under the exclusive control of communications utilities located outdoors or in building spaces used exclusively for such installations;
(d) installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility when such installations (i) consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated metering; (ii) are located in legally established easements or rights-of-way designated or recognized by public service commissions, utility commissions, or other regulatory agencies having jurisdiction for such installations; or (iii) are on property owned or leased by the electric utility for communications or for metering, generation, control, transformation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy.

The purpose of this Standard is to specify requirements for a practical safe working area for workers relative to the hazards arising from the use of electricity.

This Standard is intended for use with Parts I, II, and III of the Canadian Electrical Code and other related Canadian workplace electrical safety Standards (e.g., CAN/CSA-M421 and CAN/CSA-Z460), and should be used with such Standards. In addition, users of this Standard should always refer to provincial/territorial and federal safety regulations that have jurisdiction over their work facility, contract job site, or profession.

CAN/CSA Z1002
Injury Risk Assessment and Management

This new standard is currently under development. Proposed contents of this standard include: risk management, risk assessment theory, exposure and identification of hazards and risk reduction.

CSA Z1006
Work in Confined Spaces

This Standard specifies requirements for:
(a) establishing and maintaining a confined space management program in accordance with OHSMS principles;
(b) the roles and responsibilities of the management representative, entry team, and emergency response team;
(c) management of external service providers;
(d) identification and designation of confined spaces;
(e) design and engineering of confined spaces;
(f) hazard identification and risk assessment relating to work in confined spaces;
(g) management and control of hazards and risks associated with work in confined spaces;
(h) general safety procedures for confined spaces;
(i) personal protective equipment (PPE) and other equipment used for work in confined spaces;
(j) emergency plans for rescuing workers in confined spaces;
(k) training for work in confined spaces; and
(l) determining fitness for work in confined spaces.

This Standard does not address safety management of (a) enclosures or structures designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy; or (b) underwater enclosures. Note: For underwater enclosures see the requirements for penetration diving specified in CAN/CSA-Z275.2.

This Standard is designed to be used with related occupational or technical standards. It is intended to be referenced by other Standards as the primary set of requirements for health and safety management of work in confined spaces.

CSA Z1004
General Workplace Ergonomics

This new standard – which is currently under development – describes specifies requirements and provides guidance for the systematic application of ergonomics principles to the development, design, use, management and improvement of work systems.

This standard specifies requirements and provides guidance for the systematic application of ergonomics principles to the development, design, use, management and improvement of work systems. This is achieved through the implementation of an ergonomics process as outlined in this Standard and is applicable to all types and sizes of organizations.

This Standard does not include aspects that could be considered part of a medical management program such as therapeutic or clinical interventions.

CAN/CSA Z1000-06
Occupational Health and Safety Management

This Standard specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). This Standard is applicable to an organization of any size or type.

This Standard is intended to address occupational health and safety. It is not intended to address product and services safety.

CAN/CSA Z1600
Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs

This new Canadian Standard outlines the requirements for a comprehensive emergency management program. The goal of this Standard is to establish the elements of a continuous improvement process to develop, implement, maintain, and evaluate emergency management and business continuity programs that address the functions of prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

This Standard establishes a common set of criteria for emergency management and business continuity programs.

This Standard establishes the elements of a continuous improvement process to develop, implement, maintain, and evaluate emergency management and business continuity programs that address prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The elements of a continuous improvement process included in this Standard are (a) program management; (b) planning; (c) implementation; (d) evaluation; and (e) management review.

This Standard covers programs in which the functions of prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery are considered independently or in combinations.

The elements of programs covered by this Standard address the functions (prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) commensurate with the risks established by the entity's hazard identification, risk assessment, and business impact analysis.

This Standard applies to public, not-for-profit, and private entities.