By Vince Lawrence — GigLine Safety & Compliance
Machine guarding sits in OSHA's Top 10 most-cited standards every year. This guide walks through what an OSHA inspector actually looks for and what the 2026 penalty exposure is.
Point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips or sparks. If any of these hazards exists on a machine and can be reached by an employee, a guard is required.
Work rest gap ≤ 1/8 inch. Tongue guard gap ≤ 1/4 inch. Ring test every wheel before mounting.
Bench grinder work rest gaps, unguarded shear points on roll formers, missing chip guards on lathes, and guards removed for jam clearing.