MSHA’s Guide to 

Equipment Guarding 

U.S. Department of Labor 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

Other Training Material


OT 3


Revised 2004

Visit our website at http://www.msha.gov 

The information and recommendations contained in 

this publication have been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, and to represent the best current 

opinion on the subject matter. No warranty, guarantee, 

or representation is made by MSHA as to the absolute 

correctness or sufficiency of any representation contained in this publication, and MSHA assumes no responsibility in connection therewith. Nor can it be 

assumed that all acceptable safety measures are contained in this publication, or that other, or additional, 

measures may not be required under particular, or exceptional circumstances. 
MSHA’s Guide to 

Equipment Guarding 

U.S. Department of Labor 

Elaine L. Chao 

Secretary 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

Dave D. Lauriski 

Assistant Secretary 

Other Training Material 

OT 3 

Revised 2004 

INTRODUCTION 

This guide is provided to assist the mining community with designing, installing and maintaining equipment guards to prevent miners 

from contacting hazardous moving machine parts. Contact with 

machine parts may result in serious accidents or death. Proper 

equipment guarding is essential to reduce this risk of injury. 

This guide provides examples of commonly used point-of-contact 

guards which are guards for individual hazards and area guards 

which are guards for individual or multiple hazards. These examples are intended for guidance only and alternate designs may be 

acceptable if the relevant MSHA guarding standards are met. 

1 
TRAINING 

Miners need to understand the types of guards and systems at the 

mine. Specific training is a crucial part of any effective equipment 

guarding system. Training should involve instruction and/or 

hands-on training in the following: 

U Identify and describe the hazards associated with specific 

equipment. 

U How do the equipment guards provide protection for this 

specific equipment 

U How, and under what circumstances, can the equipment


guards be safely removed and when must the equipment


guards be replaced


UWhat to do if an equipment guard is damaged or missing. 

This kind of safety training is necessary for new miners and 

maintenance personnel. Additional training or retraining is necessary when changes are made to guarding systems. Training may be 

required when miners are assigned to different equipment and/or 

locations. 

2 
Guarding Considerations and Recommendations 

This section is written as a brief discussion of effective guard 

design and use and is not a requirement for compliance. 

The input and ideas of miners, equipment manufacturers, machine 

operators, maintenance personnel, and supervisors can enhance the 

design, construction and installation of equipment guards. 

Ë Do the design, construction, selection of materials and guard installation prevent contact with all moving machine part hazards? 

Ë Does the guard provide protection by itself, and not rely on visual or tactile awareness of a hazard, administrative controls or 

procedures such as warnings, signs, lights, training, supervision 

or personal protective equipment? 

Ë Are the guard material(s), fastening methods, and construction 

suitable to withstand the wear, corrosion, vibration and shock of 

normal operations? 

Ë If drive belts inside a guard fail, will the whipping action of broken belts be contained? 

Ë Is the guard recognizable as a guard? 

Ë Is the guard installed securely? 

Ë Is the guard design adequate for the application and specific 

hazard(s)? 

Ë Are openings in the guard material such that contact with the 

hazard is prevented by the distance between the guard and the 

hazard? 

Ë Does the guard interfere with the normal operation, inspection, 

lubrication or servicing of the equipment? 

Ë Is the guard designed and constructed so that adjustments to the 

guarded components can be made without loss of protection or 

modifying the guard? 

3 
Ë Do the design, materials and guard construction prevent the 

guard from being a hazard itself (i.e. free of burrs, sharp edges, 

pinch points, etc.)? 

Ë Is the guard of a size, shape, weight and balance which permits 

safe manual handling when it is removed or replaced. Alternately, if it is too large for manual handling, is it accessible and 

amenable for safe handling with mechanical tools or equipment? 

Ë Is the guard constructed so that it cannot be circumvented, 

by-passed or overcome? 

Ë Can the guarded components be inspected without removing the 

guard? 

Ë Is the guard constructed and located so as not to hinder clean-up 

efforts? 

Ë Is the guard maintained in serviceable condition? 

Ë Have you considered the use of new technology, if applicable? 

Many of the illustrations contained in this guidebook show the use of expanded metal. MSHA requirements are based on the level of protection 

provided, not the choice of materials for guard 

construction. 

4 
Figure 1 shows an inadequate conveyor tail pulley guard. The rear 

and top of the pulley are fully exposed providing access to moving 

machine parts. 

Figure 1 

5 
The guard in Figure 2 covers the pinch point and the moving parts 

of the tail pulley. If properly maintained, this design can prove effective in preventing contact during work-related activities. 

Figure 2 

6 
Figure 3 shows an elevated tail pulley. Because the underside of the 

pulley is accessible, it needs to be guarded. The guard may have 

openings large enough to allow fines to fall through, but not large 

enough to allow a miner to reach the moving machine parts. 

Figure 3 

7 
The reason for guarding return idlers is shown in Figure 4. 

Return idlers should be guarded wherever miners could contact 

them. Guarding return idlers may be required where miners work or 

travel beneath the belt. 

Figure 4 

8 
If return idlers require guarding, the figures below show three examples of guards for return idlers. Notice that the grease fittings can 

be accessed without removing the guard. The guards may have 

openings large enough to allow fines to fall through, but not large 

enough to allow a miner to reach the moving machine parts. 

Figure 5 

Figure 6 Figure 7 

9 
An unguarded head pulley and drive unit are shown in Figure 8. 

The conveyor pulley, drive pulleys, and belts are exposed, allowing 

access to hazards. 

Figure 8 

10 
The head pulley and drive guards in Figure 9 are constructed to protect the miner from the pinch points, drive shafts and V-belts. 

Figure 9


11 
Unguarded conveyors next to travel ways must be equipped with 

emergency stop cords (FOR METAL/NONMETAL ONLY: a railing is an acceptable alternative to a stop cord). 

The emergency stop cord must be sufficiently tight to assure the 

conveyor drive motor will be deactivated when the cord is pulled. 

There is no specific location required for the stop cord, however it 

should be located so that a person falling on or against the conveyor 

can activate the stop cord. 

Figure 10 shows an emergency stop cord along a conveyor belt with 

a walkway. 

Figure 10 

12 
FOR METAL & NONMETAL ONLY 

Figure 11 shows a railing installed along the conveyor in lieu of an 

emergency stop cord. The railing is positioned to prevent persons 

from falling on or against the conveyor. 

Figure 11 

13 
Figure 12 shows an unguarded take-up pulley system. The figure 

shows exposed bend pulleys and a take up pulley which can easily 

be contacted. This conveyor structure does not provide a sufficient 

guard. 

Figure 12 

14 
Guards can be installed to prevent access to the take-up pulleys 

(Figure 13). The guard needs to prevent access to pinch points and 

moving machine parts. 

Figure 13 

15 
The moving machine parts of take-up pulleys are often located a 

sufficient distance above the ground to prevent contact, and are 

therefore considered “guarded by location.” They may be equipped 

with heavy counterweights that pose a suspended load hazard. Precautions such as a barricade, railings or a guard (Figure 14) should 

be taken to prevent access below the suspended load. An acceptable 

alternative for some counterweights would be the use of wire ropes 

to prevent dropping hazards. 

Figure 14 

16 
Shafts and shaft ends need guarding if they present a hazard. Rotation speed, size, location, keyways, burrs and other factors need to 

be considered when determining which shafts need guarding. Not 

all shafts and shaft ends require guarding. The examples shown in 

Figure 15 contain protruding bolts, keys, and couplings and should 

be guarded. Figure 16 shows examples of guards for rotating shafts 

and shaft ends. 

Figure 15 

Figure 16 

17 
Figure 17 shows a drive coupling. Couplings need to be enclosed to 

prevent contact. An example guard is shown in Figure 18. 

Figure 17


Figure 18


18 
Figure 19 shows an unacceptable guard for a drive belt and pulleys. 

The belt and pulleys can still be contacted by a miner. 

Figure 19


19 
Where contact with belts, pulleys, sprockets, chains, etc., is possible from both sides, they must be guarded to prevent contact from 

either side. An example is shown in Figure 20. 

Figure 20


20 
Where hazards are created by belt breakage, (Figure 21), a guard 

must be provided to contain the broken belt. An example is shown 

in Figure 22. 

Figure 21 

Figure 22 

21 
Fan blades need to be guarded where they can be contacted (Figure 

23). 

Figure 23


22 
Figure 24 shows a flywheel guarded by location. Build-up of material may place the flywheel within easy reach, as shown in Figure 

25. To protect miners from contacting the flywheel, the build-up 

must be removed or the flywheel must be guarded. An example 

guard is shown in Figure 26. 

Figure 24 Figure 25 

Figure 26 

23 
Figure 27 is an example of two separately controlled conveyors that 

are protected by a single guard. In this case a single guard covers 

the pinch points and moving machine parts of both belt conveyors. 

Before removing this guard, both belts would need to be secured. 

Figure 27 

24 
Moving machine parts on mobile equipment may need to be 

guarded to prevent contact. For example, Figure 28 shows a guard 

provided to prevent contact with the cooling fan, alternator, and fan 

belts of a front-end loader. In cases where moving machine parts 

are located under hoods, behind doors, guarded by location and/or 

covered by maintenance panels, additional guarding may not be 

necessary. 

Figure 28 

25 
Figure 29 shows a kiln with a railing restricting access to the trunnion area. This railing is unacceptable as a guard because miners 

access the area beyond the railing while the kiln is in operation. The 

rotating trunnions are exposed, presenting a hazard to miners. 

The railing is not easily recognizable as a guard, is easily defeated 

and does not secure the area from entry. 

Figure 29 

26 
Figure 30 shows the trunnions with point-of-contact guards. This 

method of guarding permits easy access, yet protects against contacting the moving machine parts. If the lubricating system is accessible with the guard in place, servicing can be done while the 

kiln is in motion. 

Figure 30 

27 
AREA GUARDING 

An area guard is a barrier which prevents entry of a miner into an 

area containing moving machine parts, thus preventing contact 

with the moving parts. Effective area guards may require additional 

practices and provisions such as signage, locks, color coding, etc., 

in addition to the physical barrier. When designing, installing 

and/or using area guards, consider: 

•	 Security of the area 

ö Is the area guard difficult to defeat? 

ö Is it locked or bolted? 

ö Does the guard prevent entry into the area and is the guard 

difficult to defeat? 

•	 How will the moving machine parts be shut down before entry? 

ö Will the guard be interlocked with the hazardous equipment so 

entry will automatically shut down the moving parts?


ö Will manual shutdown be used?


•	 Is the area guard easily recognized as a guard? 

ö Are warning signs or color coding in use? 

•	 Frequency of entry into the guarded area 

ö Frequently accessed areas may not be suitable for area 

guarding 

•	 Number of people requiring access into guarded area 

ö If a large number of people need access to an area, then area 

guarding may not be suitable. 

ö Education and training in proper procedures 

ö Does the work force understand who may enter area guards? 

ö Have lock-out, tag-out procedures been addressed? 

28 
Figure 31 shows an example of an area guard used to prevent contact with multiple belt tailpieces. Figure 32 shows a similar situation using point-of-contact guards. 

An advantage of the area guard is that it may be less expensive. A 

disadvantage is that both belts need to be locked-out and tagged-out 

before entering the guarded area. 

The advantages of the point-of-contact guards are that one belt can 

be maintained while the other belt continues to run, the belts can be 

cleaned around without lock-out/tag-out and maintenance on the 

chutes is possible without lock-out/tag-out. 

Figure 31 

Figure 32 

29 
The example guard designs shown in Figures 33 and 34 protect the 

miner from contacting the pinch points, the moving machine parts 

of the head pulley, and the moving shafts and drive pulleys and 

belts. 

Figure 33 

Figure 34 

30 
Figure 35 shows classifiers guarded to prevent persons from coming in contact with the screws. This guard adequately protects the 

miner because it is tall enough and far enough from the hazard to 

prevent contact during work-related activities. 

Figure 35 

31 
New Technology 

New technologies may provide alternative means of guarding. As 

new technologies are developed and alternative ways of protecting 

miners become available, their use and application may provide a 

level of protection equal to, or surpassing, conventional guards. 

Several new technologies show promise: 

U Laser beams may be effective at long range. They can 

monitor area perimeters and detect when entry into a 

hazardous area occurs. 

U Pulsed infrared light curtain systems may be useful as area 

guards. They are particularly useful in dusty environments. 

U Infrared scanners can detect changes in the reflective field of 

a monitored area. 

U Pressure plates can be equipped with sensors that detect 

changes in a radio frequency field or electrical capacitance. 

They can guard an area by sensing a person’s approach 

through contact with the plate. 

UMechanical pressure mats open electrical contacts to stop a 

motor when someone steps on the mat in a hazardous area. 

U Interlock systems are available with multiple contacts. 

Multiple contacts or zones can be used to trigger a warning 

alarm for entry into an area but shut a system down if the 

person continues past the warning and approaches a hazard 

too closely. 

While new technologies may be suitable in some situations, you 

should also be aware of the pitfalls in systems that use these alternative 

guarding systems. The following types of questions should be asked: 

ö Does the system react quickly and at sufficient distance to prevent contact with the machine parts before their motion has 

stopped? 

ö Is the system redundant?


ö Can it be by-passed, such as ducking under a laser beam?


ö Is there regular and frequent testing?


ö Will the system fail safe?


32 
REMEMBER

The best guard will not protect miners if it is 

not properly installed and maintained. 

33