Text version Home Index Search Standards Interpretation and Compliance Letters Power press brakes. This in response to your request for information regarding power press brakes. Power press brakes are required to be guarded under the regulations of 29 CFR 1910.212, copy enclosed. The employer is obliged to provide appropriate safeguarding at least to the extent recommended by the ANSI B11.3 -1973 standard. Where such safeguarding is not possible, then the applicability of the press brake to the manufacturing process is considered erroneous and a misapplication of the machine.
Various methods are available for safeguarding the point of operation on press brakes.
Some of the safeguarding techniques are described in the OSHA publication, Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, OSHA 3067, copy enclosed. Additionally, detailed discussion and specifications for safeguarding press brakes are presented in the November 1978 draft revision of the ANSI B11.3. You may desire to recommend to your supervisors that they avail themselves of a free consultation inspection of the operations. Such an inspection would not subject your employer to citations, but would provide for the installation of proper safeguards and the implementation of safe practices. A formal signed complaint to OSHA could result in an inspection of the press brake operations and where violations are determined to exist the employer would be required to correct them.