Industrial Fan Guards Help Meet OSHA Requirements

If you’re running your fan or blower on a belt drive system, leaving the shaft, bearings, and belts exposed could pose a hazard to your work environment. To keep the workers (and equipment) safe, you’ll need to install industrial fan guards.

This isn’t just a good idea! It’s required, as outlined in the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) General Requirements for All Machines (Standard #1910.212) Machinery and Machine Guarding (Subpart O).

OSHA Requirements and Guidance

The standards are really pretty simple. They cover five key requirements for industrial fan guards.

Protect the People

The moving belt would be quite dangerous if fingers, hands, or clothing were to inadvertently come into contact with it as people walk by or around the equipment. Of course, we’re sure you’ll all be taking all safety precautions, wearing your protective gear, and watching what you’re doing. But the OSHA-required guards will ensure that you’re safe even if you let your own guard down.

Stay Safe and Secure

Industrial fan guards can’t do their job if they’re loose or falling off. They should be bolted and secured tightly at all times.

Deter the Debris

It’s not the people that need protection. The equipment is also subject to harm if something comes into contact with the rotating parts. The guards ensure that outside objects don’t stray or fall in.

Do No Harm

Specifications matter. Make sure that you design your industrial fan guards appropriately so that they don’t create more problems, like sparks, excess heat, or lack of emergency access.

Don’t Let the Grease Slide

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times from us. You must be able to maintain your grease schedule on the bearings. We do that using holes on the sides, where you can reach the zerk fittings on the bearings to allow you to grease the bearings even while the fan is in operation.

Hear it from an Application Engineer

Chet White, Senior Application Engineer / Sales Manager runs through a demo of the industrial fan guards and requirements in this 1-minute video. To discuss OSHA requirements or any other maintenance or repair question, reach out and connect with one of our application engineers to discuss the details of your application.

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