Do you have electric foot pedals in your facility? Are they properly guarded to ensure they will not be accidentally tripped?
OSHA 1910.217(b)(4)(i) states that “The pedal mechanism shall be protected to prevent unintended operation from falling or moving objects or by accidental stepping onto the pedal.”
Covers may not be enough to prevent accidental actuation of your foot pedals. For very little extra cost, foot pedals can be ordered with an ANTI-TRIP latch. This requires the user to press forward on the latch inside the cover, before pressing down on the pedal.
A search of OSHA accident reports on foot pedal related accidents yield multiple reports that read something like this “The employee’s foot hit the foot control, energizing the machine, and began operating the machine, crushing the fingers.”
Bulwark offers industrial foot pedals with Anti-Trip latches starting at just over $110. If your foot pedals don’t have this option, let’s plan a time to discuss making this significant safety upgrade to your machines.
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