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Machine Guarding Guidelines & Standards

Do not operate machinery with belt guard removed
Safety is number one when it comes to belt guards and gear covers. OSHA regulates machine guarding and has very specific guidelines that need to be followed in order to be compliant. When you get a custom belt guard from us, you are getting a high quality guard that will fit your machine. It will be compliant with OSHA's standards and help make your machinery safe to operate.

OSHA Compliant Belt Guards

Knowledge Base 

OSHA Regulations 


Standard 1910 Subpart O Machinery and Machine Guarding

1910.219 Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus
This standard covers all types of power transmission belts, except the following when operating at two-hundred and fifty (250) feet per minute or less:

  • Flat belts one (1) inch or less in width
  • Flat belts two (2) inches or less in width which are free from metal lacings or fasteners
  • Round belts on-half (1/2) inch or less in diameter
  • Single strand V-belts, the width of which is thirteen thirty-seconds (13/32) inches or less
  • Vertical and inclinded belts if not more than two and one-half (2-1/2) inches wide and running at a speed of less than one thousand (1000) feet per minute, and if free from metal lacings or fastenings may be guarded with a nip-point belt and pulley guard

Did You Know? 

Interesting Facts 


According to the US Department of Labor...

standard 1910.219 Subpart O Machinery and Machine Guarding, was cited 1,623 times in 2009 across all 10 industry classifications. Those citations added to $1,266,875 in penalties.

Belt Guards are often removed and not replaced...

during maintenance. Difficulties removing and replacing belt guards or the loss of nuts and bolts during maintenance often result in machine belt guards being left off and forgotten or ignored. This can be prevented with our No Tool Maintenance design.

OSHA requires...

a 2" void around all sheaves and pulleys for the collection of possible debris.

OSHA requires...

1/4" diameter or less on all perforated metals.

In 2010...

6 billion dollars was spent in fines, lawsuits and expenses related to safety incidents in the workplace.