Machine Guarding Citation: Guard First
A $12,842 repeat-serious machine guarding citation in Washington State followed fingertip injuries at a metal shear. The guard was there, but it didn't stop a hand from slipping under it. See what the rules require, and why a label can't fill that gap.
The lesson for any shop with shears, presses or brakes is simple: a guard only counts if it actually keeps body parts out of the danger zone. Once the guard does that job, a label such as CAUTION Do Not Operate This Machine Without Guards in Place tells every operator, in English and Spanish, that the guard is not optional.
What the citation says
On October 19, 2026, Washington's Department of Labor & Industries issued a citation and notice of assessment to an ambulance manufacturer in Chehalis. The single item, classified repeat serious, says employees were not protected from contact with shear points on a heavy-duty metal shear. According to the citation, six hydraulic hold-down cylinders on the machine were not guarded to the state's guard rules, exposing an operator to finger amputation.
The inspection opened in July 2026 after a worker's fingertips were injured on the machine. State records reported by The Washington Post say the guard did not prevent the employee's hand from entering the shear point area. L&I classified the item as a repeat of a citation issued in December 2024, and noted that the hazard was corrected during the inspection.
The company has said it disagrees with the findings and will appeal, so this is a regulator's citation, not a final ruling. The safety point does not depend on how the appeal turns out: a guard that a hand can get under, over or around is not doing its job.
What the federal rule requires
Washington runs its own state plan, and the citation was written under the state's machine safety rules in WAC 296-806. In federal OSHA states, the matching general rule is 29 CFR 1910.212. Its key paragraphs are short.
Types of guarding, (a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding must protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices and electronic safety devices are listed as examples.
Guard attachment, (a)(2): Guards are affixed to the machine where possible, secured elsewhere if not, and must not create a hazard of their own.
Point of operation, (a)(3)(ii): Where a machine's operation exposes an employee to injury, the point of operation must be guarded. Absent a more specific standard, the guard must be designed and built to keep the operator from having any part of the body in the danger zone during the operating cycle.
Machines that usually need it, (a)(3)(iv): The list starts with guillotine cutters, shears and alligator shears, followed by power presses, milling machines, power saws, jointers, portable power tools, and forming rolls and calenders.
Special hand tools for feeding and removing material can help, but (a)(3)(iii) says they supplement the guard and are never a replacement for it. Machine guarding is a regular on OSHA's most-cited standards list, so these paragraphs get read closely during inspections.
Why a guard fails even when it is installed
The Washington citation quotes the state's guard construction rule, and it reads like a practical checklist. Guards must be made of durable materials, strong enough for the forces they face, and securely fastened. They must prevent hands or other body parts from reaching through, over, under or around the guard into the hazard area. Barrier guards must be properly installed, adjusted and maintained, with openings no larger than the state's allowable-opening table. For a hazard 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches behind the guard, that table allows an opening of no more than 1/4 inch.
That points to the common failure modes. A guard gets raised to fit thicker stock and never lowered. A hold-down or clamp is added to a machine without anyone checking the new pinch points. An operator learns a shortcut because the guard slows the job. The guide to rotating equipment hazards covers the same pattern on shafts, couplings and belt drives.
A quick self-check for each machine: watch a real operator run a real job, then look at the gap under, beside and above the guard. If fingers can reach the blade, die or clamp, the guard needs work before anything else.
Servicing, jams and lockout
Guarding covers normal production. When someone has to remove or bypass a guard, or reach into the point of operation to clear a jam or service the machine, the lockout/tagout rule, 29 CFR 1910.147, takes over under paragraph (a)(2)(ii). There is a narrow exception for minor, routine tool changes and adjustments that are integral to production, but only when alternative measures give effective protection.
Machines that cycle on their own deserve extra attention. A WARNING Machine Starts Automatically label near the point of operation reminds anyone reaching in that a pause is not the same as a shutdown.
Where labels help, and where they don't
A label never makes an unguarded machine compliant. What a good label does is support the guard you already have.
At the guard itself: A keep-guards-in-place label on the guard or beside the access panel tells maintenance and operators the guard goes back on before the machine runs.
At the control station: A do-not-operate-without-guards label at the start button is the last reminder before someone runs a machine with the guard off.
At automatic or remote-start equipment: A machine-starts-automatically label at each access point warns people that motion can begin without warning.
At nip points behind the guard: Pinch point labels mark the hazard the guard protects against. The pinch point label placement guide covers where those go.
For a full range of machine hazards, from rotating parts to hot surfaces, browse VLG's machinery safety labels.
Before you order
All three machine guarding labels featured here are OSHA-style labels. Match each one to the hazard and signal word your own hazard assessment calls for, and fix the guard first.
VLG labels are Printed in the USA on premium low-shrinkage calendered vinyl with an industrial strength adhesive, made to stay put on painted guards, steel housings and control panels. Plants with dozens of machines can order in bulk, and custom wording, such as a machine number or a site-specific guard rule, can be printed to order. The Keep Guards in Place labels come in 5-packs for multi-machine lines.
This post is general safety information, not legal advice. Check the full text of 29 CFR 1910.212, 1910.147 and any state plan rules, such as Washington's WAC 296-806, that apply to your site.
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