What is the role of guards on machinery?

The primary role of guards on machinery is to provide protection from moving parts. This is crucial for ensuring the safety of operators and maintenance personnel. Guards are physical barriers designed to prevent accidental contact with dangerous parts of machinery that could cause injury, such as rotating shafts, blades, or other moving components.

By effectively enclosing or covering these hazardous areas, guards help in reducing the risk of entanglement, cuts, or other injuries that could occur during the operation or maintenance of the equipment. Safety regulations and standards often require the use of guards to enhance workplace safety and minimize the potential for accidents.

In contrast, while aesthetic appeal is sometimes a consideration in machinery design, it is not a primary function of guards. Similarly, guards do not typically assist in machinery operation or function as a means to prevent dust accumulation, as those roles are fulfilled by different machine components or systems.