Machine guarding inspection checklist: base template and example

Why inspect machine guards

• Safe Work Australia's plant code says guards are control measures, so they must be regularly inspected and tested to make sure they're still working.
• Guards follow an order of preference. The code lists a permanently fixed barrier first, then an interlocked barrier, then a barrier that can only be removed with a tool, then a presence-sensing system like a light curtain.
• How often you inspect depends on the machine, how it's used and the manufacturer's advice. Guidance varies by state, so see what applies in each state below.

Removing a guard for maintenance? Isolate the machine first with a lockout tagout permit.

Machine guarding rules in your state

Every state requires dangerous machine parts to be guarded, but each regulator publishes its own guidance and tools. We're not a regulator, so check yours:

• New South Wales: SafeWork NSW's guide to machine safety

• New South Wales: to check your own site, try SafeWork NSW's machine safety self-assessment tool

• Victoria: Victoria has its own OHS laws, which set out the guarding hierarchy. See WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code: Plant

• Western Australia: WorkSafe WA's guarding page

• Queensland: WorkSafe Queensland

• South Australia: SafeWork SA

• Tasmania: WorkSafe Tasmania

• Northern Territory: NT WorkSafe

• Australian Capital Territory: WorkSafe ACT

The national guidance is Safe Work Australia's plant code

What a good guard looks like

• Safe Work Australia's plant code says guards should be solid and securely mounted, as hard as possible to bypass, and shouldn't create new hazards like pinch points.
• Use proper fasteners. The code says fixed guards should need a tool to remove, and finger-operated fasteners like wing nuts shouldn't be used.
• Fix any failed check before the machine runs again, and record the corrective action, who's responsible and when it's due.

Guarding problems and the fixes to match

Every machine is different, but these are guarding problems that often get missed, with the kind of action the inspection should record for each:

• Guards taken off for cleaning or a jam and not put back: check after every clean and changeover, not just on inspection day.

• Interlocks bypassed with tape, magnets, cable ties or a spare key: test each interlock stops the machine, and look for signs of tampering.

• Light curtains or sensors moved, re-angled or with dirty lenses: check they still cover the danger zone and stop the machine in time.

• Gaps big enough to reach through, over or under a guard: check reach distances, especially after guards are modified or panels replaced.

• Parts that keep moving after the stop button is pressed: check run-down time, and that guards stay locked until motion stops where needed.

• Unguarded nip points on conveyors, rollers and pulleys, especially tail and return ends: check every drive and return point, not just the infeed.

• Machines that were modified, moved or bought second-hand: re-check the guarding against the machine as it is now, not the original manual.

• Relying on the e-stop or a closed guard while working inside the machine: they aren't isolation, so lock it out first.

What to include in a machine guarding inspection

• The machine or asset ID, location, date and inspector
• Fixed guards, access covers and guard fasteners
• Interlocks, emergency stops, light curtains and safety mats
• Signs of damage, modification or bypassing
• Pinch and nip points, and two-hand controls where fitted
• Corrective actions with who's responsible and the due date, plus sign-off

Common gaps in a machine guarding inspection

Before you sign off, check the inspection doesn't have these gaps. Your site's procedure may ask for more:

• Interlocks and e-stops are ticked by looking, not tested by operating them.

• It covers the operator's side only, not the back, sides and top of the machine.

• A failed item has no corrective action, owner or due date.

• There's no record of whether the machine was taken out of service until it was fixed.

• Nobody checks the fix later, so the item is never closed out.

Filled-in machine guarding inspection example

Example only, not for use as your own checklist. This is the base template filled in for a fictional carton erector with two bolts missing from a side guard, and the corrective actions that followed. Click the page to enlarge it.

Your own inspection must cover the actual guarding on your machine. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and your site's procedures.

How to fill one in

1. Fill in the machine, location, date and inspector.
2. Check each guard is in place, secure and undamaged, with no signs of bypassing.
3. Test the interlocks, emergency stops, light curtains and two-hand controls where fitted.
4. Mark each item Pass, Fail or N/A, and record a corrective action for every fail.
5. Keep the machine out of use until any unsafe fail is fixed, then sign it off.

Get your machine guarding inspection into the app

This form is in the Shadow Forms app. Your team can fill it in on site, add photos and sign it, then send it straight to the office.

The PDF and Word versions are copies only. If you have your own branded version, or want this one adjusted to your business, we can add it to the app. Upload a form, or get in touch.

Isolating a machine for repairs? Get the free lockout tagout permit template.

Checking a forklift? Get the free forklift pre-start checklist.