Employee exposure to unguarded or inadequately guarded machines is prevalent in many workplaces. Workers who operate and maintain machinery suffer approximately 18,000 amputations, lacerations, crushing injuries, abrasions, and over 800 deaths per year.
During a near two-year period spanning mid-2013 to March 2015, OSHA conducted more than 7,000 inspections under 12 National Emphasis Programs (NEPs) addressing topics such as chemical processing