CoP 47.0 - Machine Guarding

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Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and
Health System Framework
(ADOSH-SF)
Code of Practice
CoP 47.0 – Machine Guarding
Version 4.1
February 2026

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CoP 47.0 – Machine Guarding - Version 4.1 – 16th February 2026 Page 2 of 16
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Training and Competency ............................................................................................................................. 4
3. Requirements .................................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................................................. 5
3.2 Planning and Assessment.................................................................................................................. 6
3.3 General Machinery Guarding ............................................................................................................. 6
3.4 Types of Guards .................................................................................................................................... 8
3.5 Basic Rules for Guard Design............................................................................................................ 8
3.6 Servicing Considerations .................................................................................................................... 9
3.7 Guard Placement and Reach ............................................................................................................. 9
4. References ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
5. Document Amendment Record ................................................................................................................. 14

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1. Introduction
(a) This Code of Practice (CoP) applies to all employers within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
This CoP is designed to incorporate requirements set by Abu Dhabi Public health
Center (ADPHC) and Sector Regulatory Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
(b) This CoP establishes the requirements and standards so that the risks associated with
the guarding of machinery are assessed, that control measures are implemented in
accordance with the hierarchy of controls and those control measures are
implemented to prevent injury, illness and disease to persons who might be exposed
to risks arising from those activities.

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2. Training and Competency
(a) Employers shall ensure that OSH training complies with the requirements of:
(i)
ADOSH-SF – Element 5 – Training, Awareness and Competency.
(ii)
ADOSH-SF – Mechanism 7.0 – Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner and
Service Provider Registration.
(b) Employers shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received
appropriate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the
methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such
use may entail and precautions to be taken.
(c) Employers shall ensure that any of his employees who supervises or manages the use
of work equipment has received appropriate training for purposes of health and
safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work
equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken. The
training shall include the following items as a minimum:
(i) a description and identification of the hazards associated with specific
machines;
(ii) the safeguards themselves, how they provide protection, and the hazards for
which they are intended;
(iii) how to use the safeguards and why;
(iv) how and under what circumstances safeguards can be removed, and by whom
(in most cases, repair or maintenance personnel only); and
(v) what to do if a safeguard is damaged, missing, or unable to provide appropriate
protection.

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3. Requirements
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities
3.1.1 Employer
(a) Employers shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.5.
(b) Employers shall undertake their specific roles and responsibilities in accordance with
the following:
(i) shall identify, through a documented risk assessment, all areas of machinery
that could pose a hazard to human health through access to or contact with any
dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock bar; or
(ii) shall prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating
stock-bar, or stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating
stock-bar before any part of a person enters a danger zone.
(c) The control measures required by section 3.1.1 (b)(i)(ii) shall consist of:
(i) the provision of fixed guards enclosing every dangerous part or rotating stock-
bar where and to the extent that it is practicable to do so, but where or to the
extent that it is not, then;
(ii) the provision of other guards or protection devices where and to the extent that
it is reasonably practicable to do so, but where or to the extent that it is not,
then; and
(iii) the provision of jigs, holders, push-sticks or similar protection appliances used in
conjunction with the machinery where and to the extent that it is reasonably
practicable to do so.
3.1.2 Employees
(a) Employees shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.7.
(b) Employees shall undertake their specific roles and responsibilities in accordance with
the following:
(i) undertake all tasks in line with the training and instruction given by the
employer;
(ii) never attempt to access dangerous parts of machinery unless authorised to do
so by the employer and only once the machine has been made safe; and
(iii) report any defects immediately and mark the machine out of use.

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3.2 Planning and Assessment
(a) Employers shall evaluate each site or operation to determine if hazards are present
and the workplace shall be assessed using risk management practices as required by
ADOSH-SF – Element 2 – Risk Management.
(b) Employers shall ensure that the risk assessment is reviewed on a regular basis in line
with the requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 2 – Risk Management.
(c) Risk assessments shall include not only the operators of machinery, but also other
who could be affected by its operation.
3.3 General Machinery Guarding
(a) One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the machine
operator and other employees in the area from hazards such as those created by
point(s) of operation(s), in-running nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.
(b) The point of operation of a machine is the area where work is performed on material
being processed. Any point of operation whose operation exposes an employee to
injury shall be guarded.
(c) Guards shall be affixed to the machine where reasonably practicable and secured
elsewhere if attachment to the machine is not reasonably practicable.
(d) Safety guards are to be painted the same colour. Use high visibility yellow (provided
it is different to the general machinery colour) so that it can be clearly seen when a
guard has been removed or when it is not in its appropriate place. It is also good
practice to paint the surfaces behind the guard a different colour (eg. blue or red), so
that when the guard has been removed, the exposed colour is clearly visible. It is then
easy to identify that the guard has been removed and employees are alerted to
possible danger.
(e) Guards shall consist of physical barriers, two hand trip devices, point of operation
devices, electronic safety devices, or other device that meets the requirements of this
CoP.
(f) Guards and guarding devices shall be installed, inspected and maintained in working
order as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
(g) Employer shall ensure that no employee operates a machine for which a guard or
guarding device has been fabricated or installed unless that guard or device is in place,
secured and functioning appropriately.
(h) Hand tools for placing and removing materials into the point of operation shall be
designed to permit handling of materials without placing a hand into the point of
operation. However, such tools shall not be substituted for a guard as required by this
CoP.
(i) Revolving barrels, containers, and drums shall be guarded by an enclosure. Entrances
to such enclosures shall be interlocked to the operating mechanism so that the barrel,
drum or container cannot rotate unless all openings to the enclosure are in place.

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(j) Machines designed for a fixed location shall be securely anchored to prevent walking
or moving of the equipment during operation.
(k) Large machinery or plant may require extensive guarding, and these guards may need
to be removed for maintenance access. While some sections may remain fixed, it is a
requirement that the guard be divided into easily removable sections. Sections shall
be designed to be removed and handled easily by one person. Appropriate placement
of handles on movable sections shall facilitate ease of removal, lifting and handling
and thus reduce the risk of manual handling injuries.
(l) With the exception of those circuits required for safety systems, all machinery shall
be fitted with a means of isolation from all energy sources. Such isolators shall be
clearly identified and be capable of being locked if reconnection could place people at
risk.
(m) An appropriate isolation method is a lock-out/tag-out system, in which one or more
padlocks are fitted to the isolation switch, with keys being held by the operators or
maintenance personnel. Their name and reason for the lock-out are written on the
tags attached to the padlock. When the task is completed, the locks and tags are
removed and power can be restored. Refer to
ADOSH-SF – CoP 24.0 – Lock-out / Tag-
out (Isolation).
(n) Emergency stop devices shall be located where an operator can easily reach them.
Poorly located devices may encourage dangerous practices, such as reaching across
moving parts, a failure to shut down machinery or plant when a problem occurs, or
situations where the machine or plant can be started by one employee while another
is in a dangerous location (e.g. cleaning a bin).
(o) As part of the risk assessment process, employers shall consider the need for breaking
devises where high speed machines are in use.
(p) Emergency stop devises shall be tested on a regular basis and the results and
frequency recorded.
(q) The number of emergency stop devices required needs to be considered. If the
machine or plant is large, several devices may be necessary. When there are multiple
devices, safe operating practices shall be adopted so that machinery or plant is not
restarted when it is undergoing maintenance or other temporary operations. A lock-
out/tag-out system, as outlined above, is therefore an essential part of isolating an
energy source to prevent accidental plant start-up.
(r) To safeguard operators and other staff, cleaning, repair, maintenance and emergency
procedures shall be in place and understood by employees. A regular inspection regime
shall be in place to identify any problems with plant and machinery and safeguards.
Any additional hazards associated with these activities shall be identified and
assessed as part of the risk management process. Special precautions need to be
taken where employees undertaking these tasks are obscured, or where there are
multiple operating switches. Apply isolation procedures whenever maintenance or
repair requires people to enter the danger area around machinery.
(s) Guards shall only be able to be opened or removed with the aid of a tool and when the
machine is not in operation.

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(t) Guards that move out of the way for each operation (automatic guards) need special
consideration. Watch for potential risks in the interactions between guard and
machine, between guard and person and between guard and workpiece.
3.4 Types of Guards
(a) Fixed guards. These are stationary guards and prevent contact between moving
machinery parts and any part of the body. They offer protection only when
appropriately fixed in position. Fixed guards may be adjusted or moved and shall be
easy to remove and replace, but only be able to be opened, removed or adjusted with
the aid of a tool and when the machine is not in operation.
(b) Interlocking guards. They prevent machinery and plant from being operated, unless
the guard is in place. Interlocking guards such as enclosure guards are known as
movable guards and have the moving part interconnected with the control system.
Interconnections are usually electrical, mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic.
(c) Automatic guards. They are self-adjusting and automatically move into position as the
machine or cycle starts. They are also known as push-away guards. These are only
appropriate on slow machines.
(d) Distance guards These prevent access to dangerous areas through a barrier or fence.
Any access points through the guard (e.g. gates and doors) shall be secured with a lock
or interlocking system.
(e) Trip guards. These are presence-sensing and stop the machine when a person gets
into a position where they are liable to be injured. Photoelectric curtains, laser
scanners and pressure mats are examples of this type of guard.
3.5 Basic Rules for Guard Design
(a) The primary function of a guard is to provide a physical barrier between an employee
and the dangerous parts of machinery or plant. When selecting control measures,
careful attention to design and layout at the outset can avoid later problems. Basic
rules for guard design include:
(i) ensure the materials used are of appropriate strength and good quality;
(ii) having any sort of guard may not be enough. Poorly designed or inappropriate
guarding has contributed to injuries from machinery or plant. Ideally a guard
would be custom designed for the machine and the work process;
(iii) interlock devices may need to be used in conjunction with other types of
guarding to ensure safety; and
(iv) avoid second best when designing a guard. If a guard is used from another
machine, it shall be checked carefully to ensure that it is not defective, that it
fits the target machine, is of appropriate strength and quality for the new
application and that it achieves the aim of controlling the risk presented by the
target machine.
(b) In determining the most appropriate control measure for the hazard, risk and machine,
other issues or risks shall also be taken into consideration. Guarding can play a useful
role in both dust and noise reduction. In many cases, issues of wear, heat and

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ventilation affect operating efficiency and may also have consequences for employee
health and safety.
3.6 Servicing Considerations
(a) Guards shall be designed for easy removal and replacement. These types of guard
make tasks such as regular cleaning, maintenance and machine adjustment or belt
changes easier, particularly if this work needs to be done frequently. Safe procedures
for removal of guards for repair, or to clear jams or breakdowns shall be considered. In
all cases, guards shall be designed so they can only open or be removed with the aid
of a tool and when the machine is not in operation.
(b) Servicing issues include:
(i) documented safe work procedures, including reference to manufacturer’s
recommendations;
(ii) proximity to hot or sharp parts;
(iii) cool down or warm up periods;
(iv) lock-out provisions or permission for guard removal;
(v) appropriate room to perform tasks without risk of injury or strain;
(vi) any additional hazards arising from maintenance procedures (eg. testing while
machine is unguarded (dry run), working at heights, use of solvents); and
(vii) maintenance of servicing records.
3.7 Guard Placement and Reach
(a) The design and positioning of guards shall provide at least the following clearance
indicated in Table 1:
Reach Minimum Distance Assumed to the Danger Point
Arm reach Greater than or equal to 850 mm from under arm to fingertip
Elbow reach Greater than or equal to 550 mm from the inside elbow to
fingertip
Wrist reach Greater than or equal to 230 mm from wrist to tip of middle
finger
Finger reach Greater than or equal to 1 30 mm
Vertical reach 2500 mm maximum when standing on toes
Table 1 – Minimum Clearance Distance

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3.7.1 Guard Placement and Mesh Size.
(a) The size of mesh or other openings in the guard and the distance of the guard from
the danger point can be selected based on the Table 2.
Mesh Size Distance to the Danger Point
Mesh size openings up to and
including 9 mm
Distance of guard from danger point virtually the
same
Mesh size over 9mm but less than
40 mm Guard at least 200 mm from danger point
All types of guards Distance between bottom opening and floor not to
exceed 250 mm
Table 2.0 – Guard Distance
Figure 1.0: Example Distances
3.7.2 Reaching Down and Over
(a) Considering Figure 2, the horizontal distance to be maintained between edge of
barrier and danger point shall be as in Table 3 (If only minor injuries along with a low
probability of occurrence of the injury) or Table 4 (if Table 3 is not applicable):
(i) A = height of danger point from the floor or working surface;
(ii) B = height of the barrier; and
(iii) C = horizontal safety distance to be maintained between edge of barrier and
danger point.
Figure 2: Barriers
A
B
C

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A – height of
danger point from
floor (mm)
B – height of the barrier (mm)
2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000
C – horizontal safety distance to be maintained
between barrier and danger point (mm)
2400 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
2200 - 250 350 400 500 500 600 600
2000 - - 350 500 600 700 900 1100
1800 - - - 600 900 900 1000 1100
1600 - - - 500 900 900 1000 1300
1400 - - - 100 800 900 1000 1300
1200 - - - - 500 900 1000 1400
1000 - - - - 300 900 1000 1400
800 - - - - - 600 900 1300
600 - - - - - - 500 1200
400 - - - - - - 300 1200
200 - - - - - - 200 1100
Table 3 – Barrier Distances - If Only Minor Injuries Along with a Low Probability of Occurrence of the Injury

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A – height of
danger point from
floor (mm)
B – height of the barrier (mm)
2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000
C – horizontal safety distance to be maintained
between barrier and danger point (mm)
2400 300 400 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
2200 300 400 600 800 900 1000 1200 1300
2000 - 400 600 800 900 1100 1300 1400
1800 - - 600 800 900 1100 1400 1500
1600 - - 500 800 900 1100 1400 1500
1400 - - - 800 900 1100 1400 1500
1200 - - - 700 900 1100 1400 1500
1000 - - - - 800 1000 1400 1500
800 - - - - 600 900 1300 1500
600 - - - - - 800 1300 1400
400 - - - - - 400 1200 1400
200 - - - - - - 900 1200
Table 4 – Barrier Distances - If Table 3 is Not Applicable

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4. References
•
Guide to safeguarding common machinery and plant | Workplace Health
and Safety Queensland, Australia
•
L22 - Safe use of work equipment -Provision and use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998 - Approved Code of Practice and guidance – HSE books
- ISBN 978 0 7176 6295 1
•
ISO STD 13857:2019 - Safety of machinery — Safety distances to prevent
hazard zones being reached by upper and lower limbs

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5. Document Amendment Record
Version Revision Date Description of Amendment
Page/s Affected
4.0
15th July 2024
System acronym updated from OSHAD-SF
to ADOSH-SF to accurately reflect
document title
Throughout
Change from OSHAD to ADPHC
Change of Logo
Minor editorial changes throughout the
document without changing requirements.
Title of Mechanism 7.0 updated to ADOSH-
SF – Mechanism 7– Occupational Safety
and Health Practitioner and Service
Provider Registration
OSHAD-SF - Mechanism 8.0 - OSH
Practitioner Registration deleted
4.1
16th February
2026
Clause 3.7.2 & Table 3 adjusted, and Table
4 added, to align with requirements of ISO
STD 13857:2019
11-13
Minor editorial changes throughout the
document without changing requirements Throughout

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