What Is the OSHA Regulation Number for General Machinery and Machine Guarding?

The federal OSHA regulation covering general requirements for machinery and machine guarding is 29 CFR 1910 Subpart O. The core regulation within this subpart is:

• 29 CFR 1910.212 – General Requirements for All Machines

This rule mandates that machine parts, functions, and processes that may cause injury must be guarded. It requires point-of-operation guarding and safeguards for rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks to protect operators and nearby workers.

Additional machine-specific OSHA regulations include:

• 1910.213 – Woodworking Machinery Requirements

• 1910.217 – Mechanical Power Presses

• 1910.219 – Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus

Employers must comply with these regulations to ensure worker safety and avoid OSHA citations or penalties. Many facilities also follow ANSI B11 series standards for best practices in machine safeguarding and risk reduction.