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Machine-guarding citations often accompany lockout/tagout findings. Don't let either become final before responding.
29 CFR 1910FY top-10 cited · rank #101910.212
Cited under 1910.212 Machine Guarding? Here's your 15-day response plan.
1910.212 requires employers to guard machines to protect operators and other employees from hazards such as point-of-operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying debris.
Machine guarding is the classic source of amputation citations. Missing, modified, or bypassed guards are the most common findings.
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1910.212 · what's at stake
Why a Machine Guarding citation moves faster than you think.
Four deadlines and exposures every cited employer should have on a whiteboard by end of day one.
Severity
Amputation hazard
Point-of-operation citations are routinely classified as serious or willful when amputation exposure is documented.
Per machine
Equipment-specific
Each unguarded machine is a separate item. Abatement must be documented per machine, not program-wide.
Photos
Visual abatement
OSHA expects photographic proof of installed guards on every cited machine.
Typical items
Sub-codes we see most under 1910.212.
If you were cited under 1910.212, your Form OSHA-2 likely references one or more of these. Your packet breaks each one down with deadlines, evidence needs, and an assigned owner.
- 1910.212(a)(1)Machine guarding not provided to protect operator and other employees from machine hazards.serious
- 1910.212(a)(3)(ii)Point of operation not guarded to prevent the operator from having any part of the body in the danger zone.serious
- 1910.212(b)Fixed machines not securely anchored to prevent walking or moving.other
Your actual citation will match one of these sub-codes exactly. The packet parses the CFR reference on your Form OSHA-2 and builds the correct item-level response.
Who on your team handles Machine Guarding abatement?
Abatement responsibility should never land on a single role. Here's how a typical citation splits:
Maintenance Lead
Guard fabrication/installation, fastener specification, reinstallation after service
EHS Manager
Hazard assessment, guard adequacy, before/after documentation
HR / Training Lead
Operator training on guard use and not-to-remove policy
Evidence OSHA typically wants to see
Written abatement certification usually requires documentation like this. Your packet generates the exact list for every cited item.
- Pre- and post-abatement photos for each cited machine
- Written machine-guarding program (dated)
- Inspection checklist for guard integrity
- Training records on guard policy and reporting removed guards
- Lockout/tagout procedures referencing guard reinstallation
How it compares
Your options after a citation.
OSHA Action Packet isn't a replacement for an attorney on serious cases. It's the organized starting point most employers never build.
OSHA defense attorney
- Typical cost
- $5k–$15k retainer
- Turnaround
- Days to weeks
- What you get
- Legal strategy, contest filing, formal response
Compliance consultant
- Typical cost
- $3k–$8k
- Turnaround
- 1–2 weeks
- What you get
- Site walk, abatement plan, written report
Do it yourself
- Typical cost
- Your time
- Turnaround
- Unpredictable
- What you get
- Full control, high risk of missed deadlines
OSHA Action Packet
Best fit- Typical cost
- $349 flat
- Turnaround
- 2–5 minutes
- What you get
- Deadlines, evidence list, ownership map, exports
If your citation involves a fatality, willful violations, or significant penalty exposure, talk to an OSHA attorney. For most other citations, the gap isn't legal strategy. It's organization and speed.
Related standards
Often cited alongside this one.
Federal OSHA inspections rarely yield a single-standard citation. If you were cited under one of these, you were probably cited under the others too.
1910.147Top 6
Lockout/Tagout
Every facility with powered equipment needs LOTO procedures. Missing machine-specific procedures, untrained authorized employees, and skipped annual audits are the top findings.
See response guide
1910.178Top 7
Powered Industrial Trucks
Most forklift citations stem from operators who are uncertified, trained in-house without evaluations, or allowed to operate after a near-miss without re-evaluation.
See response guide
1910.212 · FAQ
Machine Guarding citation questions
How long do I have to contest a Machine Guarding citation?
Fifteen working days from the date you received the Citation and Notification of Penalty. The deadline is the same for every federal OSHA citation, regardless of standard. Miss it and the citation becomes a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Penalties locked, abatement dates locked, right to negotiate gone.
Do I need a lawyer for a 1910.212 citation?
For citations involving a fatality, willful violation, or significant penalty exposure, yes, hire an OSHA defense attorney. For most citations under this standard, the gap isn't legal strategy. It's getting organized before deadlines pass: contest window, abatement dates per item, written certification for each abated condition. That's the work OSHA Action Packet automates.
What evidence does OSHA expect for abating 1910.212?
For Machine Guarding citations, OSHA typically wants: Pre- and post-abatement photos for each cited machine; Written machine-guarding program (dated); Inspection checklist for guard integrity. The full list is generated per-item inside your packet based on what was actually cited on your inspection.
Who on my team handles Machine Guarding abatement?
Typical ownership is split across Maintenance Lead, EHS Manager, HR / Training Lead. Each packet assigns every cited item to a role and produces a per-owner worksheet you can hand off directly.
What if my citation bundles multiple standards?
That is the norm. Most federal OSHA inspections yield 3 to 12 items across several standards. Your packet covers every item. This page is just the standard-specific guide for one of them.
What does the packet actually include?
Executive PDF summary, per-item action table with deadlines and evidence, assigned-owner worksheets, calendar export (.ics), CSVs, and the full ZIP bundle. Preview is free. You only pay if you want the full packet.
Cited under 1910.212? Start your packet.
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