What are the machine guarding rules for Victorian manufacturers?

What are the machine guarding requirements for Victorian manufacturers?

Victorian manufacturers must guard any plant with moving parts that could injure a worker. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), you choose the guard in a set order: a permanently fixed barrier first, an interlocked barrier where access is needed, then a tool-removable guard or a presence-sensing system only where the safer options are not reasonably practicable.

The sections below explain what the law requires, the order you must work through, the difference between a fixed and an interlocked guard, and how to keep guarding standing up to a WorkSafe visit.

What does the law say about machine guarding in Victoria?

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) requires every employer to provide and maintain plant that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health. That duty covers the machines on your floor. Part 3.5 of the OHS Regulations 2017 sets the detail, and regulation 99 deals specifically with guarding as a control for the risks from plant.

In practice you must identify the hazards on each machine, eliminate the risk where you can, and where you cannot, reduce it. Guarding is one of the engineering controls WorkSafe Victoria expects you to reach for before you fall back on signs, procedures or personal protective equipment.

In what order must you choose a machine guard?

Guarding follows a strict order under regulation 99. You must use the highest-level guard that is reasonably practicable and only step down to the next option when the one above is not. The order runs from a permanently fixed barrier, to an interlocked barrier, to a tool-removable barrier, and finally to a presence-sensing system.

1. Permanently fixed physical barrier — used where access to the danger area is not needed during operation, maintenance or cleaning.
2. Interlocked physical barrier — used where access is needed; the guard is linked to the plant's power or controls so the machine cannot run unless the guard is closed.
3. Tool-removable barrier — used only where the two options above are not reasonably practicable; it can only be removed or altered with a tool.
4. Presence-sensing safeguarding system — for example light curtains or pressure mats, used only where none of the above is reasonably practicable, to stop the plant while any part of a person is in the danger area.

If access to the danger area is...	The guard should be...
Not needed during operation, maintenance or cleaning	A permanently fixed barrier
Needed during operation, maintenance or cleaning	An interlocked barrier
Needed, and neither of the above is reasonably practicable	A tool-removable barrier
Such that no physical barrier is reasonably practicable	A presence-sensing system

What is the difference between a fixed guard and an interlocked guard?

A fixed guard is a permanent barrier that stays in place because the worker never needs routine access to the danger area. An interlocked guard is used where access is needed for operation, maintenance or cleaning: it is connected to the machine's power or control system so the plant will not operate while the guard is open, and prevents access while the machine is running.

An interlock has to be more than a hinge and a switch. WorkSafe Victoria expects the design to account for tamper resistance, stored energy, and the run-down time of components that keep spinning after the power is cut. A guard that lets a worker reach a blade still coasting to a stop is not doing its job.

Which guarding failures get a factory a WorkSafe notice?

The failures inspectors act on are exposed moving parts, guards that have been removed or bypassed, and relying on an emergency stop in place of a guard. Entanglement with unguarded machinery causes some of the most severe injuries on a factory floor, including amputation, de-gloving and scalping — all of which are notifiable incidents you must report to WorkSafe. Being hit by moving objects, which includes machinery, is consistently one of the leading causes of worker deaths in Australia.

WorkSafe Victoria's own case examples show what is at stake: a worker whose clothing caught on a rotating conveyor shaft was fatally injured; an employee's hair was caught in an unguarded drive shaft while she cleaned, tearing away her scalp and an ear; and a labour-hire worker cleaning a feeder auger had his arm dragged in and amputated. In each case, adequate guarding was the missing control.

An emergency stop is not a substitute. WorkSafe Victoria is clear that a stop button does not prevent an incident — a person already being pulled into a machine may never reach it. Treat the e-stop as a last resort, not the guard.

How do you keep guards compliant day to day?

Guarding is not a set-and-forget job, and it holds up better as part of a workplace safety system than as a one-off project. You must inspect and test guards and safety devices before use, check them regularly for damage, and repair or tag out anything faulty straight away. That is easiest to sustain when guard checks sit alongside the rest of your preventive maintenance schedule. Train operators on why the guards are there and what to do when one is damaged, and make sure loose clothing, hair and jewellery are kept clear of moving parts.

You must also review your controls, so far as is reasonably practicable, when a machine or the way it is used changes, when new information about a risk comes to light, when a control is not working, or when a health and safety representative asks. If you are not sure your guarding would stand up to an inspection, a safety manager from our team can walk your floor with you and map each machine against the Regulations. You can book a site assessment at ardmor.com.au/book-audit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a machine guarding certificate in Victoria? There is no single guarding certificate. Your duty under the OHS Regulations 2017 is to control the risk from each machine using the right guard for the situation, and to be able to show how you did it. Good records — a plant register, guard inspections and the reasoning behind each control — are what prove compliance, not a certificate.

Can I use an emergency stop instead of a guard? No. WorkSafe Victoria says an emergency stop cannot be relied on as the only control for entanglement, because a person being drawn into a machine may not be able to reach it. The e-stop is a backup to a proper guard, never a replacement for one.

Whose responsibility is guarding — the machine maker or the employer? Both carry duties. Designers, manufacturers and suppliers must provide plant that is safe for its intended use, but as the employer you have your own duty to identify hazards and control the risk on your floor and keep guards maintained in use.

This article is general information for Victorian manufacturers, not legal advice. Last updated: 15 July 2026.