Bakery Equipment (General)

Self-Inspection Checklist

Guidelines

This checklist covers regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA under the General Industry standard 29 CFR 1910.263. The requirements of this checklist apply to the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of machinery and equipment such as horizontal dough mixers; vertical mixers; dividers; moulders; manually fed dough brakes; hand trucks, lift trucks, racks and air conditioning units; slicers and wrappers; and biscuit and cracker equipment such as cheese, fruit, and food cutters, and reversible dough brakes and box- and roll-type dough sheeters. The regulations cited apply only to private employers and their employees, unless adopted by a state agency and applied to other groups such as public employees.

This checklist does not address proof boxes; fermentation rooms; troughs; conveyors; ingredient premixers, emulsifiers, etc.; chain tackle; trough hoists, etc.; pan washing tanks; bread coolers, rack type; doughnut machines; open fat kettles; steam kettles; meal, peanut, and fig grinders; sugar and spice pulverizers; cross-roll brakes; rotary die machines, pretzel rolling, and pretzel-stick extruding machines; pan cooling towers; chocolate melting, refining, and mixing kettles; and peanut cooling trucks. See 29 CFR 1910.263 for regulations on these types of equipment.

1. General Machine Guarding

2. Are all gears completely enclosed regardless of location? [29 CFR 1910.263(c)(2)]
3. Are all sprockets and V-belt drives located within reach from platforms or passageways or within 8 feet 6 inches from the floor completely enclosed? [29 CFR 1910.263(c)(3)]
4. Is machinery that must be lubricated while in motion provided with stationary lubrication fittings inside the machine with extension piping so that it is not necessary to reach into any danger area when lubricating? [29 CFR 1910.263(c)(5)]
5. Are all hot water and steam pipes covered with insulating material where necessary to keep them from student and teacher contact? [29 CFR 1910.263(c)(8)]
   

   Mixers

6. Is each horizontal dough and vertical mixer equipped with an individual motor and control and with a conveniently located manual switch to prevent the mixer from being started while the machine is being serviced and cleaned? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(1)(iii) and (e)(2)(i)]
7. Are all electrical control stations on horizontal dough mixers located so that the operator must be in full view of the bowl in its opened position? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(1)(iv)]
8. Are all horizontal dough mixers with power and manual dumping arrangements provided with safety devices that
   1. Engage both hands of the operator when the agitator is in motion under power and while the bowl is opened more than one-fifth of its total opening? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(1)(v)(a)]
   2. Prevent the agitator from being started while the bowl is more than one-fifth open without engaging both hands of the operator? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(1)(v)(b)]
9. Is every horizontal dough mixer equipped with a full enclosure over the bowl, which is closed at all times while the agitator is in motion? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(1)(viii)]Note: Only minor openings in this enclosure, such as ingredient doors, flour inlets, etc., each representing less than 1-1/2 square feet in area, shall be capable of being opened while the mixer is in operation.
10. Are all overhead covers or doors on horizontal dough or vertical mixers that are subject to accidental closure (1) counter-balanced to remain open or (2) provided with means to hold them open until positively released by the operator? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(1)(x) and (e)(2)(i)]
11. Do vertical mixers have positive bowl locking devices, which require an operator for unlocking? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(2)(iii)]
12. Do vertical mixers have devices for moving bowls weighing more than 80 pounds (with contents) into and out of the mixing position of the machine? [29 CFR 1910.263(e)(2)(iv)]
    

    Dividers

13. Does the back of the divider have a complete cover to enclose all of the moving parts, or are they enclosed or guarded to remove the hazards? [29 CFR 1910.263(f)(3)]
14. Does the rear cover have a limit switch that prevents the machine from operating when the cover is open? [29 CFR 1910.263(f)(3)]
15. Is the guard on the back hinged so that it cannot be completely removed? [29 CFR 1910.263(f)(3)]
16. If a catch or brace holds the cover open, is it designed so that vibrations or minor bumping will not cause the cover to release and drop on a student/teacher? [29 CFR 1910.263(f)(3)]
    

    Moulders

17. Do mechanical feed moulders have hoppers that are connected to the proofer and designed so that the operators’ hands cannot get into the hopper and come into contact with the in-running rolls? [29 CFR 1910.263(g)(1)]
18. Do hand fed molders have a belt-feed device, or is the hopper extended high enough so that the hands of the operator cannot get into the feed rolls? [29 CFR 1910.263(g)(2)]
19. Is the top edge of the hopper well rounded to prevent injury when it is struck or bumped by the operator’s hand? [29 CFR 1910.263(g)(2)]
20. Is a stopping device within easy reach of the operator who feeds the molder and another stopping device within reach of the operator taking the dough away from the molder? [29 CFR 1910.263(g)(3)]
    

    Manually Fed Dough Brakes

21. Is the top roll of the manually fed dough brake protected by a heavy gage metal shield extending over the roll to go within 6 inches of the hopper bottom board? [29 CFR 1910.263(h)(1)]
22. Is an emergency stop bar provided and located so that the body of the operator will press against the bar if the operator slips and falls toward the rolls, or if the operator gets his or her hand caught in the roll? [29 CFR 1910.263(h)(2)]
23. Does the bar apply the body pressure enough to open positively a circuit that will deenergize the drive motor? [29 CFR 1910.263(h)(2)]Note: The emergency stop bar shall be checked for proper operation every 30 days
    

    Miscellaneous Equipment

24. Are casters set back far enough from corners of hand trucks to be out of the way of toes and heels, but not far enough back to cause the truck to be unstable? [29 CFR 1910.263(i)(4)(i)]
25. Do hand or lift trucks have a lock or other device to hold the handle in vertical position when the truck is not in use? [29 CFR 1910.263(i)(4)(ii) and (i)(5)]
26. Are racks equipped with handles located so that no part of the operator’s hands extends beyond the outer edge of the frame when holding onto the handles? [29 CFR 1910.263(i)(6)(ii)]
27. Are racks equipped with antifriction bearing casters to give the operator better control of the rack? [29 CFR 1910.263(i)(6)(iii)]
28. Do large air-conditioning units equipped with doors have door locks operable from both inside and outside the units? [29 CFR 1910.263(i)(14)]
    

    Slicers and Wrappers

29. Does the cover over the knife head of reciprocating-blade slicers have an interlocking arrangement so that the machine cannot operate unless the cover is in place? [29 CFR 1910.263(j)(1)(iii)]
30. On slicers with endless band knives, is each motor equipped with a magnet brake that operates whenever the motor is not energized? [29 CFR 1910.263(j)(1)(iv)]
31. Is each door, panel, or other point of access to the cutting blades arranged, by means of mechanical or electrical interlocks, so that the motor will be deenergized if access doors, panels or access points are not closed? [29 CFR 1910.263(j)(1)(iv)]
32. When it is necessary to sharpen slicer blades on the machine, is a barrier provided leaving only sufficient opening for the sharpening stone to reach the knife blade? [29 CFR 1910.263(j)(1)(v)]
    

    Biscuit and Cracker Equipment

33. Do cheese, fruit, and food cutting machines, when provided with a removable hopper, have an electric interlock so that the machine cannot be operated when the hopper is removed? [29 CFR 1910.263(k)(1)(i) and (3)]
34. Are reversible dough brakes provided with guards or tripping mechanisms on each side of the rolls? [29 CFR 1910.263(k)(5)]
35. Are hoppers for sheeters equipped with automatic stop bars or automatic stopping devices along the back edge of the hopper? [29 CFR 1910.263(k)(7)(ii)]