OSHA states that press brake safety barriers should never be bypassed.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not Sure
• D. Always

Answer: (B)

Safety barriers on a press brake are there to prevent access to dangerous pinch points and to stop the machine if a guard is opened. In normal operation, these barriers should not be bypassed because doing so removes the protection that keeps the operator out of danger. However, there are legitimate, tightly controlled situations—such as setup or maintenance—where a barrier or safety device may be opened or temporarily bypassed, but only after the machine is fully de-energized, locked out, and verified safe, and only by authorized personnel following approved procedures. Because of that nuance, the statement that OSHA states to “never” bypass press brake safety barriers is not strictly correct in all contexts. The key principle is to guard against injury and to follow proper lockout/tagout procedures when a barrier must be accessed for work.