Guarding and lockout for bowling pinsetting machines

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

May 23, 1990

Clive Pincott
Advisory Factory
Occupational Safety and Health
New Zealand
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Pincott:

This is in response to your letter of 12 January on the subject of the guarding of machinery in bowling centers and your inquiry as to records of accidents occurring to persons servicing or repairing pin setting machinery.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no regulations specific to bowling pin setting machinery, and in this country, enforcement of the law against employers whose employees were exposed to risk of harm because of defective or ill-guarded bowling pin setting machinery would probably come under the provision of 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1)(2) (copy enclosed), or 29 CFR 1910.147, OSHA's Lockout-Tagout standard (copy enclosed).

As to the second part of your inquiry, OSHA has no records which would indicate, injuries or fatal accidents occurring to persons working on or about such machinery. This, of course, is not to imply that they have not occurred.

To obtain additional background on this subject, may we recommend you contact the American Machine and Foundry Company? This company is one of the largest makers of bowling machine equipment in the United States and also operates a training school where, it is reported, the safe and proper servicing of such equipment is taught.

The address of the above mentioned company is as follows:

A.M.F. Bowling Inc.
Technical Department
P.O. Box 15060
Richmond, Virginia 23227
United States of America
Attn: Mr. Charles Haffey

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Patricia K. Clark Director
Designate Directorate of Compliance Programs

Enclosure