2026 Safety Webinar Series: Basic Machine Guarding — Self-Assessment Considerations & Resources

Description

This webinar will focus on OSHA standards for machine guarding, including those most frequently cited in the industry. Participants will explore practical improvement strategies, review real-world examples and engage in discussion. Visual examples of equipment safeguarding will be included, along with resources for further training. 

Intended Audience 

This session is highly recommended for all employees, as they are often best positioned to identify machine safety concerns. It is especially valuable for safety committees, HR managers, production leads, company owners and those in maintenance and engineering roles.

Instructor

This webinar will be led by Dr. Laura Helmrich‑Rhodes, SHRM‑SCP, CSP, a seasoned safety professional with more than 35 years of experience. She is celebrating her 12th year serving SMI as a safety compliance consultant. A full‑time professor in the Safety Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she teaches courses ranging from safety communications and OSHA compliance to graduate and PhD‑level classes in legal aspects of safety, human relations, and accident investigation. She also owns Safety Geeks, LLC, maintains OSHA Authorized Instructor status in both general industry and construction, and has taught for West Virginia University’s OSHA National Resource Center since 2025. Her background includes roles with PA/OSHA Consultation and two global commercial insurance companies. Outside the classroom and consulting, she enjoys hosting gatherings at her farm, spending time outdoors, engaging in community service, and exploring the arts—and is available during summer and semester breaks to support companies with on‑site or remote safety initiatives.