Yes.
OSHA’s standards at 29 CFR § 1910.212 and 29 CFR § 1910.219 apply to the safeguarding of machines and mechanical power-transmission equipment and require guarding to protect the operator and other employees in the area from hazards such as those created by ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks.
In regard to the gap dimension between belts and their respective guards, § 1910.219 (e)(1)(i) states:
| Where both runs of horizontal belts are seven (7) feet or less from the floor level, the guard shall extend at least fifteen (15) inches above the belt or to a standard height except that where both runs of a horizontal belt are forty-two (42) inches or less from the floor, the belt shall be fully enclosed in accordance with subparagraphs (m) and (o). |
Please note that the requirements for guarding belts contained in 29 CFR § 1910.219 do NOT apply to the following types of belts when they are operating at two hundred and fifty (250) feet per minute or less: