Research equipment gets treated as exempt from the machine rules more often than it should. Nothing in Subpart O turns on whether the machine makes a product or a measurement; it turns on whether a person can be hurt by it.
The equipment that moves on its own. The general machine guarding rule requires one or more methods of guarding to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips and sparks, and it names barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, and electronic safety devices as examples (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1)). Automated motion with no operator at the controls is exactly the case where a physical barrier or a presence-sensing device earns its keep, because nobody is positioned to stop the cycle. Guards must be affixed to the machine where possible and must not create a hazard themselves (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(2)). Where a hazard is real but no specific standard reaches it, the General Duty Clause still requires a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm (OSH Act §5(a)(1)).
Servicing it. The lockout/tagout standard covers servicing and maintenance of machines where the unexpected energization or start-up, or release of stored energy, could injure employees (29 CFR 1910.147(a)(1)(i)). The employer needs an energy control program with written procedures, training, and periodic inspections so that the equipment is isolated and rendered inoperative before anyone reaches into it (29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1)). Equipment that can move without warning is the standard's textbook case.
The corrosive bath. Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body must be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use (29 CFR 1910.151(c)). Affected employees must use appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to acids or caustic liquids (29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1)), selected through a documented workplace hazard assessment (29 CFR 1910.132(d)). The bath also needs a label and a safety data sheet, and the employees who work around it need the hazard communication training that goes with them (29 CFR 1910.1200).
The practical order is the same as always: guard and lock out the machine first, then control the chemical exposure, then fit the PPE. Equipment that is impressive is not thereby exempt.