An above plate coolant containment and recovery system for a machine having at least one machining head having a cutting tool in the form of a machining spindle with coolant supplied to the tooling and is designed for containing machining coolant during machining. The system includes a coolant guard apparatus and waste removal assembly. The coolant guard contains and separates coolant fluid as used during wet cutting machining for providing a dry cutting environment beyond the coolant guard apparatus. The coolant guard apparatus includes at least one shaped containment area formed with a substantially upright perimeter wall located on top of the plate to be cut to form the contained area, whereby the waste removal assembly, which is fluidly connected to the coolant guard apparatus, causes the removal of the used coolant and machining solid waste without leaking beyond the containment area.