I’m the only woman working in the shop at my company, so I keep small-sized safety gloves in my toolbox in case I need them. But one day, I was going to help someone with a quick job and I just grabbed someone else’s gloves on the way over.
When I put the gloves on, I could feel they were way too big for my hands. And when I set down the big aluminum frame, the tips of my glove got caught under it.
I had to call someone over to help lift the frame and get my hand free. Since then, I always make sure to use safety gloves that fit right.
Feeling the Pinch
Pinch point is a technical term for any area where someone can get caught between the moving and stationary parts of an object or a machine.
Pinch point injuries are quite common. It’s estimated that about 125,000 people suffer one every year, and they range from painful but mild to fatal. A non-fatal pinch point injuries can leave you with bruises and cuts, but could also require the amputation of a limb, so this is a hazard that should be taken very seriously.
OSHA Machine Guarding Regulations
OSHA has several regulations that cover machine guarding. Machine guards are physical barriers that stand between workers and the moving parts of a machine. Complying with these regulations is an important step to reducing the risk of pinch point injuries in your workplace.
Start with 29 CFR 1910.212, which deals with general regulations for machine guarding on any kind of equipment. Then, look into machine guarding regulations specific to your industry.
Crush Injuries
Calling them “pinch points” makes it sound like it only refers to hazards that have a small surface area, like the risk of getting your finger pinched between a set of interlocking gears. In fact, pinch points also include areas where the whole body can get caught between two moving parts of machinery, or between a machine and a stationary object or a wall.
To prevent this from happening, make sure workers are positioned in a way that keeps them safe from crushing injuries while working.
The factory floor, workstations, and the flow of traffic should all be designed in a way that minimize how often employees come in close proximity to areas where a machine has even the slightest potential to pin or crush them.
Quick Tips for Avoiding Pinch Point Injuries
- Avoid loose sleeves – Pant legs and shirt sleeves that are too long or too loose can get caught in equipment, significantly increasing the risk of a pinch point injury. Tucking your shirt into your pants or your pants can also reduce the likelihood that it will get snagged.
- Leave the jewelry home – Remove all jewelry before the start of the shift, especially dangling earrings, necklaces, and rings.
- Tuck away long hair – Long hair carries the same kind of risk as loose sleeves. Long hair should be tied back, braided, or kept in a pony tail.
- Wear safety gloves with the right fit – Safety gloves are meant to protect your hands, but loose-fitting gloves are more likely to get caught in pinch points – and pull your fingers into the moving parts.
- Use the machine guards – Make sure the guard are in place and secure. If you notice the guard is damaged or missing, don’t operate the machinery until it has been replaced.
- Prepare for the machine to jam – Know how to safely deal with the machine if it becomes jammed. Before you clear or fix jammed equipment, make sure it has been turned off and come to a complete stop. Familiarize yourself with the lockout/tagout procedures and apply them when unjamming the equipment.