Compensation and Working Conditions Winter 1998 35

Worker Fatalities

Worker Fatalities

from being

Caught in

Machinery

Safety and Health

Fatalities resulting from workers being caught in

machinery reached a 6-year high in 1997. Half

of the workers were performing service-related

tasks at the time.

JANICE A. WINDAU

Janice A. Windau is an epidemiologist in the Office of Safety, Health and

Working Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Telephone: (202) 606-6175

E-mail: Windau_j@bls.gov

In 1997, the overall number of deaths from work-related

injuries (6,218) remained virtually the same as in 1996

(6,202). In contrast, deaths caused by workers being caught

in machinery increased 29 percent, to 189. In the period

1992-96, the number of work-related deaths resulting from

the same cause averaged almost 150 a year.1 During this

same period, serious nonfatal injuries resulting from workers being caught in machinery totaled 34,000 and were the

leading cause of amputations among private industry wage

and salary workers. (See table 1.) This article profiles

these fatalities, describes related hazards, and discusses some

injury prevention methods.2

Industry and equipment involved in fatal injuries

Manufacturing is considered relatively safe in terms of fatal work injuries. In 1997, it accounted for 12 percent of

fatal work injuries, compared with its 16-percent share of

total employment. Manufacturing is generally machineintensive, and it accounted for the largest portion (41 percent) of the deaths resulting from workers being caught in

operating machinery. (See table 2.) In addition, during

1996, almost 19,000 workers in manufacturing suffered

injuries resulting in lost workdays because of such incidents.

In manufacturing, as well as in other industry divisions,

the equipment associated with fatal injuries included material handling machinery (such as augers and other conveyors) and forklifts, in addition to machinery designed to perform specific industry-related tasks. (See table 3.) Material handling equipment accounted for about one-fifth of

the worker fatalities in the study. Workers in manufacturing were also fatally crushed in debarkers and chippers, as

well as in various mixers, presses, molders, and other metal

and woodworking machines.

Agriculture, on the other hand, is considered relatively dangerous. In 1997, it accounted for 13 percent of the fatal

work injuries, but comprised only 3 percent of total employment. Like manufacturing, agriculture is heavily

mechanized. It accounted for one-fourth of the fatalities

resulting from workers being caught in operating equipment in 1997. One-third of these fatalities involved balers,

combines, and other harvesting and threshing machines.

Power take-off units and driveshafts, used to transmit power

from tractors to other farm machinery, accounted for about

one-sixth of the fatalities.

TABLE 1. Nonfatal injuries involving days away from work

resulting from workers being caught in machinery, private

industry, yearly average, 1992-96

 Total ................................................. 34,350 100

Cuts, lacerations.................................... 11,177 32

Amputations .......................................... 4,832 14

Fractures ............................................... 4,376 13

Bruises, contusions ............................... 2,920 8

Multiple injuries ...................................... 2,401 7

 With fractures .................................... 1,018 3

 With sprains ....................................... 191 1

Sprains, strains...................................... 1,077 3

Soreness, pain ...................................... 426 1

All other ................................................. 7,129 21

Nature of injury Number Percent
36 Compensation and Working Conditions Winter 1998

Mining and construction, which use some of the same types

of equipment, together accounted for one-seventh of the

fatalities studied. Various earthmoving and drilling machinery were primarily involved in these fatalities.

Refuse system and scrap waste material industries’ equipment, associated with the “caught in” fatalities, included

various trash compactors, balers, and shredders. These two

industries together accounted for 7 percent of the fatalities

in the study.

Circumstances surrounding fatal injuries3

Workers were performing a variety of machine-related tasks

when they were fatally caught in equipment. (See table 4.)

Slightly over half of the workers were reported as carrying

out service- or maintenance-related tasks, that is, tasks other

than the normal operating or feeding of the machine. Onefifth of the workers were performing general or unspecified

repair or maintenance. Others were reported to have been

unjamming, cleaning, adjusting, or inspecting the machine.

Often these tasks were performed with the machine running. In other instances, workers had turned the machine

off to work on it, but were killed when a coworker unknowingly turned the machine on when the workers were inside

or near it. Others were killed when they bumped into or

fell onto a switch or lever or activated a sensing mechanism. Several other workers were fatally injured when they

stepped or reached over a running machine or piece of equipment.

Loose or tattered clothing also presented a hazard to

workers operating or working near machines. Over onefifth of the fatalities studied occurred after an article of clothing, such as a glove, pant leg, or shirt or coat sleeve, was

TABLE 2. Worker fatalities from being caught in machinery by

selected industry, 1997

 Total ............................................... 189 100

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing ............ 50 26

 Agricultural production, crops ............ 30 16

 Agricultural production, livestock ....... 12 6

 Agricultural services .......................... 5 3

Mining .................................................... 11 6

Construction .......................................... 17 9

 Heavy construction, except building .. 10 5

 Special trade contractors ................... 6 3

Manufacturing ........................................ 78 41

 Food and kindred products ................ 11 6

 Lumber and wood products ............... 11 6

 Paper and allied products .................. 8 4

 Chemicals and allied products ........... 4 2

 Rubber and miscellaneous plastics

 products .......................................... 5 3

 Stone, clay, and glass products ......... 9 5

 Primary metal industries .................... 9 5

 Fabricated metal products ................. 8 4

 Industrial machinery and

 equipment ........................................ 7 4

Transportation and public utilities ........... 11 6

 Trucking and warehousing ................. 3 2

 Electric, gas, and sanitary

 services ........................................... 5 3

 Refuse systems ............................. 5 3

Wholesale trade .................................... 11 6

 Wholesale trade, durable goods ......... 8 4

 Scrap and waste materials ............ 7 4

 Wholesale trade, nondurable goods .... 3 2

Services ................................................ 7 4

Industry Number Percent

TABLE 3. Selected machinery involved in fatalities resulting from

workers being caught in machinery, 1997

 Total ............................................... 189 100

Agricultural and garden machinery ........ 28 15

 Harvesting and threshing machinery .. 15 8

 Balers ............................................ 8 4

 Harvesters, reapers ....................... 4 2

 Mowing machinery ............................ 4 2

Construction, logging, and mining

 machinery ........................................... 34 18

 Excavating machinery ....................... 4 2

 Loaders ............................................. 4 2

 Logging and wood processing

 machinery-specialized ..................... 7 4

 Debarkers ...................................... 3 2

 Mining and drilling machinery ............ 13 7

 Drilling machines, drilling augers ... 7 4

 Other construction, logging, and

 mining machinery ............................ 6 3

 Agitators, mixers—earth, mineral .. 3 2

 Compactors, crushers,

 pulverizers-earth, mineral ........... 3 2

Material handling machinery .................. 34 18

 Conveyors-powered .......................... 23 12

 Conveyors-belt .............................. 10 5

 Conveyors-live roller ...................... 3 2

 Conveyors-screw, auger ................ 4 2

 Cranes ............................................... 5 3

 Elevators ........................................... 3 2

Metal, woodworking, and special

 material machinery .............................. 32 17

 Bending, rolling, shaping machinery .. 3 2

 Extruding, injecting, forming,

 molding machinery ........................... 11 6

 Casting machinery ......................... 5 3

 Plastic injection molding

 machinery .................................... 4 2

 Lathes ............................................... 3 2

 Presses, except printing .................... 4 2

 Sawing machinery-stationary ............ 6 3

Special process machinery ................... 26 14

 Food and beverage processing

 machinery-specialized .................... 4 2

 Packaging, bottling, wrapping

 machinery ........................................ 7 4

 Paper production machinery .............. 4 2

 Textile, apparel, leather production

 machinery ........................................ 3 2

 Other special process machinery ...... 7 4

 Pumps ........................................... 4 2

Vehicles ................................................. 18 9

 Truck .................................................. 6 3

 Forklift ............................................... 6 3

 Tractor ............................................... 5 3

Miscellaneous machinery ...................... 9 5

 Trash compactors .............................. 5 3

 Electronic doors, gates ...................... 3 2

Type of machinery involved Number Percent
 Compensation and Working Conditions Winter 1998 37

Worker Fatalities

caught in the machine. In fact, the 11 deaths involving

power take-off equipment or driveshafts all occurred after

the worker’s clothing was caught in the equipment. (Workers’ hair being entangled in equipment is a related hazard

that can cause severe nonfatal injury, such as scalping and

facial disfigurement.4 )

Falls into machinery accounted for almost one-tenth of

the fatalities studied. Some of the deaths resulted when

workers fell from the driver’s seat into the working part of

the backhoe or other earthmoving machinery after hitting

rough terrain. Other deaths resulted when workers fell into

the machine while performing various work tasks near it.

Safeguarding workers from being caught in

machinery

The scenarios described above suggest that in many of the

incidents proper guarding or maintenance procedures were

not in place or not followed. Guarding refers to any means

of effectively preventing personnel from coming in contact

with moving parts of machinery or equipment that could

cause physical harm. Contacting moving parts in two major areas can injure workers: the point of operation and the

power transmission apparatus.

The point of operation is the area on the machine where

work is actually performed on the material being processed,

such as cutting, shaping, boring, or forming of stock. To

be effective, point of operation guards must protect the

worker against contact with dangerous moving parts while

allowing the work to continue with minimal disruption of

the production process. Workers—both machine operators

and service personnel—faced with machine guards that are

inconvenient may be tempted to remove them, thus, exposing themselves to hazards.5

Power transmission apparatus, such as gears, driveshafts,

pulleys, belts, cranks, and power take-off units, transmit

energy to the part of the machine performing the work.

Because these parts do not have to be accessible during

normal operation of the machine, they should be fully enclosed to prevent worker injury. Other moving parts, such

as feed mechanisms, should be safeguarded to protect workers.

Safeguards. Barrier guarding is the most common method

of machine safeguarding.6 These guards are physical barriers that are mounted on or around a machine to prevent

access to the moving parts. Today, machine manufacturers

usually provide built-in guards that conform to the design

and function of the machine.7 Manufacturers may also provide guards for retrofitting older machinery without guards

or for machinery whose guards have proven ineffective.

However, evidence confirms the fact that all machines are

not promptly retrofitted.8

Several other methods for safeguarding workers during

machine operation exist, including devices that stop the

machine if the worker’s hand is placed in the danger area;

devices requiring the operator to use both hands on the controls, thus keeping both hands out of danger; and feeding

and ejection attachments that keep the worker’s hands away

from the point of operation.9

Safeguarding workers during servicing or maintenance

of machinery presents employers with additional challenges.

Servicing may require the worker to be near the machine’s

point of operation or power transmission without the usual

guards in place. Moreover, certain machines must be running to be properly lubricated or adjusted. Workers faced

with machine jams may be tempted to unjam the machine

with the power on. Even after turning the power off, workers may be injured or killed if a coworker turns the machine on or if there is a release of residual energy.

A procedure, commonly referred to as “lockout/tagout,”

was developed to protect workers from the unexpected

startup of equipment or release of hazardous energy while

performing servicing or maintenance. In general, this process requires that energy sources for equipment be turned

off or disconnected and that the switch either be locked or

labeled with a warning tag, but preferably both. The person who applies the lock or tag should be the only one to

remove it. This would ensure that a coworker does not

energize the equipment thinking that the maintenance is

done. In addition, stored or residual energy must be safely

released or blocked so that its unexpected release will not

injure the worker.10

Some repair and maintenance activities, such as cleaning, lubrication, and unjamming, take place during production. Machine operators, who may have to perform these

tasks, may be unaware of the hazards involved.

Ten percent of the fatalities in the study occurred while

the worker was unjamming a machine. Workers may be

tempted to unjam a machine while it is still on, resulting in

the worker being pulled in along with the jammed material. Besides turning the machine off and releasing stored

energy, special tools may be available to retrieve materials

from machines to avoid injury. Some machines today have

reverser mechanisms to discharge clogs, thereby reducing

the need for workers to get near the machine’s point of opTABLE 4. Activity performed by workers fatally caught in

machinery, 1997

 Total ............................................... 189 100

Operating machine ................................ 85 45

General (unspecified) repair

 or maintenance .................................... 37 20

Unjamming materials ............................. 19 10

Cleaning machine .................................. 14 7

Adjusting machine ................................. 8 4

Reaching or stepping over machine ...... 7 4

Inspecting or checking machine ............ 5 3

Other ..................................................... 14 7

Worker activity Number Percent
38 Compensation and Working Conditions Winter 1998

eration. Another method of avoiding injury is to prevent

the jam itself. Using the machine at the correct speed, avoiding dust buildup, and ensuring that the machine is adjusted

for the material’s size can help forestall machine jams.11

Half of the fatalities involving machine jams occurred

in agriculture. Because of this and other hazards associated with tractors powering farm equipment, farmers have

been advised to disengage the power takeoff, shut off the

tractor engine, wait for all parts to stop moving, and take

the key before dismounting the tractor. This procedure protects against injury from contact with the rotating power

shafts and the moving parts of the attached machine. It

also prevents another person from turning the power on

while the machine is being fixed.12

Machines with automatic or self-lubrication and adjustment permit these routine tasks to be performed without

removal of safeguards.

Summary

To prevent further injury and death from being caught in

running machinery, the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration and other safety professionals recommend

that workers and their employers:

· Safeguard against contact with moving machine

parts;

· Shut off power, perform lockout/tagout, and release

residual energy before unjamming, servicing,

lubricating, or adjusting machinery (exceptions

may apply for certain machinery);

· Avoid wearing jewelry and tattered or loose

clothing around machinery, and wear hair short or

tucked inside clothing;

· Avoid stepping or reaching across running equipment; and

· Replace guards after servicing equipment.

Because of the diversity in machinery used throughout

industry, this discussion has been simplified. Employers

and workers should follow manufacturers’ instructions,

applicable regulatory standards, current industry consensus standards, and other safety guidelines for operating,

adjusting, unjamming, and repairing equipment.13 

1

 Other machine hazards include being struck by moving equipment or

caught under overturning equipment, being struck by objects propelled by

machinery, coming in contact with electric current, exposure to carbon monoxide or other substances emitted, and exposure to noise from running equipment. 2

 Data on nonfatal injuries are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). This program collects information from a random sample of about 200,000 establishments representing most private industry wage and salary workers, excluding workers on

small farms. Worker and case characteristics are collected only for those

workers sustaining injuries and illnesses that require days away from work to

recuperate.

Data on fatal work injuries are from the Bureau’s Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). CFOI data cover all fatal work injuries. This program, which has collected occupational fatality data nationwide since 1992,

uses diverse data sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work injuries.

Information about each workplace fatality (industry and other worker characteristics, equipment involved, and circumstances of the event) is obtained

by cross-referencing source documents, such as death certificates, workers’

compensation records, and reports to Federal and State agencies. This method

assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible. Because the scope

and methodology of CFOI and SOII are slightly different, comparisons of

fatal and nonfatal data are problematic. Additional information can be obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Internet site at http://stats.bls.gov/

oshhome.htm or via e-mail at cfoistaff@bls.gov or oshstaff@bls.gov 3

 Much of the information on the circumstances surrounding the incident

was derived from a narrative description of how the incident occurred. In

some cases, this narrative was compiled from numerous sources including

investigation reports. In other instances, information available to the staff

person summarizing the information was scant, particularly for fatalities that

were unwitnessed or that were not investigated by a State or Federal agency.

Although the reported data may vary from actual events, the information is

still useful for analysis. 4

 “Scalping Incidents Involving Hay Balers—New York,” Morbidity and

Mortality Weekly Report, July 10, 1992, pp. 489-491. 5

 See Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA 3067, Washington, DC, 1992

(Revised) for a more detailed discussion. 6

 Joy LePree, “Machine Guards Prevent Serious Injuries,” July 1996

Staff Report, Cahners Business Information. 7

 Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations, 9th Edition,

National Safety Council, Chicago, 1988. 8

 “Scalping Incidents Involving Hay Balers—New York,” pp. 489-491.

9

 Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, OSHA 3067. 10 See Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), OSHA 3120,

1997 (Revised) for a more detailed discussion. 11 Farm and Ranch Safety Management, 4th Edition, Moline, Illinois:

Deere and Company, 1994. 12 Ibid. 13 For instance, see Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding,

OSHA 3067 for an explanation and list of applicable industry consensus standards.