CF AR CWC 12/98 Worker fatalities from being caught in machinery 1997 Worker Fatalities from being Caught in Machinery by 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 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. 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 machine-intensive, 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. TABLE 1. Nonfatal injuries involving days away from work resulting from workers being caught in machinery, private industry, yearly average, 1992-96 Nature of injury Number Percent ---------------------- ------ ------- 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 --------------------------------------- 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 2. Worker fatalities from being caught in machinery by selected industry, 1997 Industry Number Percent ------------------------------------------- ------ ------- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 injuries(3) 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. One-fifth 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 one-fifth of the fatalities studied occurred after an article of clothing, such as a glove, pant leg, or shirt or coat sleeve, was 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. TABLE 3. Selected machinery involved in fatalities resulting from workers being caught in machinery, 1997 Type of machinery involved Number Percent ------------------------------------------- ------ ------- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 4. Activity performed by workers fatally caught in machinery, 1997 Worker activity Number Percent ---------------------------- ------- --------- 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 ------------------------------------------------ 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 operation. 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.