1
Set the scene
Start with context
Fill the frame
2–3 ft for close-ups; keep ladders, cords and workers fully in view.
Caught-In/Between
One Loose Sleeve Is All Machinery Entanglement Needs
Catch the exposed part before it catches your worker
Rotating shafts, gears, belts, and chains can pull a hand, sleeve, or strand of hair into a machine in a fraction of a second — faster than any worker can react. Entanglement injuries are among the most severe on any floor, often ending in amputation. OSHA Scan analyzes job-site and shop photos to flag unguarded moving parts, missing barrier guards, and exposed nip points before someone gets pulled in.
Free · No account needed to scan · Results in seconds
AI analysis preview
1
Hazard detectedSample report
1CriticalMachinery Entanglement
May relate to 29 CFR 1910.212
18,000+
Amputations & lacerations from machines yearly
#1
Machine guarding among most-cited OSHA standards
<1 sec
Time for a machine to pull in a limb
~15s
Typical time to get scan results
What this scenario looks like
Machinery entanglement happens wherever a moving machine part can grip clothing, jewelry, hair, or skin and pull the worker into the mechanism. The classic sources are rotating shafts, power take-offs, gears in mesh, belt-and-pulley drives, chain-and-sprocket drives, and the nip points where two rotating parts meet or where a belt runs onto a pulley.
On a real floor the hazard shows up as a guard that was removed for cleaning and never reinstalled, a set screw or keyway protruding from a rotating shaft, a drive belt with the cover left open, or an auger turning with no barrier around it. Loose gloves, untucked shirts, drawstrings, lanyards, and long hair dramatically raise the risk near any of these points.
The trap is speed and silence. A rotating shaft looks harmless because it seems to be turning slowly, but it can wrap a sleeve in well under a second and draw an arm in before the worker can even flinch. That is why a photo-based check that flags an exposed moving part before startup is so valuable.
A labelled example scan for this scenario
Here is what an OSHA Scan report looks like for machinery entanglement. It is an illustrative example built from this scenario's hazards — clearly marked, not live scan data.
Example report
Illustrative — not live scan dataCompliance score
47
Lower means more potential hazards found
3 potential hazards found
1 Critical1 High1 Medium
Machinery Entanglement
CriticalPossibly related to General requirements for all machines (29 CFR 1910.212)
Observed condition: Machinery entanglement happens wherever a moving machine part can grip clothing, jewelry, hair, or skin and pull the worker into the mechanism.
Corrective action: Install fixed barrier guards over all gears, belts, chains, and rotating shafts
High confidence
Machinery Entanglement: Mechanical power-transmission apparatus
HighPossibly related to Mechanical power-transmission apparatus (29 CFR 1910.219)
Observed condition: Specifies guarding for belts, pulleys, gears, sprockets, chains, shafting, and other power-transmission components.
Corrective action: Use interlocked guards that stop the machine when opened
Medium confidenceNot fully clear from the photo — verify on site.
Machinery Entanglement: The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
MediumPossibly related to The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147)
Observed condition: Requires energy isolation and lockout before servicing machines where unexpected startup or stored energy could injure a worker.
Corrective action: Enclose nip points, pinch points, and power take-offs completely
High confidence
AI-generated analysisThese findings are potential hazards flagged by AI from a single photo. They are a starting point for your own review — not an official OSHA determination. Verify conditions on site with a qualified person before acting.
Why this scenario matters
Immediate consequences
Entanglement injuries are catastrophic — amputations, degloving, crushed and broken bones, scalping, and death. Once a limb is drawn in, escape is nearly impossible without shutting the machine down.
Legal & financial impact
Machine guarding is one of OSHA's most-cited standards. A serious violation runs over $16,000, willful or repeat violations exceed $160,000, and an amputation triggers mandatory OSHA reporting and heavy scrutiny.
Operational impact
An entanglement stops production immediately, triggers an OSHA investigation, and can idle a machine for weeks. Workers' compensation costs and insurance premiums climb sharply after an amputation claim.
Industry-specific concerns
Manufacturing, woodworking, metal fabrication, food processing, and agriculture all run open drives and rotating equipment where a single removed guard exposes workers to entanglement.
How OSHA Scan detects this hazard
OSHA Scan uses an AI vision model to spot unguarded moving parts. Upload a photo of a machine and it locates exposed rotating shafts, gears, belts, chains, and nip points, checks whether fixed or interlocked guards are in place, flags each exposed point with a severity rating, and cites the OSHA standard it may relate to — before the machine is switched on.
Analyze your first photo freeScanning
1
Hazard found
Try it free
Scan a photo for machinery entanglement now
Upload a real job-site photo and OSHA Scan detects visible hazards in seconds — no account needed to run your first scan.
- Exposed shafts, gears, belts, and open nip points flagged with a suggested guard fix
- The machine-guarding standard each unguarded moving part may relate to
- A dated, scored guarding review ready to export as PDF or Excel
Live OSHA hazard analysis
Free instant AI scanPhoto scan — no account neededVideo walkthrough scan — free account
1Upload photo
2AI analysis
3See report
Use the real site or facility name. If you save the scan after signup, it becomes the report name.
Three angles, one deeper scan
Only the wide shot is required — every extra angle gives the AI more places to look.
Required: Set the scene — one wide shot lets the AI sweep the whole area at once
Stand at the entry point and capture corner to corner: floors, ladders, scaffolds, and everyone at work
or choose from your library
Drop a job-site photo or walkthrough video
Click to upload, drag & drop, or snap a photo on site. Photos scan free in about 15 seconds — no signup, no card. Video walkthroughs (up to 3 min) run on a free account.
Results in ~15sReferences relevant OSHA standardsPrivate - deleted in 48h unless you save it
Accuracy boosters
Small habits, sharper scans
2
Capture clearly
Make the frame usable
Light it right
Keep the sun or lights behind you — glare and shadows hide hazards.
Tap to focus
Tap the hazard on screen and hold still one second — blur can't be flagged.
3
Choose the useful view
Give the AI room to understand
Go landscape
Turn your phone sideways — a wider frame catches more of the scene.
No job-site photo handy?
or scan with video
Only upload photos you have permission to use, and avoid images showing personal, customer, or confidential information. Demo photos and results are held privately for up to 48 hours so you can save them to a free account; unclaimed photos are deleted automatically. Results are an AI-assisted preliminary review, not an official OSHA determination.
New: Video walkthrough scans
Record up to 3 minutes of your site — the AI extracts frames and flags every hazard with exact timestamps. Free account required.
Get the best results
Wide shot first
Stand at the entrance and photograph the entire work area so AI sees the full context
Hazard areas
Photograph elevated surfaces, equipment, electrical panels, and anywhere workers are active
Close-ups last
Move in close on anything damaged, missing, or that looks risky — the AI catches more detail
Real incident case study
A guard left off after a jam clearance
The situation
An operator cleared a jam on a packaging line's belt drive, removed the belt guard to reach the pulley, and restarted the line to keep up with a shift quota without reinstalling the cover.
What went wrong
Twenty minutes later a coworker reached across the running drive to grab a fallen carton. His loose sleeve caught the pulley nip point, pulling his forearm into the drive and causing a severe crushing injury before the line could be stopped.
How OSHA Scan would have prevented it
A single photo of the line before restart run through OSHA Scan would have flagged the open, guardless belt drive as a critical entanglement hazard, cited 29 CFR 1910.212, and prompted the operator to reinstall the guard before energizing the machine.
Lessons learned
Guards removed for maintenance are where entanglement quietly wins. No machine should be restarted until every guard is back in place — a fast photo scan confirms nothing is left exposed.
Prevention best practices
Layered controls, from most to least effective.
Engineering controls
Physically separate workers from moving parts so contact is impossible.
- Install fixed barrier guards over all gears, belts, chains, and rotating shafts
- Use interlocked guards that stop the machine when opened
- Enclose nip points, pinch points, and power take-offs completely
- Fit shaft ends, set screws, and keyways with smooth, flush covers
- Add two-hand controls or presence-sensing devices on point-of-operation machines
Administrative controls
Enforce the procedures that keep guards on and workers clear.
- Require lockout/tagout before any guard is removed for service
- Inspect all guards before each shift and after every maintenance task
- Prohibit loose clothing, jewelry, gloves, and untied hair near rotating parts
- Train operators to never reach into or clean a running machine
- Log any guard removal and require re-inspection before restart
Personal protective equipment
The last defense when workers must be near moving machinery.
- Close-fitting clothing with no drawstrings, loose sleeves, or dangling ties
- Hair fully contained and jewelry removed before operating machinery
- Snug-fitting gloves only where appropriate — never near rotating parts that can grab them
- Face and eye protection where fragments or ejected parts are possible
OSHA compliance & citations
The federal standards this hazard may relate to.
29 CFR 1910.212
General requirements for all machines
Requires one or more methods of machine guarding to protect operators and others from hazards such as rotating parts, nip points, and flying chips at the point of operation.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 for willful or repeat
29 CFR 1910.219
Mechanical power-transmission apparatus
Specifies guarding for belts, pulleys, gears, sprockets, chains, shafting, and other power-transmission components.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation
29 CFR 1910.147
The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
Requires energy isolation and lockout before servicing machines where unexpected startup or stored energy could injure a worker.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation
Incident response protocol
If an incident occurs, act fast and in order.
Immediate actions (first 5 minutes)
- 1Shut down and lock out the machine immediately
- 2Call 911 and do not attempt to reverse the machine to free the worker
- 3Provide first aid and control bleeding if trained
- 4Preserve any amputated part on ice per medical guidance
- 5Assign someone to direct emergency responders to the machine
Emergency response (5-30 minutes)
- 1Cooperate fully with arriving emergency responders
- 2Keep the machine locked out and untouched for investigators
- 3Account for all other workers and pause nearby machinery
- 4Provide clear information on how the entanglement occurred
- 5Photograph the machine and guard condition once responders allow
Post-incident
- 1Report the amputation to OSHA within 24 hours
- 2Launch an incident investigation within 24 hours
- 3Preserve the machine, guard, and lockout records as evidence
- 4Interview witnesses while details are fresh
- 5Repair or replace guarding and retrain the crew before restart
Team training module
Workers will understand how machinery entanglement occurs, recognize unguarded moving parts, and correctly apply guarding and lockout/tagout before any contact with a machine.
Train before workers operate any machine, refresh annually, and reinforce with a toolbox talk each shift using real photos of guarded and unguarded equipment.
Training topics
- How entanglement occurs and its consequences
- Recognizing rotating parts, nip points, and pinch points
- Types of machine guards and their proper use
- Lockout/tagout before removing guards or clearing jams
- Safe clothing, hair, and jewelry rules near machinery
- Why gloves can be dangerous around rotating parts
- Pre-shift guard inspection procedures
- Never reaching into or cleaning a running machine
- Emergency response to an entanglement
- OSHA machine-guarding requirements and penalties
Compliance checklist
Run these checks to stay ahead of citations.
Daily pre-work inspection
- All guards installed, secure, and undamaged
- No exposed rotating shafts, gears, belts, or chains
- Nip points and pinch points fully enclosed
- Lockout/tagout devices available and functional
- Operators wearing close-fitting clothing, hair contained
- Two-hand controls and interlocks tested and working
- No loose tools or debris near moving parts
- Operators briefed on machine-specific hazards
Unlock the full Machinery Entanglement checklist
10 more checklist points are waiting. Register with your email to reveal every item and download the complete OSHA compliance checklist as a printable PDF. Free, and it only takes a few seconds.
Already have an account? Sign in
Frequently asked questions
What is machinery entanglement?
Entanglement occurs when a moving machine part — a rotating shaft, gear, belt, chain, or nip point — catches clothing, hair, jewelry, or skin and pulls the worker into the mechanism. It is a leading cause of workplace amputations.
Which machine parts most often cause entanglement?
Rotating shafts, power take-offs, gears in mesh, belt-and-pulley drives, chain-and-sprocket drives, augers, and nip points where two parts meet or a belt runs onto a pulley are the most common sources.
What does OSHA require for machine guarding?
29 CFR 1910.212 requires guarding of any machine part that presents a hazard, protecting operators and others from rotating parts, nip points, and flying chips. Guards must be secure and not create their own hazard.
Are gloves safe to wear around rotating machinery?
Often not. Loose gloves can be grabbed by rotating parts and pull the hand in. Around unguarded rotating shafts, drills, or lathes, OSHA and manufacturers frequently prohibit gloves entirely.
Why is lockout/tagout needed before removing a guard?
Because clearing jams or servicing a machine with the guard off exposes workers to unexpected startup and stored energy. Lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147) isolates the energy so the machine cannot move during the task.
What are the OSHA penalties for unguarded machinery?
A serious machine-guarding violation can cost over $16,000, and willful or repeat violations can exceed $165,000 per instance. An amputation must also be reported to OSHA within 24 hours.
How can I tell if a guard is adequate?
An adequate guard prevents contact with the hazard, stays securely in place, does not create a new hazard, allows safe lubrication and maintenance, and does not interfere excessively with the work. If any moving part can be touched, the guard is inadequate.
How accurate is OSHA Scan at detecting unguarded parts?
OSHA Scan detects exposed moving parts. It locates unguarded shafts, gears, belts, and nip points and returns the specific location and OSHA citation.
Guard your crew from entanglement today
Analyze a photo
Upload a photo of your machine and get instant, specific feedback on exposed moving parts and missing guards.
Get startedGet the prevention checklist
Put our expert machine-guarding checklist to work on your floor to stay ahead of amputations and citations.
Get startedTalk to our team
See how OSHA Scan fits your shop or plant and get recommendations for your specific machinery.
Get startedJoin safety-first manufacturers
See how other operations use OSHA Scan to catch unguarded machines before anyone gets pulled in.
Get startedPlatform Capabilities
One practical command center for safer work
Review findings, organize chemical records, and open relevant official resources for your saved locations and work context.
Human-in-the-loop review
You make the final call. Review, edit, or dismiss any AI-flagged hazard before finalizing your inspection report.
SDS modernization drafts
Scan chemical labels or upload legacy MSDS sheets to create structured drafts that support your team's search for and review of current official manufacturer Safety Data Sheets.
Contextual official resources
Open official OSHA and State Plan guidance, required posters, emergency contacts, and relevant publications for saved locations and work requirements.
What the AI can and can't detect
OSHA Scan reads a single photo. That makes it fast and easy for anyone on site — but it also means it has real limits. Here's an honest look at both.
What it can catch from a photo
- Missing or incorrect PPE that is visible in the frame
- Unprotected edges, open holes, and visible fall hazards
- Housekeeping, trip, and blocked walkway or exit hazards
- Visible electrical, struck-by, and equipment-guarding hazards
What a photo can't tell it
- Hazards hidden from view or anything outside the photo
- Exact heights, distances, weights, or measurements
- Training records, procedures, or how equipment is actually used
- Full legal compliance or an official OSHA pass/fail determination
OSHA Scan gives an AI-assisted preliminary review from a photo. It does not replace an on-site inspection by a qualified safety professional, and a compliance score is not an official OSHA determination.
Reviewed by OSHA Scan Editorial
Last updated August 29, 2026
This content is produced by the OSHA Scan Editorial team and reviewed with AI assistance. It is general safety information, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA Scan is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor.
OSHA Scan
Ready to catch hazards before they become incidents?
Start with 5 included AI site scans plus a one-time 10-scan signup bonus — no credit card. Build JHA-ready reports and catch changing conditions sooner.
Start your free trial