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
Pinch Points Take Fingers Before You Feel Them
Catch the closing gap before it catches a hand
A pinch point is any place where two objects move together and a body part can be caught, crushed, or amputated — between rollers, gears, closing dies, moving loads, and equipment against a fixed structure. These hazards are everywhere and injure workers in an instant. OSHA Scan analyzes job-site and shop photos to flag exposed nip points, unguarded gaps, and crush zones before a hand gets caught.
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AI analysis preview
1
Hazard detectedSample report
1CriticalPinch Point Hazard
May relate to 29 CFR 1910.212
125,000+
Hand & finger injuries treated yearly
70%
Hand injuries occur without proper guarding
$60K+
Average cost of a serious hand injury claim
~15s
Typical time to get scan results
What this scenario looks like
A pinch point — also called a nip point — is any location where two components move toward each other or where a moving part passes close to a fixed one, leaving a gap that can close on a hand, finger, or limb. Classic examples are the point where a belt runs onto a pulley, meshing gears, rollers feeding stock, closing press dies, and a load swinging toward a wall or rack.
On a real floor and job site the hazard appears as unguarded roller feeds, gaps under moving machine tables, the space between a forklift mast and its carriage, hinged access doors and gates, and the crush zone between mobile equipment and a fixed structure. Reaching in to clear a jam, adjust stock, or guide material is where most pinch injuries happen.
The danger is that pinch points give no warning and close faster than a worker can pull away. A finger placed to steady a part is gone before the brain registers pain. Because these gaps are small and everywhere, a photo-based check that flags exposed nip points before work starts prevents a huge share of hand injuries.
A labelled example scan for this scenario
Here is what an OSHA Scan report looks like for pinch point hazard. 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
43
Lower means more potential hazards found
3 potential hazards found
1 Critical1 High1 Medium
Pinch Point Hazard
CriticalPossibly related to General requirements for all machines (29 CFR 1910.212)
Observed condition: A pinch point — also called a nip point — is any location where two components move toward each other or where a moving part passes close to a fixed one, leaving a gap that can cl…
Corrective action: Install fixed or interlocked guards over all nip points and in-running rollers
High confidence
Pinch Point Hazard: Mechanical power-transmission apparatus
HighPossibly related to Mechanical power-transmission apparatus (29 CFR 1910.219)
Observed condition: Requires guarding of belts, pulleys, gears, sprockets, and shafting where in-running nip points can catch a worker.
Corrective action: Enclose meshing gears, sprockets, and belt-to-pulley points
Medium confidenceNot fully clear from the photo — verify on site.
Pinch Point Hazard: 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 before clearing jams or servicing equipment so a pinch point cannot close on a worker unexpectedly.
Corrective action: Add barrier guards and awareness barriers on presses and closing dies
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
Pinch points cause crushed fingers, amputations, degloving, and broken bones in an instant — the gap closes faster than a person can react, so there is no near-miss version of this injury. Even 'minor' pinch injuries can end a career that depends on hand dexterity, and many leave permanent loss of grip strength or sensation that follows the worker into every job afterward.
Legal & financial impact
Missing point-of-operation and nip-point guarding is a frequent OSHA citation under 29 CFR 1910.212, and machine-guarding violations appear on OSHA's most-cited list year after year. A serious violation runs over $16,000, willful or repeat violations exceed $160,000, and any amputation or in-patient hospitalization must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours — which routinely triggers a follow-up inspection of the whole facility.
Operational impact
A pinch injury stops the task, triggers an investigation, and removes a skilled worker from the line — often the operator who knows the machine best. Hand-injury claims are among the costliest workers' compensation categories, and they frequently end in permanent restrictions, retraining, and a machine that sits idle while the incident is reviewed and the guarding is retrofitted under scrutiny.
Industry-specific concerns
Manufacturing, printing, packaging, material handling, and construction all have countless pinch points on presses, rollers, conveyors, gates, and mobile equipment. The risk concentrates at task boundaries — clearing jams, threading stock, changing dies, and maintenance — which is why guarding rules pair with lockout/tagout: the moments when guards get opened are exactly the moments hands go in.
How OSHA Scan detects this hazard
OSHA Scan uses an AI vision model to spot pinch and nip points. Upload a photo of a machine or work area and it locates exposed nip points, unguarded rollers and gears, and crush zones between moving and fixed objects, flags each with a severity rating, and cites the OSHA standard it may relate to — before work begins.
Analyze your first photo freeScanning
1
Hazard found
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Scan a photo for pinch point hazard now
Upload a real job-site photo and OSHA Scan detects visible hazards in seconds — no account needed to run your first scan.
- Exposed nip points and unguarded rollers or gears flagged in the shot
- The machine-guarding standard each open pinch point may relate to
- A dated, scored report of the guarding and lockout review for your files
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
Clearing a jam on an unguarded roller feed
The situation
A worker on a laminating line noticed material feeding crooked and reached toward the in-running roller nip to straighten it while the line kept running, as the guard had been swung out of the way earlier in the shift.
What went wrong
His glove caught in the nip point between the roller and the incoming stock, pulling his hand into the pinch. Two fingers were crushed before a coworker hit the emergency stop.
How OSHA Scan would have prevented it
A single photo of the running line run through OSHA Scan would have flagged the open in-running roller nip as a critical pinch-point hazard, cited 29 CFR 1910.212, and prompted the crew to close the guard and stop the line before any adjustment.
Lessons learned
In-running nip points are unforgiving, and reaching into a running machine is where hands are lost. Guards must stay closed and the line stopped before any adjustment — a fast photo scan confirms nothing is exposed.
Prevention best practices
Layered controls, from most to least effective.
Engineering controls
Close off or eliminate the gaps where body parts can be caught.
- Install fixed or interlocked guards over all nip points and in-running rollers
- Enclose meshing gears, sprockets, and belt-to-pulley points
- Add barrier guards and awareness barriers on presses and closing dies
- Use nip-guard rollers or hold-downs to keep hands out of feed points
- Design in adequate clearance around moving loads and equipment travel paths
Administrative controls
Enforce the habits that keep hands out of pinch zones.
- Require lockout/tagout before clearing jams or adjusting stock
- Train workers to identify pinch points on every machine and task
- Use push sticks, jigs, or tools instead of hands to feed or clear material
- Establish exclusion zones between mobile equipment and fixed structures
- Inspect guards before each shift and after any maintenance
Personal protective equipment
Support gear — never a substitute for guarding — when working near pinch points.
- Snug-fitting gloves only where they cannot be grabbed by rotating parts
- No rings, watches, or jewelry that can catch in a gap
- Close-fitting sleeves and no loose clothing near moving parts
- Eye protection where crushed material can eject fragments
OSHA compliance & citations
The federal standards this hazard may relate to.
29 CFR 1910.212
General requirements for all machines
Requires guarding to protect operators from hazards including nip points, rotating parts, and points of operation where body parts can be caught.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 for willful or repeat
29 CFR 1910.219
Mechanical power-transmission apparatus
Requires guarding of belts, pulleys, gears, sprockets, and shafting where in-running nip points can catch a worker.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation
29 CFR 1910.147
The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
Requires energy isolation before clearing jams or servicing equipment so a pinch point cannot close on a worker unexpectedly.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation
Incident response protocol
If an incident occurs, act fast and in order.
Immediate actions (first 5 minutes)
- 1Hit the emergency stop and lock out the equipment
- 2Call 911 for crush or amputation injuries
- 3Do not force the pinch open in a way that worsens the injury
- 4Control bleeding and provide first aid if trained
- 5Preserve any amputated part on ice per medical guidance
Emergency response (5-30 minutes)
- 1Cooperate fully with arriving emergency responders
- 2Keep the equipment locked out for investigators
- 3Account for other workers and pause nearby equipment
- 4Explain clearly how the pinch injury occurred
- 5Photograph the pinch point and guard condition once allowed
Post-incident
- 1Report any amputation to OSHA within 24 hours
- 2Launch an incident investigation within 24 hours
- 3Preserve the equipment, guard, and lockout records as evidence
- 4Interview witnesses while details are fresh
- 5Repair guarding and retrain the crew before restart
Team training module
Workers will understand how pinch-point injuries occur, recognize nip points and crush zones on every task, and keep hands out using guarding, tools, and lockout.
Train before workers operate machinery or handle materials, refresh annually, and reinforce with a toolbox talk each shift using real photos of pinch points.
Training topics
- How pinch and nip injuries occur
- Recognizing in-running nip points and crush zones
- Machine guarding for pinch points
- Lockout/tagout before clearing jams or adjusting stock
- Using push sticks, jigs, and tools instead of hands
- Exclusion zones around mobile equipment
- Safe clothing, glove, and jewelry rules
- Pre-shift guard inspection
- Emergency response to a crush or amputation
- OSHA guarding requirements and penalties
Compliance checklist
Run these checks to stay ahead of citations.
Daily pre-work inspection
- All nip points and in-running rollers guarded
- Meshing gears, sprockets, and pulleys enclosed
- Press and die barrier guards in place and functional
- Lockout/tagout devices available for jam clearance
- Push sticks, jigs, or tools available for feeding material
- Exclusion zones marked around mobile equipment
- Workers wearing close-fitting clothing, no jewelry
- Workers briefed on task-specific pinch points
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Frequently asked questions
What is a pinch point?
A pinch point, or nip point, is any place where two objects move together — or a moving part passes close to a fixed one — leaving a gap that can catch and crush a hand, finger, or limb.
Where are the most common pinch points?
Belt-to-pulley points, meshing gears, in-running rollers, closing press dies, conveyor transfers, hinged doors and gates, and the crush zone between mobile equipment and a fixed structure are the most common.
What is an in-running nip point?
It is the point where a rotating part draws material inward, such as where stock feeds between two rollers or onto a pulley. These points pull hands in faster than a worker can react and cause severe crush and amputation injuries.
What does OSHA require for pinch-point guarding?
29 CFR 1910.212 requires guarding of any machine part that presents a hazard, including nip points. Guards must prevent contact, stay secure, and not create a new hazard.
Why should I lock out equipment before clearing a jam?
Clearing a jam with the machine energized exposes hands to closing pinch points and unexpected startup. Lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147) isolates the energy so the pinch point cannot close during the task.
Do gloves protect against pinch points?
Not reliably. Gloves can be caught by rotating parts and pull the hand into a nip point, making the injury worse. Guarding, tools, and lockout are the real protection; glove use must be evaluated per task.
What are the OSHA penalties for unguarded pinch points?
A serious machine-guarding violation can cost over $16,000, and willful or repeat violations can exceed $165,000 per instance. Any resulting amputation must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours.
How accurate is OSHA Scan at detecting pinch points?
OSHA Scan flags pinch and nip points. It locates exposed nip points and crush zones and returns the specific location and OSHA citation.
Keep your crew's hands safe today
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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.
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