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traumatic
occupational injury
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Machine Safety |
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Machinery-related hazards are present in virtually every industry. Workers are exposed to these hazards daily in construction, farming, and manufacturing. Machine-related injuries were the second-leading cause of occupational fatalities between 1980 and 1995. Data from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality surveillance system indicate that fatality rates from this cause were second only to motor-vehicle-related incidents, and recorded higher fatality rates than homicides, falls and electrocution incidents (Worker Health Chartbook, 2000.) |
NIOSH Publications on Machine-Related Injuries:
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-107 (November 2003)
Preventing Injuries When Working with Hydraulic Excavators and Backhoe Loaders
Workers who operate or work near hydraulic excavators and backhoe loaders are at risk of being struck by the machine or its components or by excavator buckets that detach from the excavator stick. NIOSH recommends that injuries and deaths be prevented through training, proper installation and maintenance, work practices, and personal protective equipment.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-124 (July 2003)
ALERT: Preventing Deaths and Injuries While Compacting or Baling Refuse Material
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) is a multisource data system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify work-related deaths in the United States. A NIOSH review of the CFOI data identified 34 compactor-related fatalities during 1992–2000 in which the victim was caught in or crushed by the compacting ram of the machine.
- Powers J, Harris J, Snyder K, Etherton J, Ronaghi M, Newbraugh
B (2001) Performance of a New ROPS on ASAE Tests, Journal of Agricultural
Safety and Health, 7(1), 51-61.
- Etherton JR, Estill CF, Earnest GS, Flesch JP (2000) Hazard
Controls: Control of Scrap Paper Baler Crushing Hazards. Applied
Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 15(5):397-399.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-112 (December 1999)
ALERT: Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Workers Who Operate or Work Near Forklifts (superseded by 2001-109)
Each year in the United States, nearly 100 workers are killed and another 20,000 are seriously injured in forklift-related incidents. Forklift overturns are the leading cause of fatalities involving forklifts; they represent about 25% of all forklift-related deaths.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-110 (August 1999)
Alert: Preventing Worker Deaths from Uncontrolled Release of Electrical, Mechanical, and Other Types of Hazardous Energy
No detailed national data are available on the number of workers killed each year by contact with uncontrolled hazardous energy. However, during the period 1982–1997, NIOSH investigated 1,281 fatal incidents as part of their FACE Program. Of these, 152 involved installation, maintenance, service, or repair tasks on or near machines, equipment, processes, or systems.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-117 (February 1998)
ALERT: Preventing Injuries and Deaths from Skid Steer Loaders
During the period 1992-97, the NIOSH FACE program identified 37 work-related fatalities involving skid steer loaders. These fatalities resulted from workers being pinned between the bucket and frame of the machine or between the lift arms and frame, from rollovers, and from other causes.
- NIOSH Publication No. 95-109 (August, 1995)
Safe Grain and Silage Handling
Grain-handling machinery is the second largest cause of farm machinery related deaths and also causes many severe disfiguring injuries and amputations. Many grain-handling hazards can be avoided. The goal of this booklet is to point out these hazards and suggest practical ways to prevent injury. These suggestions were gathered from agricultural engineers and safety experts throughout the world, but primarily from the United States and Canada.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 95-125 (May 1995)
Alert: Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Adolescent Workers
Machine-related deaths were the second leading cause of work-related injury death for 16- and 17-year-olds for the years 1980-89 [Castillo et al. 1994]. Tractors alone accounted for 44% of the machine-related deaths.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 95-101 (May 1995)
Alert: Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Loggers
During the period 1980-89, an estimated 1,492 deaths occurred in the logging industry. Most of these logging deaths occurred in four occupational groups: logging occupations (for example, fellers, limbers, buckers, and choker setters), truck drivers, general laborers, and material machine operators.
- DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 94 ( June 1994)
Alert: Preventing Scalping and Other Severe Injuries from Farm Machinery
Many farm workers are injured each year when clothing, hair, or body parts become entangled around the inadequately guarded rotating drivelines or shafts of farm machinery driven by power take-offs (PTOs).
- Fatality Investigation Reports (conducted
under the FACE Program)
The FACE fatality investigation program focuses on machine-related fatalities as one of its primary targets for surveillance and prevention. Since the inception of the FACE program in 1982, hundreds of fatal incidents involving machine-related injuries have been investigated by NIOSH and State investigators. This link provides a list of those cases which in turn links to the full-text reports on the FACEWeb.
Other pages of interest:
OSHA publication: Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding
National Agriculture Safety Database (NASD)
Farm Machinery and Equipment
Safety Part I: Recognizing and Understanding the Hazards
WorkSafe Health & Safety Centre for Construction
International Social Security Association (ISSA) Section for Machine and System Safety
