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SAFETY MOMENT, OCTOBER 14

Use tools, not hands

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, October 14

Use tools, not hands

A pinch point is any spot where part of your body can get caught between a moving part and something solid, or between two moving parts. They are everywhere on the job: gears, rollers, belts, doors, tailgates, chains, loads being set down and machines that swing. It happens in a split second, and a caught hand can be crushed before you can pull it back.

SAFETY MOMENT

October 14

The hazard

A pinch point is any spot where part of your body can get caught between a moving part and something solid, or between two moving parts. They are everywhere on the job: gears, rollers, belts, doors, tailgates, chains, loads being set down and machines that swing. It happens in a split second, and a caught hand can be crushed before you can pull it back.

The action

Use push sticks, hooks, pliers or tongs to feed, place or remove material near a pinch point. Special hand tools for placing and removing material can only add to the protection a guard gives; they never replace the guard. When you set down a load, use tag lines and keep your fingers off the bottom edges. (29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(iii))

ASK THE CREW

How do we keep hands clear when we set down loads or line up materials?

From the talk: Pinch points. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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