This image shows a lumber sorting conveyor with no guards in place to protect workers from the moving chains and gears or rotating shafts of the conveyor system. As a result, a worker lost his life when he reached between the two moving chains to clear out a piece of lumber that had fallen – also seen in this image. His coat caught between the chain and the gear and he was pulled into the conveyor and his body was wedged between the drive system and the framework of the conveyor.
Rotating parts, moving belts, points of operation, and other similar machine hazards must be guarded to protect workers from injury, amputation, and death. In addition, lockout/tagout procedures must be in place and enforced during times of repair, maintenance, and removal of materials. Finally, jam-clearing tools and procedures must also be used and followed so workers aren’t reaching into a machine, its point of operation, or over any rotating, spinning, or moving parts.
