Steel Erectors Association of America

  • Home
  • Membership
    • Our Members
    • Membership Dues
    • Apply for Membership
    • Trailblazer Referral Program
    • Member Directory
  • Member Tools
    • Membership Directory Upgrade
    • Member Benefits
    • Member to Member Discounts
    • Worker's Comp Insurance
    • Steel Pros Training Portal
    • Craft Training & Apprenticeship
    • Hiring With CareerPlug
    • Job Board
  • Events & Awards
    • Meetings and Upcoming Events
    • SEAA Convention & Trade Show >
      • Trade Show Exhibitor Info
    • Golf Tournaments >
      • Dave Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament
    • Career Fair
    • Webinar Registration
    • Awards >
      • Project of the Year
      • Safety & Craft Training Excellence Awards
      • William Davis Service Award
      • Person of the Year
      • Past Winners
  • News
    • Industry & Safety Info
    • Publications
    • Connector Archives
    • Webinar Archives
    • Photo Gallery
    • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • Hard Hat Sticker Contest
    • Safety Stand-Down
    • Stand Up For Mental Health
    • Industry Events
    • Downloads
    • Industry Links
    • MEMBER DIRECTORY
  • ABOUT SEAA
    • Leadership
    • Our History
    • Get Involved
    • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Home
  • Membership
    • Our Members
    • Membership Dues
    • Apply for Membership
    • Trailblazer Referral Program
    • Member Directory
  • Member Tools
    • Membership Directory Upgrade
    • Member Benefits
    • Member to Member Discounts
    • Worker's Comp Insurance
    • Steel Pros Training Portal
    • Craft Training & Apprenticeship
    • Hiring With CareerPlug
    • Job Board
  • Events & Awards
    • Meetings and Upcoming Events
    • SEAA Convention & Trade Show >
      • Trade Show Exhibitor Info
    • Golf Tournaments >
      • Dave Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament
    • Career Fair
    • Webinar Registration
    • Awards >
      • Project of the Year
      • Safety & Craft Training Excellence Awards
      • William Davis Service Award
      • Person of the Year
      • Past Winners
  • News
    • Industry & Safety Info
    • Publications
    • Connector Archives
    • Webinar Archives
    • Photo Gallery
    • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • Hard Hat Sticker Contest
    • Safety Stand-Down
    • Stand Up For Mental Health
    • Industry Events
    • Downloads
    • Industry Links
    • MEMBER DIRECTORY
  • ABOUT SEAA
    • Leadership
    • Our History
    • Get Involved
    • Contact Us
  • Login
News


Identify Task Specific Pinch Points

10/18/2022

 
Picture
Did you know that hand and arm injuries are the most frequent and preventable injury in the workplace, accounting for more than 23 percent of injuries, according to an article by Safety + Health magazine? 

On that same note, an article from Occupational Health & Safety magazine reported that more than one million workers are sent to the emergency room each year due to serious hand, arm, and finger injuries. 

Training, communication, and planning are often all that’s needed to reduce risk of pinch points on the job.  

On a recent reinforcing steel project, the task was to adjust a pier cap filled with #11 bar.  Shelby Erectors, a reinforcing steel and metal decking and member of SEAA, experienced a minor incident where an employee pinched his arm when the pier cap shifted.

Here is what we discovered when we reviewed the incident. 

The pinch point risk was identified and addressed in the daily pre-task meeting, however, the injured employee showed up late and did not go through the original pre-task meeting. The foreman allowed the worker to get right to work rather than reviewing the pre-task information with him individually.

Although the hurt employee was trying to do the right thing by jumping to work after being late, he was not fully aware of how the task was being approached to avoid risk. This resulted in the employee putting his arm in an area that was not fully protected.  

Training on identifying pinch points and proper planning to avoid the hazard are key to incident prevention.

What are potential pinch points? 
​

These examples are just a few of the possible pinch points Shelby Erectors comes across in the course of typical work days.
  1. Pinned between moving and stationary machine parts.
  2. Pinned Between moving parts and materials being processed or manufactured.
  3. Catching fingers, hands, toes, or feet under or between heavy crates or equipment while moving them.
  4. Catching fingers in nipping tools like pliers, shears, etc.
  5. Getting clothing or harness tangled in a pinch point.
  6. Pinched between tools and a fixed object, pipe and fittings and a fixed object.
  7. Crushed by an object. 

Best Practices to avoid pinch points:
  1. Ensure all heavy equipment has proper guards.
  2. Lockout/tagout heavy equipment before servicing.
  3. Identify possible pinch points prior to starting a task.
  4. Wear the proper PPE to protect your hands, eyes, and head. 
  5. Lift, carry, and place equipment carefully.
  6. Even the smallest tasks require your full attention.  
  7. Ask yourself “what will happen if XXX moves? Will I be in the path of movement?”
  8. Be on guard. Drowsiness, being distracted or in a hurry, leads to inattentive work habits and shortcuts.

And finally:
  1. Train, identify, plan, and act on the plan. This mentality is critical in avoiding an accident involving pinch points. As we here at Shelby Erectors like to say, “Don’t be in such a hurry.” 


Resources: 
Occupational Health & Safety: Understanding Hand Injuries in the Workplace
Safety + Health: Hand Safety Programs
OSHA Cranes & Derricks in Construction 1926.1430(e)
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act, Fact Sheet on Pinch Points
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Report 2020

This Safety Flash was contributed by Jason Zyla, Safety Manager, Shelby Erectors, in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety Committee. It is designed to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues and to provide suggestions for reducing risk. Best practices are gathered from a variety of sources. They may be more or less stringent than individual corporate policies and are not intended to be an official recommendation from SEAA. Always get approval and direction from your company officers on any new practice or procedure as these best practices may not work for all situations.   

Everyone benefits when a worker avoids injury. Submit your ideas for Safety Flash to [email protected]. 
​


Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Association News
    Awards
    Board Of Directors
    Business Operations
    Connector
    Convention & Trade Show
    E News
    Events
    Industry Reports
    Member News
    Member Spotlight
    Mental Health
    Press Release
    Product & Services Showcase
    Safety Flash
    Safety & Training
    Special Alerts


    Connector archives


    2017 & OLDER NEWS
    Picture

    RSS Feed

Picture
Who We Are
​Established in 1972, the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) represents structural and reinforcing steel contractors, fabricators, and suppliers that serve this market. Our members include both small contractors (under $3 million revenue annually) and large contractors (over $10 million revenue annually). SEAA is a national organization with members in more than 40 US States and 3 Canadian Provinces.

​353 Jonestown Road, Suite 207, Winston-Salem,  NC 27104

​Phone: (336) 294-8880
​
[email protected]
Back to Top
©Copyright Steel Erectors Association of America. All rights reserved.