Glossary · Hazards and harm
Crushing hazard
In machine safety, a crushing hazard is a mechanical hazard in which a body part can be compressed between moving parts, or between a moving part and a fixed object.
- Machine safety
- Risk assessment
In one sentence
A crushing hazard exists wherever a closing gap between machine parts, or between a part and a fixed object, can trap and compress the body.
Example
In a robot cell, the robot arm can pin an operator against a fence post; the layout provides clearance, and a light curtain stops the robot before a person reaches the post.
How it applies
- Machine safety: Crushing occurs wherever gaps close: press tools, clamps, lifting tables, closing doors, robots near fixed structures, AGVs next to racks. Either keep gaps large enough that the body part is not trapped, or prevent access with guards or protective devices.
- Stored energy: Loads held by hydraulics, springs or gravity can still crush after the machine is switched off. See stored energy.
- Technical documentation: Name the location and the body part at risk, for example “Crushing of hands between clamp and table”, using the structure of a warning message.
- Evidence: Document the gap dimensions, the forces involved and the measure chosen for each pinch point.
Crushing hazard vs. shearing hazard
In crushing, parts move toward each other. In shearing, edges pass one another. The same assembly can present both.