Glossary · Hazards and harm
Mechanical hazard
In machine safety, a mechanical hazard is a hazard arising from machine elements that move, rotate, cut, crush or shear, or that hold stored energy.
- Machine safety
- Risk assessment
In one sentence
A mechanical hazard is the main hazard group for machinery, covering crushing, shearing, cutting, entanglement, drawing-in, impact and ejection.
Example
The risk assessment of a mechanical press lists the ram as a crushing and shearing hazard, the flywheel as an entanglement hazard and the scrap chute as an ejection hazard.
How it applies
- Machine safety: ISO 12100 lists mechanical hazards among the hazard groups to consider, with origins such as moving and rotating elements, sharp edges, elastic elements, gravity, high pressure and stored energy. Most guarding measures (guards, interlocks, protective devices) target mechanical hazards.
- USA: OSHA's machine guarding standard, 29 CFR 1910.212, requires guarding against hazards such as those created by the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.
- Technical documentation: Name the specific type (crushing, shearing, entanglement …) and its location rather than writing “mechanical hazard”. The warning message and the risk assessment should use the same terms.
- Evidence: A hazard list structured by type and location makes coverage checkable.