Mechanical Hazards: Pull-in Points

Pull-in Hazard. Source: The Ohio State University

(Pull-in Point Hazard. Source: The Ohio State University)

 

Use the following format to cite this article:

Mechanical hazards: Pull-in points. (2013). Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/66322/mechanical-hazards:-pull-in-points.

 

A pull-in point hazard is typically associated with crops being fed into a harvesting machine. Harvesting machinery has rotating parts, such as feed rolls, that form pull-in points where they come together. Most pull-in incidents occur when a person attempts to remove material from a machine while the machine is still running—for example, pulling a corn stalk out of corn picker rolls—or to feed material manually into a machine such as a feed roller.

The following pieces of equipment have pull-in points:

  • Combine headers
  • Feed or bale chambers
  • Pull-behind corn pickers
  • Windrow pickups
  • Forage chopper headers
  • Grinders

Potential Injuries

Potential injuries that can result from getting caught in a pull-in point include amputation of extremities, crushed tissue, and broken bones. Severe incidents can be fatal.

Safety Precautions

The list below outlines ways of reducing the risk of pull-in point incidents.

  • Identify machines that may have pull-in points.
  • Always shut off the engine and power source, including any power take-off (PTO), before attempting to clear any plugged areas or completing any repairs.
  • Remember that machines are always faster than people.

Resources

View video about pull-in point hazards from Pennsylvania State University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program.

 

Use the following format to cite this article:

Mechanical hazards: Pull-in points. (2013). Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/66322/mechanical-hazards:-pull-in-points.

 
 

Sources

Agricultural equipment and machine hazards. (2016) The Ohio State University. Retrieved from http://agsafety.osu.edu/programs/cfaes-osha/ag-equipment-machine-hazards.

Grisso, R., Stone, B., & Hetzel, G. (2009) Machinery safety on the farm. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-092/442-092_pdf.pdf.

Harshman, W., Yoder, A., Hilton, J., & Murphy, D. (2011) Mechanical hazards. HOSTA Task Sheet 3.1. Pennsylvania State University Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department. Retrieved from http://articles.extension.org/sites/default/files/Version%203.%20January….

Reviewed and Summarized by:
Linda M. Fetzer, Pennsylvania State University – lmf8@psu.edu
LaMar J. Grafft, East Carolina University grafftl@ecu.edu
William C. Harshman, Pennsylvania State University (Has since retired)
Dennis J. Murphy, Pennsylvania State University 9Has since retired)
Aaron M. Yoder, University of Nebraska Medical Center – aaron.yoder@unmc.edu