A nip point is where two machine parts turn toward each other, or a moving part meets a fixed one, creating a gap that can draw in hands or clothing.
A nip point, also called an in-running nip point or pinch point, is a place on a machine where two parts move toward each other, or where a moving part moves toward a stationary object, creating a narrowing gap. Anything that enters the gap, such as fingers, hands, hair, gloves or loose clothing, can be pulled in and crushed, torn or amputated.
Nip points are among the most common mechanical hazards in manufacturing, printing, food processing, paper and textile mills, mining, agriculture and warehousing. The danger is that a nip point can grab faster than a person can react, and the force of a powered roller or belt is usually far greater than a worker can pull against.
In the United States, OSHA requires nip points to be guarded under its general machine guarding standard, 29 CFR 1910.212, and its mechanical power transmission rules in 29 CFR 1910.219. Injuries caused by nip points fall into the caught-in or caught-between category.
The most reliable control is a physical barrier that prevents any part of the body from reaching the nip point. Options include fixed guards, nip guards fitted close to rollers, enclosures around drives and interlocked access doors that stop the machine when opened. See machine guarding.
Most nip point injuries happen during cleaning, clearing jams, threading material, adjusting tension or maintenance, when guards are open and the machine is assumed to be safe. Workers must use lockout/tagout before reaching into any area where a nip point could move. If threading or inching must be done under power, it should follow a specific procedure with reduced speed and hold-to-run controls.
Conveyors and long machines should have accessible emergency stop buttons or pull cords along their length. See kill switch (emergency stop). Emergency stops are a backup, not a substitute for guarding.
At a corrugated packaging plant, an operator noticed scrap building up on a conveyor tail pulley and tried to brush it off with a gloved hand while the conveyor was running. The glove caught in the nip point between the belt and pulley, but the operator pulled free with only bruising.
The plant treated the event as a serious near miss. It fitted mesh guards around every tail pulley, installed pull-cord stops along the conveyor, added cleaning of the pulley area to the lockout procedure and moved the scrap collection point so operators no longer needed to reach near the belt during production.
It is a point where two parts rotate or move toward each other, drawing material, or a body part, into the gap between them.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Pinch point is a broader term for any place where a body part can be caught between two objects, while nip point usually refers to rotating or in-running parts.
They are most likely during cleaning, clearing jams, threading and maintenance, when workers reach near moving parts with guards removed and power still on.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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