Where to Place Pinch Point Labels
A pinch point label in the wrong spot is just decoration. Stick it where nobody looks, or on a guard that comes off, and the warning disappears right when someone needs it. Here's where pinch point labels belong on conveyors, presses and rollers.
Many plants have pinch point labels. The problem is where they are. Labels often end up on the back side of a conveyor nobody walks past, buried under a layer of grease on a press frame, or stuck to a removable guard that was leaning against the wall while the machine ran. The label exists, so the box gets checked, but it isn't warning anybody.
Guarding first, labels second
Start with the rule that actually protects fingers. 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) says one or more methods of machine guarding "shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks." Ingoing nip points are what most shops call pinch points: rollers meeting, belts running onto pulleys, chains onto sprockets, closing dies and clamps.
A label is never a substitute for that guard. OSHA expects the hazard guarded, and the label tells people what's behind the guard, what happens if they reach past it, and what to do instead. Machine guarding is a regular on OSHA's most-cited standards list, and inspectors look at the guard long before they look at the sticker.
What OSHA and ANSI say about signs and labels
29 CFR 1910.145 covers accident prevention signs and tags meant "to indicate and, insofar as possible, to define specific hazards." It doesn't hand you a placement diagram, but it does set the meaning of each sign type. All employees must be instructed that danger signs indicate immediate danger, and caution signs are used only to warn against potential hazards or unsafe practices.
The ANSI Z535.4 standard for product safety signs and labels is more specific about location. As In Compliance Magazine summarizes it, labels must be placed so they're readily visible to the intended viewer and alert that person to the hazard in time to take appropriate action. Where feasible, they should also be protected from damage, fading and obstruction from things like dirt, lubricants and abrasion. Those two ideas, visible and in time, drive every placement decision below.
Choosing between DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION is its own decision, and our signal word guide walks through it.
Where pinch point labels go
Walk each machine from the operator's position and from every maintenance access point. Then work this list.
On the fixed frame next to the hazard, not on the guard. If the guard comes off for cleaning or maintenance, the label goes with it, and the person now facing an open nip point sees nothing. Put the label on the frame or housing right beside the guard opening so it stays put when the guard doesn't. Our ANSI Z535-style WARNING pinch point labels are ANSI compliant and OSHA compliant, and the 3x5" size fits frames and housings without covering nameplates.
Where the hands go, at the operator's line of sight. Think about where someone stands when they load, clear a jam or adjust a part. The label should be in front of them at that moment, not on top of the machine or down by the casters. If the label isn't visible before the reach starts, it's in the wrong place.
At every access point, not just the front. Conveyors, packaging lines and roll stands get approached from both sides and both ends. Label each side where a person can reach a nip point. Long conveyors usually need labels at each transfer, drive and tail pulley, not one at the head end.
On access doors and covers that open to moving parts. Hinged doors and interlocked panels can carry a label on the outside so it's read before the door opens. For a second option with a different graphic, the WARNING pinch point #1 labels are also ANSI compliant and OSHA compliant.
Where crews read more than one language. If your operators or contractors read Spanish first, an OSHA-style bilingual Danger pinch point label puts both languages on one sign. Pair it with training in a language people understand.
Sizing and keeping labels readable
ANSI Z535.4 ties lettering to a safe viewing distance, meaning someone has to be able to read the message far enough away to react. There is no single rule-of-thumb formula here, because the standard leaves it to your lighting, the approach path and how fast the machine moves. In practice, 3x5" labels work at arm's length on frames and housings, and 5x7" labels earn their place where people see the machine from across an aisle.
A few habits keep labels doing their job:
Clean the surface and apply to bare, dry metal or cured paint. Grease is the top reason labels fall off.
Avoid spots that get scraped by product, forklifts or wash-down hoses.
Inspect labels during your regular machine guarding checks and replace faded or damaged ones.
Re-label after rebuilds, retrofits and repainting. New guards often show up bare.
For guard openings, gears and rotating shafts beyond pinch points, browse our machinery and equipment hazard labels.
Before you order
Count every guard opening, access door and conveyor transfer, then add spares for rebuilds. VLG labels are printed in house in Kenai, Alaska. They're Printed in the USA on premium low-shrinkage calendered vinyl with an industrial strength adhesive, so they stay put on painted steel frames and guards.
You'll find every size and signal word in one place in our pinch point labels collection. Outfitting a whole line or several plants? We take bulk and custom orders, including machine-specific wording. Minimums apply.
This article is general safety guidance, not legal advice. Check the current text of 29 CFR 1910.212 and 1910.145, any machine-specific OSHA standards and state-plan rules that apply to you, and consult a qualified safety professional for your site.
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