Glossary · Hazards and harm
Nip point
In machine safety, a nip point is a location where rotating or moving elements can draw in and trap a body part, for example between two rollers or where a belt runs onto a pulley.
- Machine safety
- Risk assessment
In one sentence
A nip point is where rollers, belts, chains or gears converge and can draw in and trap fingers, hands or clothing.
Example
On a belt conveyor, the point where the belt runs onto the head pulley is a nip point; a fixed guard covers it and is removed only with the conveyor locked out.
How it applies
- Machine safety: Typical nip points are roller pairs, belt-and-pulley and chain-and-sprocket runs, gears and conveyor rollers. The side where the parts run toward each other is the dangerous one; see in-running nip point.
- USA: 29 CFR 1910.212 names ingoing nip points among the hazards that require machine guarding.
- Technical documentation: Mark nip points on layout drawings and in cleaning and threading procedures, since those are the tasks in which people approach them. Keep terms consistent: if the risk assessment says “nip point”, the manual should not switch to “pinch point” for the same location.
- Evidence: Record each nip point, its guard and the tasks that need access.
Nip point vs. pinch point
A nip point draws a body part in through rotating or running motion, which leads to a drawing-in hazard. A pinch point traps it between converging parts without that pulling effect. In everyday usage the terms overlap.