Equipment That Starts Without Warning Kills
Catch the missing lockout before the machine wakes up
When workers service, clean, or clear a machine, the deadliest hazard is unexpected startup or stored energy releasing while a hand or body is inside. Without proper lockout/tagout, a machine can energize, cycle, or discharge and catch a worker in an instant. OSHA Scan analyzes photos of equipment under service to flag missing lockout devices, live energy sources, and exposed moving parts before anyone reaches in.
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May relate to 29 CFR 1910.147
Lockout-related injuries prevented yearly by LOTO
Of manufacturing deaths tied to hazardous energy
Median lost workdays saved per prevented incident
Typical time to get scan results
What this scenario looks like
An equipment contact incident is when a worker is caught, struck, or crushed by a machine that energizes, cycles, or releases stored energy during service or maintenance. The root cause is almost always a failure to isolate and lock out hazardous energy — electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, thermal, or gravitational — before the work begins.
On site the hazard shows up as a machine being cleaned or unjammed with the power still on, an energy-isolating device with no lock and tag applied, a raised load or ram held only by hydraulics, stored pressure in an accumulator or air line, or a coworker unaware that someone is inside the machine hitting the start button. Shared equipment with multiple servicers and no group lockout is especially dangerous.
The trap is that a de-energized-looking machine can still hold lethal stored energy — a spring, a raised platen, trapped pressure, or a capacitor. It looks safe right up until it moves. That is why verifying that every energy source is isolated and locked out, ideally confirmed from a photo before contact, is the core of preventing these incidents.
A labelled example scan for this scenario
Here is what an OSHA Scan report looks like for equipment contact incident. It is an illustrative example built from this scenario's hazards — clearly marked, not live scan data.
Compliance score
64
Lower means more potential hazards found
3 potential hazards found
Equipment Contact Incident
Confirmed violationCriticalPossibly related to The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147)
Observed condition: An equipment contact incident is when a worker is caught, struck, or crushed by a machine that energizes, cycles, or releases stored energy during service or maintenance.
Corrective action: Provide lockable energy-isolating devices on every machine energy source
High confidence
Equipment Contact Incident: Selection and use of work practices (electrical)
Needs reviewHighPossibly related to Selection and use of work practices (electrical) (29 CFR 1910.333)
Observed condition: Requires de-energizing and lockout of electric circuits before work where contact with live parts could cause shock, burns, or unexpected energization.
Corrective action: Install blocks, pins, or stands to support raised loads, rams, and platens
Medium confidenceNot fully clear from the photo — verify on site.
Equipment Contact Incident: General requirements for all machines
Confirmed violationMediumPossibly related to General requirements for all machines (29 CFR 1910.212)
Observed condition: Requires guarding of machine parts and points of operation so workers are not caught by moving components during operation or service.
Corrective action: Bleed and lock out hydraulic, pneumatic, and accumulator pressure
High confidence
See the workflow click into place
Illustrative AI-assisted workflows. Review the findings; they are not a compliance certification.
Why this scenario matters
Immediate consequences
Unexpected startup or energy release causes amputations, crushing, electrocution, burns, and death. A worker inside a machine has no chance when it cycles without warning.
Legal & financial impact
Lockout/tagout is one of OSHA's most-cited standards. A serious violation runs over $16,000, willful or repeat violations exceed $160,000, and a caught-in fatality can trigger criminal referral.
Operational impact
An energy-release incident stops production, triggers investigation, and can damage the equipment itself. Claims, downtime, and retraining costs far exceed the effort of proper lockout.
Industry-specific concerns
Manufacturing, packaging, food processing, utilities, and maintenance trades service powered equipment daily, often with multiple workers and shared machines that demand strict group lockout.
How OSHA Scan detects this hazard
OSHA Scan uses an AI vision model to assess service hazards. Upload a photo of equipment under service and it checks whether energy-isolating devices are locked and tagged, flags live sources, raised loads, and stored pressure, identifies exposed moving parts within reach, rates each hazard by severity, and cites the OSHA standard it may relate to — before anyone contacts the machine.
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- A flagged list of hazardous-energy gaps — unlocked disconnects, raised loads, live parts
- The OSHA standard each finding may relate to, such as 1910.147 for lockout/tagout
- A dated, scored report with a verify-on-site list, downloadable as PDF or Excel
Use the real site or facility name. If you save the scan after signup, it becomes the report name.
Three angles, one deeper scan
Only the wide shot is required — every extra angle gives the AI more places to look.
Required: Set the scene — one wide shot lets the AI sweep the whole area at once
Stand at the entry point and capture corner to corner: floors, ladders, scaffolds, and everyone at work
Drop a job-site photo or walkthrough video
Click to upload, drag & drop, or snap a photo on site. Photos scan free in about 15 seconds — no signup, no card. Video walkthroughs (up to 3 min) run on a free account.
Accuracy boosters
Small habits, sharper scans
Set the scene
Start with context
Fill the frame
2–3 ft for close-ups; keep ladders, cords and workers fully in view.
Capture clearly
Make the frame usable
Light it right
Keep the sun or lights behind you — glare and shadows hide hazards.
Tap to focus
Tap the hazard on screen and hold still one second — blur can't be flagged.
Choose the useful view
Give the AI room to understand
Go landscape
Turn your phone sideways — a wider frame catches more of the scene.
Only upload photos you have permission to use, and avoid images showing personal, customer, or confidential information. Demo photos and results are held privately for up to 48 hours so you can save them to a free account; unclaimed photos are deleted automatically. Results are an AI-assisted preliminary review, not an official OSHA determination.
New: Video walkthrough scans
Record up to 3 minutes of your site — the AI extracts frames and categorizes findings with exact timestamps. Free account required.
Get the best results
Wide shot first
Stand at the entrance and photograph the entire work area so AI sees the full context
Hazard areas
Photograph elevated surfaces, equipment, electrical panels, and anywhere workers are active
Close-ups last
Move in close on anything damaged, missing, or that looks risky — the AI catches more detail
A jam cleared with the power still on
The situation
A maintenance worker reached into a carton-forming machine to clear a jammed blank. He shut off the cycle at the operator panel but did not lock out the main disconnect, and a second worker at the line assumed the machine was ready to run.
What went wrong
The second worker pressed start to test the fix. The machine cycled while the first worker's hand was still inside, crushing his hand between the forming dies before he could pull free.
How OSHA Scan would have prevented it
A single photo of the machine before service run through OSHA Scan would have flagged the un-locked main disconnect as a critical hazardous-energy gap, cited 29 CFR 1910.147, and prompted the worker to apply a lock and tag and verify zero energy before reaching in.
Lessons learned
Turning a machine off at the panel is not lockout. Every energy source must be isolated, locked, tagged, and verified at zero energy before any body part enters — a fast photo scan confirms the locks are on.
Prevention best practices
Layered controls, from most to least effective.
Engineering controls
Make it physically impossible for the equipment to move during service.
- Provide lockable energy-isolating devices on every machine energy source
- Install blocks, pins, or stands to support raised loads, rams, and platens
- Bleed and lock out hydraulic, pneumatic, and accumulator pressure
- Use interlocked guards that require de-energization to open
- Fit dissipation paths for stored electrical energy such as capacitors
Administrative controls
Run the lockout/tagout program that governs every service task.
- Develop machine-specific lockout procedures listing every energy source
- Require lock, tag, and verified zero energy before any service or cleaning
- Use group lockout with individual locks when multiple workers service a machine
- Assign personal locks and keys that only the applying worker can remove
- Conduct annual authorized-worker retraining and procedure audits
Personal protective equipment
Protection for workers performing service and maintenance.
- Personal lockout locks, tags, and hasps for each authorized worker
- Insulated tools and arc-rated PPE where electrical energy is present
- Close-fitting clothing and no jewelry near any moving parts
- Eye, hand, and hearing protection appropriate to the task
OSHA compliance & citations
The federal standards this hazard may relate to.
The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
Requires isolation, lockout/tagout, and verification of zero energy before servicing or maintaining equipment where unexpected startup or stored energy could injure a worker.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 for willful or repeat
Selection and use of work practices (electrical)
Requires de-energizing and lockout of electric circuits before work where contact with live parts could cause shock, burns, or unexpected energization.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation
General requirements for all machines
Requires guarding of machine parts and points of operation so workers are not caught by moving components during operation or service.
Up to $16,550 per serious violation
Incident response protocol
If an incident occurs, act fast and in order.
Immediate actions (first 5 minutes)
- 1Shut down and fully lock out the equipment immediately
- 2Call 911 for crush, amputation, or electrical injuries
- 3Do not attempt to move the machine to free the worker unless directed
- 4Control bleeding and provide first aid if trained
- 5Preserve any amputated part on ice per medical guidance
Emergency response (5-30 minutes)
- 1Cooperate fully with arriving emergency responders
- 2Keep the equipment locked out and untouched for investigators
- 3Account for all workers and stop related equipment
- 4Explain clearly how the contact incident occurred
- 5Photograph the energy sources and lock status once allowed
Post-incident
- 1Report any amputation to OSHA within 24 hours, fatality within 8 hours
- 2Launch an incident investigation within 24 hours
- 3Preserve the equipment, locks, tags, and procedures as evidence
- 4Interview witnesses and involved workers while details are fresh
- 5Revise lockout procedures and retrain authorized workers before restart
Team training module
Workers will understand how unexpected startup and stored energy cause injuries, recognize all energy sources on a machine, and apply lockout/tagout and verification before any service.
Train authorized and affected workers before service work, refresh annually, and reinforce with a pre-task briefing using real photos of proper and improper lockout.
Training topics
- How equipment contact incidents occur
- Recognizing all forms of hazardous energy
- The difference between shutting off and locking out
- Machine-specific lockout procedures
- Applying locks, tags, and verifying zero energy
- Group lockout for multiple servicers
- Controlling stored energy (hydraulic, pneumatic, spring, gravity)
- Only the applier removes their lock
- Emergency response to a caught-in incident
- OSHA lockout/tagout requirements and penalties
Compliance checklist
Run these checks to stay ahead of citations.
Daily pre-work inspection
- Machine-specific lockout procedure available and followed
- All energy sources identified and isolated
- Personal locks and tags applied to each isolating device
- Zero-energy state verified before any contact
- Stored energy (pressure, springs, raised loads) released or blocked
- Group lockout in place where multiple workers are involved
- Affected workers notified that lockout is in effect
- Guards ready to reinstall before re-energization
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Frequently asked questions
What is an equipment contact incident?
It is when a worker is caught, struck, or crushed by a machine that starts up unexpectedly or releases stored energy during service, cleaning, or maintenance — almost always because hazardous energy was not locked out.
Is turning a machine off the same as lockout?
No. Turning a machine off at the controls does not prevent someone else from restarting it or stored energy from releasing. Lockout means isolating each energy source, applying a lock and tag, and verifying zero energy.
What counts as hazardous stored energy?
Electrical charge in capacitors, hydraulic and pneumatic pressure, springs under tension or compression, raised loads or rams held by gravity, and thermal energy can all injure a worker even after the main power is off.
When is lockout/tagout required?
OSHA requires lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147) whenever servicing or maintaining equipment where unexpected energization or stored-energy release could injure a worker, including clearing jams and cleaning.
What is group lockout?
When multiple workers service one machine, each applies their own personal lock to a group lockout device. The equipment cannot be re-energized until every worker removes their own lock, so no one is left exposed.
Who is allowed to remove a lockout device?
Only the authorized worker who applied a given lock may remove it, using their own key. Removal by anyone else is prohibited except under a strict documented exception when that worker is unavailable.
What are the OSHA penalties for lockout failures?
A serious lockout/tagout violation can cost over $16,000, and willful or repeat violations can exceed $165,000 per instance. Resulting amputations or fatalities require prompt OSHA reporting.
How accurate is OSHA Scan at detecting lockout gaps?
OSHA Scan flags hazardous-energy gaps. It checks for applied locks and tags, live sources, and stored energy, returning the location and OSHA citation.
Lock out hazardous energy today
Analyze a photo
Upload a photo of equipment under service and get instant, specific feedback on missing lockout and stored energy.
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Snap a photo of the job site, and the AI categorizes findings against OSHA standards in seconds.
Consistent corrective actions & JHA
Each finding includes consistent corrective actions and structured JHA outputs. Check items off as your crew resolves them.
Emergency action plans
Access jurisdiction-specific guidelines and emergency action plan templates for your sites.
A qualified person must review AI-flagged items before making safety decisions. Do not replace required comprehensive safety walkthroughs with AI reports. Features, limits, and downloads depend on your account’s plan and permissions.
What the AI can and can't detect
OSHA Scan reads a single photo. That makes it fast and easy for anyone on site — but it also means it has real limits. Here's an honest look at both.
What it can catch from a photo
- Missing or incorrect PPE that is visible in the frame
- Unprotected edges, open holes, and visible fall hazards
- Housekeeping, trip, and blocked walkway or exit hazards
- Visible electrical, struck-by, and equipment-guarding hazards
What a photo can't tell it
- Hazards hidden from view or anything outside the photo
- Exact heights, distances, weights, or measurements
- Training records, procedures, or how equipment is actually used
- Full legal compliance or an official OSHA pass/fail determination
Reviewed by OSHA Scan Editorial
This content is produced by the OSHA Scan Editorial team and reviewed with AI assistance. It is general safety information, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA Scan is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor.
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