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Pachuca, Mexico. This happened about ~10 years ago. A woman died when she fell into a rotating machine used for making dough for tortillas at her workplace. Her co-workers rushed to try to help her and called emergency services after hearing her screams. When an ambulance finally arrived she was dead from her injuries.

Crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness — the list of possible machinery-related injuries is as long as it is horrifying. There seem to be as many hazards created by moving machine parts as there are types of machines. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from needless and preventable injuries. Rotating motion can be dangerous; even smooth, slowly rotating shafts can grip clothing, and through mere skin contact force an arm or hand into a dangerous position. Injuries due to contact with rotating parts can be severe.

Fig.1 Woman dies after falling into a machine used for making dough for tortillas.

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