Auger and Boring Machine Safety
Construction · Ver en español
Talking points
- Augers and boring machines have exposed rotating shafts that can catch clothing, hair, gloves, and body parts. Entanglement with an auger is almost always catastrophic.
- Keep all body parts and loose clothing away from the rotating auger shaft. Do not reach under, over, or around an operating auger for any reason.
- Know where the emergency stop is before you start — manufacturers place it within reach of the operator position, and an e-stop you cannot reach is no e-stop at all. Test the emergency stop before starting operations and make sure all workers know where it is.
- Long hair, loose sleeves, scarves, necklaces, and drawstrings are the most commonly caught items. Tie back hair, tuck in clothing, and remove anything that could be grabbed by a rotating shaft.
- Never attempt to clear a jammed auger while it is still connected to power. Disconnect and lock out the power source before reaching into or near the auger mechanism.
Ask the crew
Is everyone near the auger today free of loose clothing, jewelry, and untied hair?
Standards this talk is built on
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
In Jobsite, workers sign in on their phones in English or Spanish, and you keep who attended, when, and where, with every other talk your crew has had.
Using an AI assistant? Jobsite's free MCP server serves this library, with OSHA rule text, no sign-in: https://jobsitecerts.com/api/mcp/public (/mcp)
Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.