Editing Power loom (section)

== Dangers ==

There are a number of inherent dangers in the machines, to which inattentive or poorly trained weavers can fall victim. The most obvious is the moving reed, the frames which hold the heddles and the "pinch" or "sand" roll utilized to keep the cloth tight as it passes over the front of the machine and onto the doff roll. The most common injury in weaving is pinched fingers from distracted or bored workers, though this is not the only such injury found. There are numerous accounts of weavers with long hair getting it tangled in the warp itself and having their scalp pulled away from the skull, or large chunks of hair pulled off.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/lucy-larcom/|title=Lucy Larcom (1824-1893)|publisher=National Women's History Museum|access-date=2014-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325192135/http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/lucy-larcom/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-03-25}}</ref> As a result of this, it has become industry standard for companies to require weavers to either keep hair up and tied, or to keep their hair short so as not to allow it to become tangled. Also, due to possible pinch points on the front of machines, loose, baggy clothing is prohibited. In addition, there is a risk of the [[Flying shuttle|shuttle]] flying out of the loom at a high-speed (200+ mph/322 kmh) and striking a worker if the moving reed encounters a thread/yarn or other mechanical jam/error. One complication for weavers, in the terms of safety, is the loud nature in which weave mills operate (115[[Decibel|dB]]+). Because of this, it is nearly impossible to hear a person calling for help when entangled. This has led [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration|OSHA]] to outline specific guidelines<ref name=ilo>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.ilo.org/oshenc/part-xiv/textile-goods-industry/item/888-weaving-and-knitting |title=Weaving and Knitting |last=Crocker |first=Charles |date=2011 |encyclopedia=ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety |access-date=2014-03-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324014108/http://www.ilo.org/oshenc/part-xiv/textile-goods-industry/item/888-weaving-and-knitting |archive-date=2014-03-24 }}</ref> for companies to mitigate the chances of such accidents occurring. However, even with such guidelines in place, injuries in textile production due to the machines themselves, are still commonplace.