2018-01-31 22:59:28
SAFETY BEHAVIOURS
PROBLEM:
Industry knowledge indicates that for every fatality, increasingly larger numbers of lost workday cases, injuries, near misses and unsafe behaviours occur.
SOLUTION:
Statistically speaking, the most effective way to reduce fatalities is to eliminate the exposure to risk before it can occur, reducing unsafe behaviours through ongoing training and emphasis on best practices.
PINCH POINT
PROBLEM:
The pinch point between the belt and a carrying idler can lead to an entrapment injury, and rolls can fall if the structure is damaged.
SOLUTION:
Every return roll that is less than seven feet in elevation should be guarded to protect workers from the pinch points. Guards over a walkway or roadway should be designed to protect against a falling roll with a catch basket, no matter what their elevation.
AIRBORNE DUST
PROBLEM:
Airborne dust can contribute to potential health or safety hazards, environmental issues, regulatory challenges, explosion risks, higher equipment maintenance costs and poor community relations.
SOLUTION:
Effective belt support and sealing deliver improved containment. The single most effective way to prevent belt conveyor-related injury is to minimize fugitive material.
FUGITIVE MATERIAL
PROBLEM:
Fugitive material is one of the single greatest contributors to conveyorrelated injuries, increasing maintenance and placing workers in close proximity to the moving conveyor.
SOLUTION:
Engineered transfer points can incorporate a number of technologies to ensure material containment, including modular chutes, impact cradles, stilling zones, skirt seals and even integrated air cleaners.
STORED ENERGY
PROBLEM:
Belt lock out/tag out procedures often do not remove all forms of energy. Conveyor belts can also have stretch resulting in stored/ potential energy that can increase risk to workers.
SOLUTION:
Develop a block-out procedure and train employees on it, which is the only way to protect workers against stored energy from the stretched belt and the sudden movement it can cause.
SHORTCUTS
PROBLEM:
Unsafe practices such as taking a ‘shortcut’ by crossing under an operating belt conveyor can lead to injury.
SOLUTION:
Secure walkways with handrails. Walkways should be provided at any point at which workers may need to cross the conveyor path.
FIRES
PROBLEM:
If the belt slips or stops moving and the drive pulley continues to rotate, temperatures are quickly reached at the pulley/ belt interface that are sufficient to cause ignition of the belt, pulley lagging, or combustible bulk materials.
SOLUTION:
Suggested points of application for a firesuppression system along a belt conveyor.
LACK OF GUARDING
PROBLEM:
The removal of guarding – and the nonreplacement of guarding after maintenance procedures are completed – can create a risk when the conveyor is restarted.
SOLUTION:
Effective guarding is needed to control the hazards from a number of unique conveyorrelated components and circumstances.
NEGLECTED SAFETY EQUIPMENT
PROBLEM:
Neglected safety equipment (such as the broken cord on this pullrope emergency-stop switch) creates a hazard, preventing workers from acting quickly to shut down the conveyor.
SOLUTION:
Emergency stop cords should be placed throughout the length of the conveyor and regularly inspected for signs of wear or damage.
MIS-TRACKING BELTS
PROBLEM:
Mis-tracking belts can cause significant spillage – as well as damage to belts and support structures – and may even create a potential fire hazard.
SOLUTION:
Conveyor belt tracking systems mitigate misalignment along the conveyor path, rather than correcting it after the fact, to promote greater efficiency and safety.
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