Here's help for your conveyor safety program
Conveyor safety is the end user's responsibility, but help is available. Industry standard safety labels should be considered as part of any safety program.
By Ray Kulwiec -- Modern Materials Handling, 11/1/1998
Conveyor safety is ultimately your responsibility. OSHA continues to require that the employer provide a safe workplace. However, there is plenty of help available. A good starting point is the ANSI Standard B.20.1, "Safety Standard for Conveyors and Related Equipment."An important factor in any conveyor safety program is a clear understanding of the responsibilities of each member of the team involved in selecting, installing, and operating the equipment. Typical members of the team include:
- Engineer/designer. Whether an employee of the user or an outside consultant, this individual develops the specifications for the system.
- Conveyor supplier. The equipment manufacturer provides proper safety guards and warnings.
- Installer. Often an outside crew installs the conveyor system and associated field wiring. It is particularly important that the end user communicate safety requirements for the installed system to the outside contractor.
- End user. The owner is responsible for continued operation of the system and its maintenance, as well as for proper training of operators and technicians.
Training a key
Many conveyor accidents can be traced back to a lack of training, along with weak enforcement of safety rules. To begin with, operators should be familiar with lockout/tagout procedures, as required by OSHA. These procedures call for all power switches to be key-operated or lockable. The system cannot be started until all locks are removed. Other safety rules include the following:
- Never walk, ride, sit, or climb on a conveyor not intended for transporting people.
- Don't wear loose clothing, neckties, unsecured long hair, or articles that might catch in a conveyor.
- Don't overload conveyors.
- Be sure all work areas are clean and free of grease.
- Keep all body parts away from moving parts of conveyors.
- Don't operate any conveyor unless all safety guards, covers, and maintenance panels are in place.
Use appropriate labels
Rules of this type are covered in a set of 24 that are provided on industry standard safety labels available from the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA), see accompanying box.
CEMA's label program is intended to be a voluntary guide that can be incorporated into a comprehensive safety program by users of conveyors and related equipment. As part of such a program, conveyor users should inspect and review safety labels to ensure their integrity and maximize their effectiveness in preventing injuries.
In addition to describing the types of labels available, CEMA's Brochure No. 201 also contains a section on placement of labels on types of conveyor equipment. This discussion provides suggestions only, with the understanding that various factors may affect actual placement. Such considerations may include available lighting and location of the label in relation to the line of sight of the operator. Frequency of exposure and proximity to personnel are other factors.
Conveyor types covered in the unit handling equipment section include non-powered wheel and roller conveyors, end-driven and center-driven belt conveyors, belt-driven and chain-driven live roller conveyors, slat conveyors, and lineshaft conveyors. Further information on the safety label program is available from CEMA, 6724 Lone Oak Blvd., Naples, FL 34109; phone 941-514-3441; fax 941-514-3470. E-mail: cema@cemanet.org
Labels promote conveyor safety
Millions of the safety labels shown here have been sold to industry by the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA). As discussed in CEMA brochure No. 201, the labels are available in three categories: danger, warning, and caution.
Danger indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
Warning indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
Caution indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. It may also be used to alert against unsafe practices.
Also included are placement guidelines that suggest various label applications on equipment. Labels are also available in Spanish and French versions.
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