These are the Important Things You Must Know about Conveyor Guarding and Pull Wires

Posted on: 6 February 2017

If there is one thing that can make work easy for you in many production settings, then it's a conveyor belt. It will save you time and money while ensuring that your production levels are always at peak. Conveyor systems eliminate or minimise the need for using manual labour to carry large volumes of goods around the facility. However, you should be very careful when it comes to the safety hazards posed by conveyor belts and systems. Here is a look at conveyor guarding and pull or stop wires to help you gain insight of the safety implications:

Parts that Need Guarding

The whole point of having guards is to minimise injuries and deaths at the workplace. Guards prevent injuries to workers at any dangerous parts that are accessible to the person operating the conveyor belt. Particularly, most of the danger lies at the nip point, which is a point of convergence for two or more movable parts of the conveyor belt. These parts can pinch and crush the hands, fingers, outfits or even draw a whole person into the machine depending on the size and speed of operation. For this reason, you should look at your manufacturer's manual and ensure that the following parts have been well secured to prevent injuries:

Head and tail drums

  • Belt take up and tensioning devices
  • Exposed drive shafts
  • Belt drive arrangement
  • How to Ensure Safety

After identifying those components that need guards for optimal safety, you'll need to call in a professional to help you with the installation. However, how will you guarantee that the person has done a good job and that your workers will be safe? There are some few things to look out for after the installation. First, the guards must restrict access to a nip point regardless of the angle or elevation of the worker towards the machine. Secondly, the guard should not present a new risk in terms of handling. Moreover, it should not impair or interfere with the operation of the conveyor system at the plant.

Emergency Stop Controls

Several things impede the safe operation of conveyor systems and accidents can still happen even after the installation of guards. It is therefore imperative to have emergency stop switches and controls that will keep the system from running in the event of an accident. Lanyards and pull cables should be fitted on the conveyor to help maximise safety during operation.

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