Canadian Occupational Safety

February/March 2015 17 Rourke says. So, if an executive tells a supervisor to meet the numbers at any cost, safety will go out the window. As a result, employees get hurt — and they often get the blame, he says. "Whenever you do an accident investigation, inevitably you'll hear something along the lines of 'The person was stupid,'" Rourke says. "In actuality, the person wasn't stupid. He or she was trying to be a good employee." Many conveyor accidents result from workers trying to help their employers save time. An employee might aim to remove debris from the machine without shutting it off because a shutdown would affect productivity. Of course, as Rourke points out, that's faulty logic. "They think they're going to save time. They don't think about the fact that pulling their arm out of the machine is going to take even more time." CONVEYOR SAFETY SOLUTIONS The desire to work quickly — coupled with the machinery's inherent physical dangers — makes conveyors especially risky. Fortunately, there are solutions, such as good guarding. "It really comes down to keeping the worker away from the hazard," says Monkman. "The simplest way of describing it is the person should not be able to reach over, around, under or through to come into contact with the hazard." Provincial regulations across the country stipulate that guarding should be designed to keep people at least 1 metre away from a point of hazard, he points out. Communication is another impor- tant measure. Managers should talk often with employees about hazards and safety. "Communicate the hell out of everything," Rourke says. "And if you think you've said it enough, you haven't said it nearly enough. Hold toolbox talks. Sit down and explain how to clear a jam safely." According to the government of Manitoba, organizations should take specifi c steps to ensure workers are safe near conveyors. For instance, only fully trained employees or service providers should repair and clean the machine. As well, companies should install a pull- cord along the length of the conveyor, so workers can stop the machine immediately in emergencies. That pull-cord should only enable someone to stop the conveyor, not start it. Long conveyors require particular safety care. It's diffi cult for workers to see all the way down a lengthy machine. That means employees might not be able to tell if someone is at the starting control ready to turn the conveyor on. In that case, companies should install alerting systems that warn workers that the conveyor is about to start moving. According to WorkSafeBC, there are several safe work practices for conveyors: • Only perform service on the device when the motor disconnect is locked out, so no one can inadvertently start the conveyor during servicing. • Employees should never climb, step or sit on the conveyor, whether running or not. • Guarding should never be removed. • C ompanies should keep the area around the conveyor clear of obstructions. A lockout mechanism is particularly effective to ensure no one turns on the conveyor while others are servicing the machine. Vivien Wharton-Szatan, provincial co-ordinator for the industrial health and safety program at the Ontario Ministry of Labour, points out that companies must use lockout systems on conveyor power sources, according to the industrial regulations of Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act. As Wharton-Szatan says, only one person should have the key to unlock the power source: the individual servicing the device. "He should have control of the key, so no one can come and mistakenly start the machine while he's working on it." Rourke says conveyor installation techniques also play an important role in safety. Traditionally, engineers who situate conveyors in manufacturing facilities design the lines for maximum productivity. They don't necessarily think about guarding, spacing and other aspects that could affect worker safety. Rourke encourages designers to talk to workers to understand how they do their jobs and how to help keep them safe. "Those are the industrial athletes who are going to have to work on the conveyor day in and day out for however many years that product is being made," he says. Stefan Dubowski is a freelancer writer based in Ottawa. He can be reached at dubowski@stiffsentences.com. Long conveyors require particular safety care. It's diffi cult for workers to see all the way down a lengthy machine. That means employees • Only perform service on the device when the motor disconnect Safe work practices for conveyors Don't perform service on a conveyor until the motor disconnect is locked out. Service a conveyor with authorized maintenance personnel only. Keep clothing, fingers, hair and other parts of the body away from the conveyor. Don't climb, step, sit or ride on the conveyor at any time. Don't load the conveyor outside of the design limits. Don't remove or alter conveyor guards or safety devices. Know the location and function of all stop/start controls. Keep all stop/start control devices free of obstructions. All personnel must be clear of the conveyor before the conveyor is started. Operate the conveyor with trained personnel only. Keep the area around conveyors clear of obstructions. Report all unsafe practices to a supervisor. Source: WorkSafeBC

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