Safety During Conveyor Belt Splicing

Safety During Conveyor Belt Splicing

For industries that require workers to operate conveyor belts, bodily amputations are accidental injuries that workers and employers need to diligently work to prevent. A wrong maneuver or attempting to operate a faulty conveyor belt can result in the loss of a finger, a severed arm or other devastating injury. As such, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes conveyor belt operation safety guidelines so that employers know how to properly safeguard the machines and take the precautions necessary so that workers remain injury-free.

Maintenance

• Maintenance should only be performed on a conveyor belt with the machine powered off. Attempting to clean or fix a conveyor belt while it is in motion could result in a worker's hands or fingers getting stuck between the nips, which could end up severing the fingers if the worker is unable to release his fingers timely. Along the lines of maintenance, it is equally important for workers to always make sure the conveyor belt is functioning properly before operation. This can be ensured through visual and test inspections. Running the conveyor belt when it requires maintenance is dangerous because the machine can malfunction and, in doing so, cause fluke injuries to workers.

Safeguarding

• Safeguarding is the process of securing a heavy machine so that it is safe to operate. A variety of safeguarding methods exist for conveyor belts, such as covering the points of operation or guarded gears, nip points, shears, chains, pulleys and creating gates or fences around the belts themselves. The guards protect workers by creating a barrier between the worker and the mechanism that could injure her. Operators should make sure that all safeguards are properly in place before operating a conveyor belt.

Safe Practices

• People who operate conveyor belts must respect the machine and not behave inappropriately or immaturely around it. For instance, workers should never attempt to ride a conveyor belt for transportation. When workers are splicing with conveyor belts they are to be paying full attention to the conveyor belt's warning signals, lights and motion for optimal safety. It is also important for workers to keep the conveyor belts free from obstructions, such as blocks or other materials that could get in the way of the belt's range of motion and cause a default.

Worker Attire

• Workers who operate conveyor belts must wear the appropriate attire to prevent injuries from occurring, which are fitted clothing and close-toed shoes. Loose and long clothing, for instance, is considered dangerous for the work environment because a long, loose sleeve could become caught in the nips of the conveyor belt and drag the person's arms, hands or fingers into the machine. Long jewelry is also not advised for wearing while operating conveyor belts.