Yesterday, we reviewed safe stacking procedures. Today, we focus on another important safety dimension of safe material handling and storage—conveyors.
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Employees should be familiar with these basic safety rules for working with and around conveyors:
- Keep conveyors clean at all times.
- Know the capacity of the conveyor system to prevent overloading.
- Inspect conveyors on a regular basis, and do not operate if they need repairs or are missing a guard.
- Never remove guards or other protective devices.
- Stop the conveyor immediately if a problem occurs.
- Know the sound of the warning buzzer indicating that a conveyor is starting up.
- Never wear loose clothing, wear hair long and loose hair, or wear dangling jewelry that could get caught in the conveyor system.
- Know the proper procedures in case of a jam and who is authorized to clear jams.
- Never try to fix a jam while the conveyor is operating, and never try to clear a jam unless trained and authorized to do so.
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Material handlers who use conveyors should also:
- Wear sturdy shoes.
- Wear a hard hat if there is danger of material falling from above.
- Wear proper respiratory and eye protection if there is a dust hazard.
- Keep the area around the “start” and “stop” buttons clear at all times.
- Before starting a conveyor, make sure that all workers in the vicinity are aware it’s going to start and are far enough from it to be safe.
- Never climb, step, walk, or ride on a conveyor.
- Check and stay within posted conveyor load-weight limits.
- Never reach into conveyor mechanisms.
In addition, employees should always practice good housekeeping around conveyors and:
- Remove loose paper, cardboard, or other scrap that could get tangled in the conveyor.
- Be especially careful to keep steel or plastic strapping away from the rollers.
- Report any problems concerning conveyors to a supervisor immediately.
- Shut down malfunctioning or otherwise dangerous conveyors and tag them out to prevent others from using them.
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