Conveyor Hazards
Working around conveyor belts in industrial or warehouse settings presents several common hazards. It's important to recognize and mitigate these risks to ensure worker safety.
There are hundreds of nip points on most conveyors above and below the rollers.
Here are some of the key hazards associated with conveyor belts:
- Entanglement Hazards: Loose clothing, hair, or jewelry can get caught in the moving parts of the conveyor, leading to serious injuries.
- Pinch Points and Nip Hazards: Incoming points where two moving parts of a conveyor come close together (such as where a belt meets a roller) can catch and pinch or crush body parts. The worker's body, clothing, hair, or accessories get caught in the moving parts of the conveyor belt system, particularly in areas where the belt meets rollers or gears.
- Falling Objects: Items can fall from the conveyor, posing a risk to workers below, especially if materials are not properly secured.
- Slips, Trips, and Falls: Spillage from conveyors can lead to slips and trips. Elevated conveyor belts also pose fall hazards.
- Electrical and Mechanical Hazards: Improperly guarded or malfunctioning conveyor machinery can pose electrical and mechanical hazards.
- Noise: Prolonged exposure to loud noise from conveyor operations can lead to hearing damage.
- Dust and Airborne Particles: Conveyors, especially those used for moving bulk materials, can generate dust and small particles, posing respiratory hazards.
- Ergonomic Hazards: Repetitive motion, awkward postures, and tasks that require excessive reaching or bending around conveyor belts can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
- Impact and Crush Injuries: Workers can be hit or crushed by moving parts of a conveyor system or by materials being conveyed.
- Fire Hazards: Some types of conveyed materials can pose fire risks, and conveyor belts themselves can catch fire due to overheating or mechanical failure.
Real-life Accident
Employee Killed When Crushed Between Conveyor Rack and Gripper Arm
At 4:34 p.m. on July 27, 2023, Employee #1 was troubleshooting the gripper on a second stage tire machine, #8201. The gripper arm began to move to complete its cycle, contacting Employee #1 and pinning Employee #1 against a conveyor rack and the gripper arm. Employee #1 sustained multiple fractures to the chest, a fracture to the spine, a lacerated lung , and cuts and abrasions to the legs and arms. Employee #1 was killed.Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-5. Where may a worker's body, clothing, hair, or accessories most likely get caught in conveyor belt system?
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