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A Guide to
Conveyor Safety
Mining & Quarrying Occupational Health & Safety Committee
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A Guide to
Conveyor SafeMining & Quarrying Occupational Health & Safet
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C0ntents
ContentsForeword 2
Introduction 4
What the Law requires 5
Making your conveyor safe 11
Appendix 1 34
Appendix 2 36
Appendix 3 38
Disclaimer
Information provided in this publication is designed to address the most co
raised issues in the workplace relevant to South Australian legislation such
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ForewordSafety is a much talked about issue throughout the m
industry and there isn't anyone about who would say
unsafe. But the fact of the matter is, we still experien
the 1998/99 financial year, as well as some 10 fatal
&1999. And that is in South Australia alone. Obviousmore that we can still do.
There are a number of reasons for running a safe ope
more than just doing it because it's the right thing to
business practice. At an average cost of approximate
it doesn't take many incidents to put a dent in your
doesn't take into account your production downtime
of having low worker morale and having to find repl
injured people.
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So please use this manual to help make your operation safer. Theidentified in this manual are ones that only cause an accident on
while, but when it does happen, it will most likely be a big one. T
the kinds of hazards that you've probably walked past every day
last 5 years without having a second thought. But think, how mu
consolation will that be to a child when you're explaining why thparent won't be coming home again.
Safe mining.
Rose Mitchell
Presiding Officer
Mining & Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
Foreword
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IntroductionAs quarrying is essentially the process of moving pro
inevitably have some form of conveying system as co
efficient way of moving material. To move large amo
requires a lot of energy, and it is this energy which m
of the most dangerous items of plant in a quarry.
Typically, people do not spend much time around co
the work done around conveyors involves inspection
maintenance. Generally this work occurs infrequently
(usually) turned off when it does occur. Also, walkwa
are used to access crushing and screening plants.
As a result, accidents don't often occur around conve
However, because of the energy associated with conv
id t d it i lik l t b j lt
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What the Law requires
What the Law requireThe Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986 places an
obligation of a "general duty of care" by an employer to its empl
"General duty of care" includes the observance of approved code
practice, of which Australian Standard AS 1755 is the code releva
conveyor operation. It can essentially be summarised into two ke
Provision of Appropriate Guarding:
Australian Standard AS 1755 states that "Guards shall be designe
prevent injury to persons and shall be provided at every dangero
of a conveyor normally accessible to personnel."
The term "designed to prevent injury to persons" should be unde
as making a guard that makes it physically impossible it for a per
access the dangerous part This means that people shouldn't be a
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What
Provision of emergency stop controls Legislation requires that all conveyors be fitted with
controls, these being:
Lanyards or Pullwires:
For accessible conveyors (less than 2.5 metres above
any walkway), lanyards should be used in preference
buttons. Lanyards should be supported every 4.5m aconveyor to stop in the event of their being pulled in
breaking, slackening or removal
E St B tt
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What the Law requires
For conveyors higher than 2.5m above the ground or any walkw(inaccessible to persons) an emergency stop button must be loca
every 100m.
Note: The use of lanyards or emergency stop buttons is n
substitute for and does not reduce your obligation to pro
physical guarding!
Major Conveyor Hazards
Dangerous parts of conveyor can include (but are not limited) to
following items:
Reproduced by kind permission of Standards Australia. Full text o
the Standards AS 1755-1986, Conveyors – Design, construction,
installation and operation – Safety requirements , can be obtaine
Direction
Vertival bend orgooseneck idlers(trough idlers)
Loading chute skirt
Return plough
Tail pulley
Return idlers
Impact idlersBend pulley
Gravity pulley
Counterweight Drive pulle
Dp
Trough idlers
Dust cover or skirt
Gravitybendpulleys
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Tail Drum and Head Drum Arrangements
What
Any section of the belt where there are exposed idlers in combination with skirts
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Any belt drive arrangement
What the Law requires
Nip
Any skirting or scraper arrangements
h
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Any belt takeup or tensioning devices
What
Any exposed drive shafts
M ki f
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Making your conveyor safe
Making your conveyor safeThere is a combination of things that should be done in order to
eliminate the hazard associated with moving parts on conveyors
can be loosely classified into 2 categories: direct physical guardin
indirect methods such as procedures, training, signage, and so on
Direct Physical Guarding
A physical barrier is your first line of defence against a conveyor
and is the most effective means of protection from dangerous po
conveyors. It is a means of physically preventing access to dange
areas, and is also a requirement by law. There are 3 key points th
always be considered when designing and fitting guards:
Making yo
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(2) The guard must not impede the operof the plant:
If the guard makes maintenance and housekeeping d
general thoroughfare and access , it is likely that it w
some later stage or not replaced after maintenance.
(3) The guard itself must not create a nehandling risk:
Care must be taken during the design of the guards t
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Making your conveyor safe
Types of Guarding and Where to use Them
Where Regular Access to or past Nip Points is notRequired
Specifically for situations where:
• the belt does not run alongside an access to another part o
plant, and
• if maintenance of, or housekeeping around, the belt is only
to be undertaken when the belt is not operating and isolate
Gates (and fencing) are a very simple and effective option to u
be successful, the following key points need to be considered:
• Gate dimensions are such that people cannot reach in over
or reach in from underneath. The distance of the gate fromshould be as far away as practical and determines the size
mesh in the gate or fence. (see diagram)
• The gate has an interlock mechanism to turn off the belt o
is opened or conversely for smaller operations be padlocked
(with an isolation procedure in place). Interlock mechanism
be susceptible to dust , so you must judge your own individ
situation. If using padlocks, the only keys should be held by
Making yo
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Things to watch out for with this type of arrangem
• Gates can be left open or not secured
• Interlocks can be overidden or not maintained
• Cannot be used solely for tail drum protection
Gate dimensionsso that people
can’t reach over
the top or slide
underneath toreach conveyor
Mesh sizecorrectly so
people can’t
climb
Padlock orinterlock
mechanism
(see Appen
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Making your conveyor safe
Not
both
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Where Regular Access to or past Nip PoiIn many situations, regular access is required to, o
installation of guards in these cases the key points
considered are:
• No physical access can be available to the nip pguards can be very close to the nip point, care m
ensure that the mesh is small enough to disallo
to reach the nip point.
• Practicality - The guard should be light enough one person and easy to install or remove for ma
possible, a self supporting guard should be used
manual handling hazard.
• Must require some type of tool for removal.
• Must have signage saying that drive must be iso
to removal.
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Tail & Head Drum Guards: Tail and head drums are one of the most hazardous sections of a
conveyor with access being required occasionally for lubrication,
alignment, spillage cleanup and condition monitoring. Key issues
watch out for with tail drum guards are:
• guards must be designed so that belt alignment can be don
guards on
• guards must allow for ease of cleaning around pulley
• lubrication points should be accessible with the guard on (fexample use tubing)
• Tail drum nip point must be physically impossible to reach!
g y y
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• In some cases with old plant it may not possibl
or track the belt while it's operating with norma
place. In these cases, it is important that such w
by an authorised competent person with an att
emergency stop station, and that an appropriat
procedure is in place.
Allow for holes in guard which
provide access for lubrication anddrum adjustment. Make sure that it
is not possible to reach the nip point
through these holes!
DANGER
Dousesig
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Idler and skirt guards: There are a number of different types of guards which can equal
good protection. It is recommended you choose the hinged type
if possible, as they avoid the manual handling issues and ongoin
that bolt on guards incur after the initial installation.
Type 1:
Simple, easy to use idler guard. Incorporates hinges so that one p
can take down and a locking device. Locking device can be attac
any vertical member, and doesn’t have to be in the middle of the
Once unlocked, the guard hinges down to allow easy access for
maintenance or cleaning.
Locking device
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Type 2:Hinged guard which swings up rather than down. Go
where there is a lot of horizontal steelwork and not m
same hinges and locking mechanisms as for the Type
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Type3:Standard bolted guards are by far the simplest of guards and mo
commonly used, with the guard being bolted to the most conven
piece of steelwork.
Watch out:
(a) that you don’t build the guard too big for one person to r
and install easily
(b) that the bolts don’t get covered with dust and have to be
when needed to be used. It’s very easy for guards not to b
replaced when this happens.
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Upright swinging hinged guard
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Return idler guards: Special care must be taken to ensure full coverage of roller and t
of cleaning is considered. Particularly necessary where access und
belt is required (Note: where access under belts is required, an ap
canopy should also be in place to protect from falling objects).
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Belt Drive guards: Some examples of typical belt drive guard arrangeme
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Indirect Safety MeasuresPhysical guarding is the best means for increasing the safety aro
conveyors, but there are a number of measures which should also
taken to complement guarding and act as another means of prev
a conveyor incident. While they cannot be used as the sole mean
protection, they will play a large role in raising awareness and insafety around your conveyors. These measures are discussed belo
Training & Inductions
Training (and retraining) is important for all staff, but it is especia
critical that people like contractors, casuals, new starters, visitors
anyone else who will be exposed to conveying plant be fully brie
familiar with the following key points:
Awareness of no entry areas
People must be aware of where they can go or can't go, and this
be reinforced by correct signage and barriers.
Awareness of correct safety apparel
It must be made clear what items are mandatory (eg hardhat, ste
capped boots, glasses, dustmasks, earplugs etc) and where they a
to be worn. The type of clothing and hair requirements should albe included here.
Awareness of emergency stop mechanisms
All l h ld b d f ll f th l ti f
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Awareness of basic conveyor procedures
Basic conveyor protocol should be reinforced(for exa
the guard when the belt is running, isolate the belt b
maintenance, no riding on the belt and so on).
Procedures & StandardsProcedures and standards help provide a safe system
the heavy reliance on the use of common sense (whi
uncommon). They let everyone know how a job shou
you to maintain your operation at a standard that yo
the people that you have working for you at the time
and standards which are particularly relevant to conv
Isolation procedures
C i l f k l t th t
Of course that new bloke will be alright ... only an idiot
would put their hand near a conveyor while it’s running!
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• Everyone who is going to work in the "danger zone" must htheir individual lockout mechanisms at the lockout point.
• Nobody is to remove anyone else’s lockout. Each individual
responsible for removing their tag and their tag only. (The s
should have a system in place to allow a senior manager to
the lockout provided they are totally satisfied that the indiv
cannot be exposed to any danger as a result). This will allow
site to manage the situation where a person goes home an
to remove their tag.
• Verification of isolation must occur prior to commencing wto ensure that the correct plant has been isolated.
Pad lock and
on main isola
which makes
impossible tothe equipme
padlock is re
The person w
keys is the odoing the wo
the isolation
Making yo
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Housekeeping Standards Tools, rocks or rubbish lying around can lead to trip h
conveyor damage and so on. Maintaining good hous
standards involves:
• Any rubbish (rags, tramp metal and so on) that
a conveyor system is to be cleaned up immediat
• Any spillage should be cleaned up as soon as is
(This could be at the end of a shift after crushin
is finished of during a maintenance period whe
aren’t running)
• All tools required for maintenance should have
etc, so that they are not lying around on walkw
loosely against handrails.
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Cleaning around beltsUnless nip points are completely guarded and inaccessible, no cle
to be undertaken under or in the close proximity of belts unless
is turned off and isolated.
Lubrication
Lubrication points should always be positioned outside the guard
remote to the nip points with the use of tubes. If this is not poss
the belt should be isolated during any lubrication activities.
A final word on standards and procedures:
Remote lubri
situated in a
on the plant
Making yo
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Signs should be used in any area where people couldhazards, or in situations where somebody could do so
hazardous situation. Typical situations include:
• to restrict access – no entry past this point
• to indicate areas where correct safety apparel is– hard hat and glasses must be worn beyond th
• to remind of something that needs to be done
another action is carried out – Warning: isolate
removing guards.
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SkirtsThe use of skirts plays no direct role in increasing the overall safe
system (in fact each set of skirts introduces additional nip points
the correct use and maintenance of skirts and scrapers will elimi
spillage, the source of many conveyor incidents. Spillage around
drums, mud building up on idlers and so on often require guards
taken off so that the spillage can be cleaned up. It is in these situwhere if the job is a quick one, the temptation to not go through
correct procedure and isolate the belt is high. Accordingly, the us
good skirts and scrapers will reduce how often you will need to c
around the belt, and this fact alone will reduce the exposure of p
the belt and hence make it safer.
Making yo
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For More Information refer to: Australian Standards AS 1755 -
Conveyor Design, Construction, Installation and Operation -
Safety Requirements
Australian Standards AS 4024.1 -
Safeguarding of Machinery - Part 1 - General PrinciplesOccupational Health, Safety & Welfare Act - 1986
or contact: Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Com(MAQOHSC)
Telephone: (08) 8 238 5791 or (08) 8233 2002Facsimile: (08) 8233 2223
Group Health and Safety Services (GHSS)
Telephone: (08) 8379 9711
Facsimile: (08) 8379 1142
Workplace Services - Department of Administrative andInformation Services (DAIS)
Telephone: (08) 8303 0257
Facsimile: (08) 8303 0255
AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks to the following groups for their patience with site visits, editing & pr
information without which this document would not have been possible:
Rocla Quarry Products - Staff at Maslins Beach Sand Quarry, Boral - Staff at Stony
Linwood Quarries Southern Quarries Staff at Selleck's Hill Quarry Penrice Soda P
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Appendix 1Reach & other key dimensions (as pe
Minimum distance above floor before
guarding of nip points is not required:
Minimum distance of guard from dangerpoint if mesh opening is up to and
including 9mm: Wo
Minimum distance of guard from danger
point if mesh opening is above 9mm up
to 50mm square:
Minimum distance of guard from danger
point if it is possible to get wrist through
h h d
Appendix 1
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Maximum distance of underside of guardfrom the floor (in the case of gates, fences
or guards providing protection from floor level):
Maximum size of mesh (in the case of
gates or fences ):
Minimum height of fencing:
Emergency Stop Locations
Maximum distance between emergency
stop locations if conveyor is accessible:
Maximum distance between emergency
stop locations if conveyor is inaccessible:
Maximum distance between supports
for lanyard emergency stop mechanism:
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Appendix 2 An example of a locking device used Australian quarries
Appendix 2
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This particular fastening device utilises a slotted cam which can
a 900 arc. A hinged gate or panel or guard with a hole in it can s
the device when the tab is in the open position, and then be lock
place when the tab is swivelled. Any pressure or weight put on th
actually serves to further lock the device in place.
It typically needs to be loosened with a hammer or similar tool w
is locked into place, and has the added advantage that a padlock
used with it for extra security A version can be obtained with a f
Picture in Closed position
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Appendix 3 An example of an interlock system
Trapped Key Interlock System for One Enand One Acess Point
H31S interlocked rotary switch
H31S access interloc
When key is in the H31S switch the power supply
breaks contacts in the switch and isolates power.
H31 access interlock.
The key is inserted and
interlock, this allows th
door opened. Whilst thremains trapped, ensur
reinserted into the swi
The sequence is reverse
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