Conveyor Safety

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Conveyors are used to move products and supplies in and out of a work site, from one part of the plant to another, and between workstations. Conveyors are found in all kinds of assembly operations, ranging from microelectronics to the agricultural industry. Conveyors can be powered or unpowered, roller or belt, overhead or on the floor. Factors such as the conveyor's height, width, speed, and position in relation to the worker determine the overall workload and the way workers do their job. To lessen the likelihood of adverse effects when working on a conveyor line, ergonomic and design issues have to be considered.

Employer duties

Employers have a duty to take every reasonable precaution to protect the occupational health and safety of persons at or near the workplace. This duty includes ensuring that workers are made familiar with the proper use of all safety features or devices, equipment, and clothing required for their protection. [OHS Act, S. 12(1)(a)(b)(e)]

There are many hazards associated with working at or near a conveyor, including:

  • Rotating parts or pinch points can drag in, crush or entangle.
  • Confinement or assembly areas (the area between a fixed object and a moving one) can shear or crush.
  • Parts that slide or reciprocate (press down) can crush or shear.
  • Items can break or be ejected (thrown from) the conveyor system.
  • Items can fall off the conveyor.
  • Electrical, fire or explosion hazards.

To reduce exposure to these hazards, the employer should:

  • Identify risk factors in the workplace in consultation with the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee or Health and Safety Representative as applicable.
  • Evaluate the risk to workers by consulting with employees affected and those who do similar work.
  • Ensure that employees are competent and trained to identify risk factors and the early signs and symptoms of injuries and the correct use of control measures when working with conveyors.
  • Monitor the effectiveness of control measures.

Employers must specifically make sure that:

  • Where a pedal is used to operate a clutch or belt shifter, it is guarded so that it cannot be struck accidentally and activate the machine. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.4(2)]
  • Each pair of active and idler pulleys has a permanent belt shifter which has a mechanical means to prevent the belt from creeping. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.4(3)]
  • Effective safeguards are provided where a worker may come into contact with moving belts, rollers, gears, drive-shafts, keyways, pulleys, sprockets, chains, ropes, spindles, drums, counterweights, flywheels or couplings on machinery, pinch points, and cutting edges. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.9(1)]
  • Conveyers are constructed and installed so that there is enough clearance between the material transported and a fixed or moving object, there are no hazardous shearing points between moving and stationary parts, and one conveyer cannot feed onto a stopped conveyer. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.16(1)]
  • When a worker has access to a power driven conveyer, it must be provided with emergency stop devices at loading and unloading stations, drive and take up sections, and other convenient places along the run of the conveyer. [OHS General Regs., S.30.16(2)]
  • When worker access is necessary, elevated conveyers have a walkway along their entire length that is at least 450 mm (18 in.) wide and is equipped with guardrails. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.17]
  • Where a worker must cross over a conveyer, adequate crossing facilities are provided. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.17]
  • When a worker may be injured from material falling from a conveyer, sheet metal or screen guards are installed under a conveyer which is not entirely enclosed. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.18(1)]
  • When a worker may be injured, belt conveyers have guards that extend 1060 mm (40 in.) from the pulleys and along the sides of the conveyer. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.18(2)]
  • Unless the conveyor is stopped and locked out, a worker does not stand on the supporting frames of an open conveyer while loading, unloading, or when clearing blockages, and that the worker removes heavy or bulky articles by hand from a moving conveyer at designated stations only. [OHS General Regs., S. 30.19]

Worker duties

Workers are responsible for:

  • Working safely and following health and safety rules.
  • Participating in all training so they have a full understanding of the need for their PPE and how to use it safely.
  • Properly and consistently wearing required PPE.
  • Following all instructions, safe work practices, and procedures in the safe handling of equipment.
  • Participating in training, or hazard assessments, where appropriate.
  • Reporting any hazards and early signs and symptoms of injury to the supervisor or employer.
  • Using the equipment in a safe manner for the purpose for which it was designed.

If working at a conveyor or belt, repetitive motions, reaching, and lifting may lead to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) especially when movements are done quickly and for a long period of time. Please see the ergonomic and manual lifting topics for more information.

General Regulations
EC180/87

Part 30 MECHANICAL SAFETY

Section 30.4 Starting machinery

30.4 (1) The employer shall ensure that operational controls on machinery are

(a) located and protected in such a manner as to prevent unintentional activation;

(b) suitably identified so as to indicate the nature of each control mechanism.

(2) Where a pedal is used to operate a clutch or belt shifter, the employer shall ensure that it is so guarded that it cannot be struck accidentally so as to activate the machine.

(3) The employer shall ensure that each pair of active and idler pulleys is equipped with a permanent belt shifter provided with a mechanical means of preventing the belt from creeping from the idler to the active pulley.

(4) The employer shall ensure that

(a) where moving machine parts may endanger workers when the machine is started and there is not a clear view of the machine or parts from the control panel or operator's station, as alarm system is installed; and

(b) the alarm system gives an effective warning before start up of the machine so that workers are made aware of the imminent start-up.

(5) Before starting machinery, a worker shall ensure that neither he nor any other worker is endangered by its starting.

(6) While operating machinery, a worker shall ensure that neither he nor any other worker is endangered by its operation.

[EC2021-126, s. 3]

Section 30.9 Safeguards

30.9 (1) Subject to this section, an employer shall provide effective safeguards where a worker may come into contact with moving belts, rollers, gears, drive-shafts, keyways, pulleys, sprockets, chains, ropes, spindles, drums, counterweights, flywheels or couplings on machinery, pinchpoints and cutting edges.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to machinery that is equipped with an effective device which stops the machinery automatically when a worker comes into contact with the parts of it mentioned in subsection (1) or prevents a worker from coming in contact with parts mentioned in subsection (1).

(3) Where there is a possibility of machine failure that may result in an injury to a worker from flying objects, the employer shall install safeguards strong enough to contain or deflect the broken parts or particles of the machinery and flying particles of any product.

(4) The employer and worker shall not alter the design where machines are designed with guards that interlock with the machinery control so as to prevent operation of the machine unless the guard is in its proper place.

(5) Where it has been determined that an effective safeguard cannot be provided, the employer shall ensure that an alternative mechanism, system or change in work procedure, approved by an officer, is put into place to protect workers from being exposed to the hazards associated with the lack of the safeguard.

[EC2021-126, s. 3]

Section 30.16 Conveyors

30.16 (1) The employer shall ensure that a conveyer is so constructed and installed that

(a) sufficient clearance is provided between the material transported and fixed or moving object;

(b) hazardous shearing points between moving and stationary parts are avoided;

(c) no conveyer can feed onto a stopped conveyer.

(2) The employer shall ensure that a power driven conveyer to which a worker has access is provided with emergency stop devices at

(a) loading and unloading stations;

(b) drive and take up sections; and

(c) other convenient places along the run of the conveyer.

[EC2021-126, s. 3]

Section 30.17 Walkways

30.17 (1) The employer shall ensure that an elevated conveyer, where worker access is necessary, is provided with a walkway along its entire length which is not less than 450 mm (18 in.) wide and is equipped with guardrails.

(2) Where a worker must cross over a conveyer, the employer shall ensure that adequate crossing facilities are provided.

[EC2021-126, s. 3]

Section 30.18 Guards

30.18 (1) Where there is danger of injury to a worker from material falling from a conveyer, the employer shall ensure that sheet metal or screen guards are installed under a conveyer which is not entirely enclosed.

(2) The employer shall ensure that a belt conveyer is provided with adequate guards extending 1 060 mm (40 in.) from the pulleys and along the sides of the conveyer where there is danger of injury to a worker.

(3) The employer shall ensure that a screw conveyer is placed in metal troughs fitted with secured covers of not less than 3.2 mm (1/8 in.) thick metal plates in removable sections or other equivalent protection.

(4) The employer shall ensure that when a screw conveyer is fed from the floor level, adequate safeguards are provided around the opening.

[EC2021-126, s. 3]

Section 30.19 Prohibitions

30.19 (1) Unless the conveyer is stopped and locked out, a worker shall not stand on the supporting frames of an open conveyer while loading, unloading or when clearing blockages.

(2) A worker shall remove heavy or bulky articles by hand from a moving conveyer at designated stations only.

[EC2021-126, s. 3]

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT
R.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. O-1.01

Section 12 Duties of employers

12. (1) An employer shall ensure

(a) that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect the occupational health and safety of persons at or near the workplace;

(b) that any item, device, material, equipment or machinery provided for the use of workers at a workplace is properly maintained, and is properly equipped with the safety features or devices, as recommended by the manufacturer or required by the regulations;

(c) that such information, instruction, training, supervision and facilities are provided as are necessary to ensure the occupational health and safety of the workers;

(d) that workers and supervisors are familiar with occupational health or safety hazards at the workplace;

(e) that workers are made familiar with the proper use of all safety features or devices, equipment and clothing required for their protection; and

(f) that the employer's undertaking is conducted so that workers are not exposed to occupational health or safety hazards as a result of the undertaking.

(2) An employer shall

(a) consult and cooperate with the joint occupational health and safety committee or the representative, as applicable;

(b) cooperate with any person performing a duty or exercising a power conferred by this Act or the regulations;

(c) provide such additional training of committee members as may be prescribed by the regulations;

(d) comply with this Act and the regulations and ensure that workers at the workplace comply with this Act and the regulations; and

(e) where an occupational health and safety policy or occupational health and safety program is required under this Act, establish the policy or program.

(3) An employer shall establish and implement as a policy, in accordance with the regulations, measures to prevent and investigate occurrences of harassment in the workplace.

[S.P.E.I. 2018, c. 45, s. 3]