Page 48 - HUB-4 Magazine Issue 83

Quarrying News
Guarding Best Practices
The logical solution to guarding by location is to simply install guards and baskets to protect workers from lateral and overhead hazards, while still offering safe and easy access. For maximum risk reduction, all nip points, shear points and moving or rotating components should be guarded, regardless of location or access.
It would be far better (and safer) to standardize on a few mesh sizes and mounting distances allowing maintenance workers to build guards to a short list of materials, using standard mounting distances and eliminating the use of the gauges. Below is the recommendation included in Martin Engineering’s book FOUNDATIONS for Conveyor Safety.
Mesh sizes and mounting distances
Put an End to the Myth
Despite its nearly global acceptance as a concept in industrial safety, the practice of guarding by location remains a particular problem for overhead conveyor applications. It’s time to accept that as far as conveyors are concerned, ‘guarding by location’ is a myth. As such, it’s a concept that should be abandoned in order to make conveyors -- and those who work on and around the equipment -- safer.
All moving or rotating components should be guarded, regardless of location.
However, there is also no global standard for guard mesh sizes and mounting distance from the hazard. Most standards use a gauge to measure the distance which varies by mesh size. When a bulk material handling guard is placed relatively close to a hazard it greatly reduces the ability to inspect components without removing the guard, thereby encouraging guard removal for routine inspections.
R. Todd Swinderman, P.E. / CEO Emeritus / Martin Engineering
R. Todd Swinderman served as President of the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers’ Association and is a member of the ASME B20 committee on conveyor safety. Swinderman retired from Martin Engineering to establish his own engineering firm, currently serving the company as an independent consultant.
Daniel Marshall, Process Engineer, Martin Engineering
Daniel Marshall has presented at more than fifteen conferences and is sought after for his expertise and advice. He was also one of the principal authors of Martin’s FOUNDATIONSTM The Practical Resource for Cleaner, Safer, and More Productive Dust & Material Control, Fourth Edition, widely used as one of the main learning textbooks for conveyor operation and maintenance.
March | April 2024
AGGREGATE WASHING & SCREENING – static & mobile washing, hoppers, conveyors, cyclones, pumps, trommels, log washers, filter press, plate press, flocculants, scrubbers, separators, lignite plant, de-waterers, classifiers, belt weighing, contract washing
PUMPS - Centrifugal Slurry, Sludge, Submersible, Site Dewatering & Site Water Management.
RECYCLING - Open topics for this issue
BULK HANDLING - Open topics for this issue
Editorial copy deadline – 12th March 2024 Advert copy deadline – 19th March 2024
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www.hub-4.com Nov/Dec- Issue 83