This photo was sent to me the other day by one of the guys who attended our Foundations™ Conveyor Operations Training. He thought it would be something useful and interesting. I can - and will - use it for my training workshops, and I do find it interesting.
As an instructor of Conveyor Operations & Maintenance Training, I have always taught that any return roll over a walkway or roadway needs to have a catch basket. These baskets are intended to catch the roll if it were to get damaged and fall unexpectedly. As you can see, this happens.
Once, I was told a story about a guy who was sitting in a truck under a conveyor. While sitting in the truck, a return roll fell from the conveyor and crashed through his window, killing him instantly. That is the reason - a HUGE reason - why return rolls must be guarded. I don’t know if the story is true, exaggerated, or just a tall tale...the person who shared it with me was a great story teller, so I have some doubts. Regardless of whether or not that one instance is true, return rolls should be guarded.
If the return roll is in close enough proximity for a worker to access or reach (even with a tool), it is a nip point and needs to be guarded. If the roll is located over an area where workers will be present, no matter the elevation, then a catch basket should be used.
The photo that was sent to me doesn’t lie. Even if the story I was told was fabricated, there is no denying it can happen. If you’re not guarding return rolls properly, and the ones I see in the field rarely are, you can do more to protect your co-workers.
comments