All employees, from the janitorial staff to company president, are responsible for safety.

Each
employee must work safely and assist other associates to operate safely, endeavoring to eliminate
all unsafe acts that lead to accidents. Ninety-six percent of all accidents are caused by human
error, carelessness, or the attitude, “It won’t happen to me.” Consequently, our personal safety
plus the safety of those around us are each employee’s responsibility. It is essential to obey all
work area rules and be alert for unsafe acts and conditions. Before a job is started, it needs to be
thought completely through and determined if it can be done safely. If it can’t be done safely,
don’t do the job until you obtain the proper equipment or develop the proper procedure to do the
job safely. It is important to realize the hazards associated with each job and not take any
shortcuts that might put you or your associates in the way of potential danger and serious
accidents. New employees must be trained about safety and about equipment hazards. In addition
to potential equipment hazards, new employees need to know

• Who to contact in an emergency

• What different alarms mean and what the proper

response is

• Location of all safety equipment (fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid)

• Where the muster point is

• The correct paperwork procedures in the event of

an accident or injured employee

• Who to contact

• The procedure for reporting accidents

• Their responsibility in the situation

Associates need to help each other. If you see fellow employees performing an unsafe act, tell
them and helpthem understand why it is unsafe. This is an act of caring and concern for our fellow
employees, not an act to belittle or make someone look foolish. The most important step in safety
is to understand the potential hazards, to realize you are not invincible and it can happen to you.
Follow procedures and think any job through thoroughly before starting to evaluate the potential
for injury to yourself and others. Don’t be the bull in the china shop, charging ahead without
thought. If a job can’t be done safely, don’t do it until procedures, methods, or equipment are
available to do it safely.

10.1 Hazards Associated with an Extruder The three biggest potential safety hazards associated
with extruders are burns, electrical shock, and falls. Without proper protective equipment, burns
can be commonplace for employees working around extruders. Burns are normally caused by
touching a hot die or unprotected twin screw extruder barrel sections and handling extrudate
without gloves. Long sleeves with properly approved thermal gloves should be worn when
working around the die, changing the die, tightening die bolts, or other functions performed on
the die. If insulation is placed around the die, make sure it is in Good shape and properly installed.
Barrel sections around vents and downstream feeding ports can be exposed and are hot. Proper
protective equipment will prevent burns when working around an extruder. Hot extrudate from
the extruder will stick to your skin. Since polymeric materials are great insulators, after sticking to
the skin they cool very slowly, continuing to burn the skin. Never stand in front of a die when a
twin screw extruder is starting up. Always wear safety glasses and a fase shield when working
around molten polymer, especially on start-up, when something unexpected can happen.
Sometimes air in the extruder and possibly gas from degraded products (if the extruder has been
sitting at temperature with material in the barrel) can spit out of the extruder on start-up. If some
polymer is left in the barrel, the air at start-up becomes compressed, building up pressure that
blows hot polymer out of the die. Standing in front of the extruder creates an excellent
opportunity for any molten polymer blown out of the die to land on you and burn you. Polymer
can stick to gloves, where it holds heat for a long time and can burn you through the gloves if the
proper type is not used. When removing the die and/or screw from an extruder (they are normally
hot), wear the proper protective equipment (heavy duty gloves and protective termal sleeves) to
prevent burns. Dies can be heavy; therefore, a back brace or other equipment to lift and hold the
die can prevent back injuries. The potential for electrical shock exists. Check the wires to the
heaters on the barrels, die, and adapters to ensure that there are no frayed, bare, or exposed
wires that can cause electrical shock. In some extrusión processes, water-cooling baths are very
close to the die, which can create additional electrical hazard. Unless properly trained, operators
should never remove guards, exposing electrical terminals on heaters, or open electrical cabinets
to solve electrical problems. The third major potential safety hazard around extruders is falls.
Pellets spilled on the floor are slippery and need to be removed immediately. At start-up the
extruder normally generates some scrap, which may be on the floor. This creates tripping hazards,
and the scrap must be removed immediately. Occasionally processing issues arise at start-up,
leading to a large quantity of 10 Extruder Safety material on the floor around the extruder. In
these situations, the extruder should be shut down, the area cleaned, and the extruder restarted.
Some extrusion processes use water for cooling. Water spills on the floor should be removed with
a wet/dry vacuum or squeegeed to a drain. Wet floors are very slippery and can cause falls. The
most dangerous area around an extruder is the exposed screw turning in the feed throat. Never,
never stick your hands or fingers into the extruder feed throat. If the screw is turning, there is
incredible power that can quickly remove a finger. If the feed throat is hot, you may also get
burned. The most dangerous time during extruder operation is at start-up. An extruder is a
pressure vessel. Material is being fed into one end, with a positive conveying mechanism (screw)
operating at high horsepower. If the die is blocked with solid plastic or contaminants, pressure can
build up very rapidly, generating high pressure (>10,000psi/68.95 MPa) at the extruder discharge.
At start-up, use a low screw speed and feed polymer (starve feed) at a very low rate while
monitoring the die pressure until polymer is flowing freely out the die. Once die flow is
established, the screw speed and feed rate can be safely increased. As mentioned previously,
never stand in front of an extruder during start-up in the event molten plastic is blown out of the
die under high pressure. Twin screw extruders are equipped with pressure gauges (discussed later)
that will shut the extruder off in the event excessive die pressure is present. Verify that the
pressure gauges are functioning properly. Die pressure shut-off limits can normally be set on the
control panel.
Once the pressure limit is reached, the extruder will automatically shut off and cannot be
restarted until the pressure is removed. Each extruder should be equipped with a fume Hood at
the die or vent port to remove any fumes generated by the extruder.

10.1.1 Hazards Associated with Takeoff Equipment The safety hazards associated with takeoff
equipment depend on the extrusion process and takeoff equipment. Pinch points associated with
nip rolls, pullers, and roll stacks are one potential safety hazard requiring careful operation. If two
operators are running equipment containing nip rolls, they must communicate to verify that all
operators are clear when nip rolls are closed. Loose fitting clothing can be caught in nip rolls or
pullers. Some lines have either rolling knives or straight knives to slit the edge. Knives need
guarding, and operators must use caution when working in the knife area. High-speed rotating
rolls present special hazards. Guards around all rolls and nip points need to be kept in place to
prevent injury. Arms, fingers, and hands can easily be pulled into high-speed rolling equipment,
causing severe personal injury or dismemberment. Scrap from start-up lying on the floor poses a
tripping hazard. This needs to be picked up and disposed of as soon as the line is running. In the
event scrap becomes a hazard due to start-up problems, the equipment needs to be shut down,
the area cleaned, and the line restarted. Noise above 80 decibels (dB) requires hearing protection
be used by all people in the area. If noise level is below 80 dB, employees may still want to wear
hearing protection to prevent long-term hearing loss. As you would with the extruder, identify
potential safety hazards associated with the takeoff equipment. Form an action plan to avoid any
potential hazards. Know where all emergency stop buttons are located and verify that they work.
Don’t take the approach, “It won’t happen to me.”

10.2 Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment exists to make jobs

safer. Determine what equipment is required to do the job safely and use it. Following is some of
the personal protective equipment available:

• Safety glasses with or without side shields

• Safety shoes

• Ear protection

• Gloves

• Thermal insulated gloves for hot applications

• Long sleeves

• Hard hats

• Face shield

• Goggles

• Back brace

• Wrist brace

• Floor mats
10.3 Lock-Out, Tag, and Clear Procedure Anyone working on equipment needs a personal lock with
his or her name on it and the only key. Prior to doing maintenance or other work on the
equipment, turn off the power switch and lock out the switch with your personal lock. Employees
working on the line need to attach their own lock. After locking out and tagging the equipment
prior to doing any work, each worker attempts to start the quipment to verify that it is off. Once
the maintenance or other work is completed, each worker removes his own

92 TWIN SCREW EXTRUSION

EXTRUDER SAFETY 93

individual lock before the equipment can be restarted. This procedure prevents somebody from
getting hurt while working on equipment when another person inadvertently starts the
equipment, thinking all line work has been completed.

10.4 Proper Training Don’t run any equipment without proper training and an understanding of
the potential safety hazards associated with the operation. Knowing where you can get hurt plus
understanding new equipment and how the control panel works is essential. Part of all training
includes

• Start-up and shutdown procedures

• Understanding all the caution or warning signs on

the machines

• Operating time on the equipment with an experienced operator

10.5 Inspection and Housekeeping Before each shift, evaluate the operating area and plant in
general, looking for unsafe conditions, e.g., tripping hazards, exposed wires, and water on the
floor. Determine what you are going to do on your shift and review the operation for safety. Good
housekeeping is directly related to safety. A cluttered, dirty area will lead to accidents and reflects
your attitude toward the job. A proper storage area for all tools and equipment makes the job
easier and the plant a better place to work.

10.6 Material Safety

Understand the materials you are using by reviewing the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).
Improper operating conditions or purging with the wrong materials can have serious
consequences. Over-heating PVC generates hydrochloric acid (HCl), which attacks the lungs as well
as plant equipment, causing rust. Extruding acetal (polyoxymethylene) followed by nylon, or vice
versa, generates formaldehyde when the two components are mixed in an extruder. Acetal
followed by PVC, or vice versa, also generates formaldehyde when mixed in an extruder. Acetal
will also react with fluorinated polymers or ionomers to give off formaldehyde. PVC has limited
thermal stability and should not be left in a hot extruder. PVC degrades in an autocatalytic
reaction, generating HCl. Proper purge material should be available to remove PVC from the barrel
if the extruder is going
to be shut down for an extended period. Operators who have the flexibility to change extruder
temperature profiles need to understand the upper processing limits when extruding PVC or other
temperature-sensitive polymers

Review Questions

1. What is the most dangerous time during extrusion and why?

2. Where are the most dangerous locations around an extruder and why?

3. What are some potential hazards associated with extrusion?

4. What is the “lock out, tag, and clear” procedure, and when should the procedure be used?

5. Why is housekeeping important?

6. What is a near miss?

7. What hazards are associated with takeoff equipment?

8. What is some personal protective equipment?

9. What materials should not be mixed with acetal in an extruder?

10. What happens if PVC is overheated?