10/15/23, 10:41 AM SPC/tech/si1/05 Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty belt conveyors

Health and Safety

Executive

Home News Guidance About HSE Books Free updates Contact

Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty

belt conveyors
SPC/TECH/SI1/05
Version No: 2
OG Status: Fully Open
Author Section: HID SI1 mines
Issue Date: September 2010
Review Date September 2013
To SI1 Mines Inspectorate

Purpose

Background information and current industry standards

What has changed?

The need for a risk based approach

Further information

Purpose
This circular draws attention to the potentially high risks posed by accessible nip points at conventional
conveyor idlers on heavy-duty belt conveyors.

Background information and current industry standards

1. The mining industry is already aware of the potential dangers arising from 'nip hazards' on belt conveyor
systems and over the last twenty years a policy has evolved of nip point guarding the main system rollers on
belt conveyors. These include the drive rollers, delivery rollers, return rollers, loop rollers, and deflection
rollers. The process has been a progressive one, usually in response to an accident resulting from ineffective

https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/spc_tech_si1_05.htm 1/6
10/15/23, 10:41 AM SPC/tech/si1/05 Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty belt conveyors

peripheral guarding. The success of adopting nip point guarding at these vulnerable points on the system is
demonstrated by the fact that the numbers of nip point accidents have reduced where they have been provided.

2. In addition to the above mentioned main system rollers, nip points also exist at every support idler roller. The
risk of serious injury posed by these has however been regarded as quite low and accident experience has
supported this view. This perceived low risk and the practical difficulty of effectively guarding every idler roller
nip point on a conveyor system, has led to an industry wide toleration of unguarded idler roller nip points,
except for certain places where idler roller guarding has traditionally been provided.

3. These exceptions are usually found where the nip force and risk of serious injury is higher than that normally
encountered eg where there is increased pressure between idler rollers and the belt, or where there is an
increase likelihood of persons making inadvertent contact with the nip point. Hence it has become common
practice to guard idler rollers at:

anti-clines and changes of gradient, where the idlers are more heavily loaded than normal.

anti-spillage skirts at loading points, where the conveyor belt may be held down against the idlers by
the skirt plates.

under-passes, materials storage areas and maintenance points under conveyors, where the
probability of persons making contact with a rotating bottom idler maybe high.

4. At such locations, peripheral guards, or nip point guards, have normally been provided to address the
increased risk. The decision as to which type to use has depended on site-specific practicalities and overall
effectiveness.

What has changed?

5. Over the past five to ten years, the size of conveyor systems used in the deep coal mining industry has
increased significantly. Whereas previously, the average drive power of a conveyor ranged from 60kW (80hp)
to 180kW (240hp), it is now commonly 450kW (600hp) to 750kW (1000hp), Other changes include:

The conveyor belt has increased in size and weight, typically from 0.9m wide type 6 belt, to 1.2m
wide type 8 belt and larger.
The belt weight and mineral load per unit length has increased, while idler roller spacing has
remained the same.

Idler rollers have increased in width, diameter and weight.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/spc_tech_si1_05.htm 2/6
10/15/23, 10:41 AM SPC/tech/si1/05 Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty belt conveyors

Belt pretensions and the gravitational effects on inclines have increased.

6. These changes have led to an increase in the nip point force on heavy-duty conveyor top ad bottom idler
rollers and the greater width of idler rollers, particularly bottom idler rollers, has increased the general
accessibility of nip points.

7. The net result is that there is now a significant increase in the risk of injury posed by heavy-duty conveyor
idler rollers. This coupled with the industry's reliance on out-dated prescriptive requirements for guarding, is
leading to situations where high risk nip points are not being appreciated, identified and adequately addressed.

8. Several accidents have occurred on heavy duty conveyor belt idler rollers, indicating the need to examine:
Under-passes forming part of travelling routes for persons;

Places where access is needed for maintenance purposes, particularly in front of drives, or behind
loops in the conveyor belt;

Underneath raised conveyors, where materials and tools, or other equipment are often stored;

Underneath raised conveyors where dinting, or cleaning operations need to be performed;

In-line bottom belt main-riding boarding platforms, where persons using the platform may make
inadvertent contact with a top belt idler roller above them;

Conveyor bridges between the bottom and top strands of a conveyor, where persons may make
contact with at top belt idler roller;
Fines conveyors, under the bottom strand of a heavy-duty conveyor, where persons carrying out
maintenance may make contact a bottom belt idler roller.

The need for a risk based approach

9. A number of factors need to be considered when performing a hazard assessment and determining the
control measures needed to address the increased risks on heavy-duty conveyors. As it is not possible to
prescribe the exact control measure for every situation, a risk-based approach should be adopted. The two
main factors to consider are:

Degree of hazard (likely severity of injury)

This will be determined largely by the pressure between the belt and the idler roller. For example, if the
stationary conveyor belt cannot be lifted off the idler by a person using one hand, it is likely that the control

https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/spc_tech_si1_05.htm 3/6
10/15/23, 10:41 AM SPC/tech/si1/05 Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty belt conveyors

measures described in Paragraphs 10 – 12 below will need to be applied.

Likelihood of access to the NIP point

This will be determined by the height of the nip in relation to the activities that could be performed at that
location, also, the separating distance between the nip point and the likely position of employees that might
make contact with it.

10. The control measures applied to prevent injury to persons will need to be appropriate for the risk and follow
the hierarchical approach described in Regulation 4 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 and Regulation 11 of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. These
can be summarized as:

Where possible, the nip hazard should be eliminated at source.

Where elimination is not possible, employees should be prevented from gaining access, by effective
guarding, (which might be a temporary guard fitted only for the duration of the task in hand), or
where this is not practicable, by clear instruction, training, supervision and education to enhance
hazard awareness and knowledge of safe working procedures.

11. Where it is necessary for employees to work close to unguarded nips, the work should be controlled by a
permit to work system in compliance with the requirements of Regulation 6 and Schedule 1 Part 1 of The Mines
Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations 1995. This should ensure that the control measures
necessary for a safe system of work are in place.

12. The permit to work system should require appropriate measures to be taken to ensure that the conveyor is
stationary and cannot restart or move, by any means, while employees are at risk. This will usually require the
conveyor's driving power to be isolated and securely locked off.

Further information
For further information, please contact HID SI1 (Mines Inspectorate), Edgar Allen House, 241 Glossop Road,
Sheffield, S10 2GW. Telephone 0114 291 2390.

A simple approach to risk assessment of NIP points:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/spc_tech_si1_05.htm 4/6
10/15/23, 10:41 AM SPC/tech/si1/05 Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty belt conveyors

Note: where there is a likelihood of a peripheral guard being removed for cleaning or maintenance purposes, a
nip guard should be provided, where a rotational hazard exists in addition to the nip hazard, a nip guard and
peripheral guard should be provided.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/spc_tech_si1_05.htm 5/6
10/15/23, 10:41 AM SPC/tech/si1/05 Idler roller nip hazards on heavy duty belt conveyors

Link URLs in this page

1. Operational guidance
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/index.htm
2. Semi Permanent Circulars
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/index.htm
3. Administration
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/administration/index.htm
4. Enforcement
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/enforcement/index.htm
5. Permissioning
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/permissioning/index.htm
6. Technical General
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_general/index.htm
7. Technical Onshore
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_ld1_4/index.htm
8. Technical Mining
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/index.htm
9. Technical Offshore
https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_osd/index.htm

HSE aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. Information in other languages

https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_si1/spc_tech_si1_05.htm 6/6