SAFETY IN CONVEYOR

Title 03/25/2023 1
 Conveyor Belt Safety

Construction Operation Maintenance

CONVEYOR SAFETY
In Erection
1. Conveyor Belt Pulling
2. Belt Vulcanization
3. Technological Structure Erection like chute , Pulley ,
Drives, Gear box ,idler , Frame and Roller

KEY ACTIVITIES
IN CONVEYORS
ERECTION
1. Belt Slippage
1. Failure of Winch machine
2. Failure of Lifting accessories like Hook , pulley and
clamps
3. Failure of Pulling lug or bolts .
4. Failure of belt clamps .
2 . Fall of Belt drums

HAZARDS IN CONVEYOR
BELT PULLING
 Selection of Winch machine
Winch machine to be selected by keeping the following in
mind
1.Capacity of Belt drum
2. Length of the Belt
3. Conveyor slope

FAILURE OF WINCH
MACHINE
 Rolling Load capacity
Percentage incline = height / length
Maximum Pull capacity for rolling type loads at various angles and incline
Percentage of incline Angle Multiple factor
5
10
WINCHING 3
6
10
6.67
20
30
SELECTION 11
17
5.02
2.61
50 26 1.86
70 35 1.53
100 45 1.29
 b ) Control Brake
4. If any Open gears are there , it should be guarded
POINTS TO BE
properly.
5.Winches shall not have less than two wraps of hoisting
ENSURED IN WINCH
rope on the drum when hook is extremely low position.
6. Winch machine can be equipped with over travel
MACHINE OPERATION
protection device .
7. Communication system (if radio or mobile ) should be
checked prior to start operation
 OTHER LIFTING
1. All other lifting accessories should be selected based
on theACCESSORIES
weight to be lifted
2. All Lifting accessories also inspected by third party
annually .
3. It should be visual inspected before staring any
erection activity
 FAILURE OF PULLING
LUG
1. All Pulling lug should be designed as per load to be
pulled by them .
2. Design calculation is hyperlinked here
 FAILURE OF BELTING
CLAMP
Belt Clamp are used to lock Conveyor belt while making final
vulcanizing conveyor belt joint .
Two separate Belt clamp will be used in both side of
conveyor belt

1. Standardized Belt Clamps should be used while doing final

vulcanizing conveyor belt joints .
2. Tension will be more in both side of conveyor belt while
doing Final joints .
3. Local made Belt clamp should not be used
CONVEYOR SAFETY
IN Operation
 5. Fixed Tripper Pulley

CONVEYOR IN
2.Pull cord Wires
3. Belt Sway Switch
OPERATION
4. Zero speed Indicator
5. Emergency Switch .
6.Hooter
reach but climbing can’t be avoided)
Interlocking guard-Machine can not set in motion until the
guard is closed. Access not possible
unless danger exist.
Automatic guards-Physically removed any part of the
body.

Self adjusting guard-Returning to close when complete.

TYPES OF GUARDS
 Most Properly Fixed Guards would be used in Conveyors

GUARDS IN CONVEYOR

Guards in Fixed Tripper Pulley Fixed Guards in Take up area

 Most Properly Fixed Guards would be used in Conveyors

GUARDS IN CONVEYOR

Guards in Fixed Head Pulley Fixed Guards in Tail pulley

 Most Properly Fixed Guards would be used in Conveyors

GUARDS IN CONVEYOR

Guards in Tripper Bend pulley Fixed Guards in Bend pulley

 Most Properly Fixed Guards would be used in Conveyors

GUARDS IN CONVEYOR

Guards in between gear box and Handrails with toe Guard near
Drive Chute
Developed through Owner/Management and Worker/Joint Health and Safety Committee.
The following factor shall be considered while designing guard.

 What and where is the in-running pinch point?

PINCH POINT
DIRECTION OF
BELT TRAVEL

Setting The Guarding Policy

What is the Safe Distance From
a Pinch Point?
 36”
PINCH POINT

DIRECTION OF
BELT TRAVEL
36” 36”

36”
The distance that you are required to guard around a
pinch point.
Distance from Point of Operation (in) Maximum Width of Opening (in)

0 to 1/2 Less than 1/4

1/2 to 2 1/2 1/4

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 3/8

3 1/2 to 6 1/2 5/8

6 1/2 to 17 1/2 1 1/4

17 1/2 to 36 1 7/8

Over 36 5
Lanyards or Pull wires:

PULL CORD WIRES

For accessible conveyors (less than 2.5
meters above the ground or from
any walkway), lanyards should be used in
preference to emergency stop
buttons. Lanyards should be supported
every 4.5m and cause the
conveyor to stop in the event of their
being pulled in any direction,
breaking, slackening or removal
CONVEYOR
Emergency Stop Buttons: IN
OPERATION
If the conveyor is accessible (less
than 2.5m above the
ground or walkway),
in
the absence of a lanyard an
emergency stop button must be
located every 30m.
Emergency Stop buttons should
be:

* Red
* Prominently marked
* Readily accessible
* Mushroom head latch in or
lock in with manual reset.
 OTHER SAFETY DEVICES
IN CONVEYOR
Belt sway cut off switch
-The belt sway switch function in two ways; detecting
any deviation or sway in conveyor belt and providing an
alarm and sending out signal to stop conveyor.
 OTHER SAFETY DEVICES
IN CONVEYOR
Zero speed switch
Zero speed switches are used to detect the stoppage of a
Conveyor belt even though Drive is running .
 HOOTER
1.Before starting conveyor Siren to be given for 2 – 3
minutes.
2.Siren’s sound should be different if two conveyors are
nearby.
 Conveyor crossing approach Road.
Example – If a conveyor is 6 feet above a walkway or area is 50 feet above the ground
or road , it needs to be guarded with proper seal plate .
Water Sprinkler System to be installed as per
design

No of Water Sprinkler depends upon

1.Area of Stock Pile

2.Height of Stock Pile
3. what type of materials are stored in stock
pile
4. How much quantity materials are stored

water sprinkling System

In DSS is one the system used to reduce dust
while transferring materials in conveyor
In DSS , water & air will be mixed in Flow
activation switch. Hence Dry Fog will be
produced which will suppress the Dust produced
on the Conveyor

Dust Suppression System

CONVEYOR SAFETY
In Maintenance
Lock out and Tag out procedure to be followed while doing any Maintenance work
.
Lock out and Tag-out involves the following basics
1.Brining the machine complete stop
2. Disconnecting all the machine’s sources of power : electric , pneumatic ,
hydraulic , Mechanical and Thermal .
3.Dissipating all accumulated energy and checking absence of energy .
4. Lock should be provided near control panel .
5. Tag Should be provided near panel saying that “Persons are working “
6. Permit should be taken from LOTO officer .

Conveyor in Maintenance
Lock out and Tag-out involves the following basics
7. Permit should be return back after ensuring the following
a) Ensure that all workmen came out from working place
b) All Safety devices are taken off (like any discharge rods )

Conveyor in Maintenance
Lock out and Tag-out involves the following basics
7. Permit should be return back after ensuring the following
a) Ensure that all workmen came out from working place
b) All Safety devices are taken off (like any discharge rods )

Conveyor in Maintenance
 Case study – 1

Activity Need to be done

The bend pulley at EL +34 m (as shown in fig) was to be replaced by a new
one.
Precautions has been taken :-
1.Electrical Isolation was done at the control room by TPCL and the same was
registered in the Log Book maintained by them.
2.To facilitate ease of removal, slackness was to be given to the belt near the
bend pulley. The counter weight (10MT) was released 500mm approximately and
was held in position by means of two chain pulley blocks (each 10MT capacity).
3.Once the required slackness was obtained, two belt clamps made of ISMC
150mm of 3000 mm long “A” and “B” (as shown in fig) were fixed. These
channels were placed back to back and fixed by means of 4 nos of M24 bolts. The
belt was 1800mm wide and 22mm thick.
 Case study – 1

Additional Precautions has been done

To further maintain the slackness near the bend pulley, one more belt clamp “C”
was fixed with the help of two chain pulley blocks.
 
O7 workmen were engaged for replacing the bend pulley. Victim was engaged in
removing the mounting bolts of Plummer block. During this operation, he was
standing on the conveyer belt. The work was carried out for one and a half hour
with the same belt clamping arrangement. Suddenly the belt slipped at the location
“A" (at +43mtr) due to the failure of the clamp. the victim was dragged inside the
pulley as he was standing over the belt. Immediately the co-workers and staff have
cut the belt to pull him apart. He was Immediately shifted to the near-by hospital
were the doctors declared him brought dead.
Case study – 1
Case study – 1
Case study – 1
 Case study – 1
Direct Causes: 
The Victim was standing over the belt for carrying out the work.
The nip points were not suitably guarded. Victim was working very close to the
nip point of the bend pulley
Failure of the belt clamp (non-standard site fabricated). 20 mm permanent
deformation was observed in the centre of the clamp. Since the belt was only 22
mm thick, the clamping arrangement did not fully serve the purpose for which it
was used – thereby leading to slippage of the belt.
Since the belt clamp was fabricated at site, design validation for the clamp was
not done.
Failure to check the clamping arrangement by site personnel before the start of
job.
Cutting the belt took longer time
4.2) Root Causes:
 
Work Permit / Lock out and Tag out Procedures were ineffective.
Even though the JSA was done for the job, it was very generic and the hazard
was not envisaged.
Workmen engaged at the site did not have knowledge on the risk / hazards of
the job.
Safe Work Method was very generic.
Inadequate supervision at the work place. (Workmen should have been
prevented from standing on top of the belt).
No Emergency response procedure was in place.
 

Case study – 1
 Case study – 1
5.1) What are the precautions to prevent similar occurrence?
Safe operating procedure shall be made for the job and workmen shall be
educated on the hazards.
Design validation shall be obtained for any site made equipment or accessories.
Standard belt clamps shall be used for such works.
Workers competency level shall be verified before engaging in the job. Job
allocation shall be done based on the skill.
Adequate training shall be given to the workmen on hazards at his work place
and safety precautions
Competent and continuous supervision shall be ensured at the workplace.
Mechanised cutting machine shall be used to cut the belt so that process of
rescue becomes faster.
 
THANK YOU