The Growing Importance Of Conveyor Safety

All over the world, goods of all types are being shuffled from one place to another via a conveyor. They are utilized in manufacturing, plastics, food and beverage, printing, distribution, recycling, mining, etc. Conveyors transport products like boxes, tires, food, trash, rocks, coal, and even items deemed too heavy for team members quickly and safely throughout a facility. As consumer demands increase in these diverse industries, conveyors help maintain an efficient and successful production process. The type of conveyor used in any environment can vary just as much as the products they move.

Most Common Types Of Conveyor Systems

Four of the most common conveyors are belt conveyors, roller conveyors, powered roller conveyors, and overhead conveyors. Belt conveyors, often called conveyor belts, are among the most popular for moving a mass amount of product such as coal, rocks, or trash. Roller conveyors, non-powered, are used chiefly for items like boxes, and when installed at a downward angle, the force of gravity pushes the products along. The downside to this type of conveyor system is that you can’t control how quickly the items make their way through the system, how close they are to each other, and any potential collision damage. A way to combat this and cut back on losses is by using powered roller conveyors. Powered roller conveyors are a roller conveyor system, except with this system, the rollers are not free moving allowing you to control the rate of speed and prevent objects from colliding.

One of the most significant negatives of these three conveyor systems is that they can be in the way; they’re a physical barrier that can congest your work floor. In this instance, an overhead conveyor system is commonly used. Overhead conveyors are installed above the main work floor and are typically a safe option as they are unreachable1, drastically cutting down on employee/conveyor interactions. However, this can also be negative as individuals working beneath the conveyor can fall victim to items falling from the system.

What Can Go Wrong

There are several more types of conveyor systems and even more variations, but the overall purpose remains the same: move products. With such a diverse range of conveyor systems operating at different speeds and angles, it’s not surprising that things can go wrong. As mentioned previously, one such instance is people being struck by objects falling from the conveyor.

Conveyors typically move at a fluid pace, but occasionally, a jam of products can occur, potentially due to human error or a malfunction with the system itself. Backups can lead to an overflow situation causing items to topple over the edges and fall below. Debris may dislodge and become airborne on quick-moving systems often seen in the recycling industry, striking people in the surrounding area. The best way to prevent these types of incidents is through conveyor netting, which is versatile and easily installed.

Conveyor Safety Netting

We offer three types of conveyor netting, light-duty, heavy-duty, and heavy-duty with a debris liner. Light duty conveyor netting is best used to contain more delicate items like clothes or small electronics. Heavy-duty conveyor netting can withstand high temperatures and the weight of a heavy-duty conveyor belt, making it an excellent option for more intense environments. Our last option is the heavy-duty conveyor net with a debris liner. It has all the same features as the heavy-duty net and has a fire retardant debris net liner to catch dirt and debris that may fall from the conveyor.

Our conveyor safety netting can be configured in several ways and is designed to be used with multiple panels up to 50 ft. each to accommodate the entire length of a conveyor system. We do not recommend long runs of the net, anything over 50 ft., because they are hard to handle and difficult to install. Our nets have a rope border and snap hooks pre-installed every 4 ft. We do not advise ordering continuous netting for long runs to cut in the field, as you will be compromising the strength of the netting system. If you require netting longer than 50 ft., we advise purchasing shorter panels and connecting them with snap hooks, making handling and installation much more manageable.

Below you will find diagrams of how our conveyor netting system can be installed using heavy-duty conveyor netting for reference.

Check out our conveyor netting guide for more information on the nets, and if you have any questions or would like to explore custom options, please feel free to give us a call at 814-455-9400, and we would be happy to assist you.

SOURCES: https://ocssystem.co.uk/conveyor-expertise/different-types-of-conveyor-systems/

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