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PLAYING
IT SAFE
Todd Swinderman, Martin Engineering, discusses the methods
that can be used in the planning, design and installation stages
of a conveyor system to alleviate workplace hazards and extend
the life of the conveyor itself.
A
ll new conveyor systems will inevitably
succumb to the punishing bulk
handling environment and begin the
slow process of degradation. The
system will eventually require more time and
labour for maintenance, shorter spans between
outages, longer periods of downtime and an
ever-increasing cost of operation. This period
is also accompanied by an increased chance
of injury or fatality as workers are progressively
exposed to the equipment to perform cleaning,
maintenance and to fabricate short-term fixes to
long-term problems. A total system replacement
is cost prohibitive, but to remain compliant and/or
meet ever-increasing production demands,
upgrades and repairs are unavoidable.
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