Four steps to maintain equipment safely

Properly maintaining conveyors and other equipment can prevent accidents and injuries and avoid costly repairs. Photo: P&Q Staff

Safety is top of mind in the mining industry – and for good reason.

In what can be considered an inherently risky business, maintaining a safe work environment is essential to not only keeping employees out of harm’s way, but reducing risk, avoiding downtime and ensuring operations run efficiently and smoothly. No matter the size of the operation or the materials being mined, safety is of utmost importance.

In addition to following local and national safety protocols, implementing the tips presented within this article can make operations safer, as well as demonstrate a company’s commitment to doing the right thing by its workforce.

Tips for safe maintenance

1. Foster a safety-first culture. Prioritize safety by facilitating ongoing conversations about its importance, and encourage employees to voice safety concerns with supervisors. Empower crews to raise red flags about safety, vulnerabilities and risks. Those who help improve safety should be applauded and recognized for their efforts.

2. Maintain equipment. Equipment is essential for processing, sorting and crushing materials, but machines need to be durable and dependable. Properly maintaining conveyors and other equipment can prevent accidents and injuries and avoid costly repairs.

One way to do this is by creating and sticking to a maintenance schedule. Create a log of all equipment in use, including key points in need of inspection. The log should track when inspections are done, who performed the inspection and how equipment fared on all inspection points.

Outdoor equipment is more susceptible to environmental damage, and it should be inspected regularly. It doesn’t take long for rust to develop – especially on equipment exposed to the elements – so it’s important to prevent rust from happening or take care of it as soon as it’s found.

3. Choose safer maintenance products. A little research can go a long way. Whether choosing a lubricant, cleaner or degreaser – or a rust management solution – producers should select products that are safe for people and the environment.

4. Prioritize employee training. Offer ongoing training to ensure safety is top of mind. Training employees increases their engagement and efficiency, ensures proper use of equipment and, ultimately, goes a long way toward ensuring compliance with Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) and other safety standards.

Final thought

Take the time to train all employees on how to protect themselves and equipment with a no-shortcuts approach to properly using equipment. MSHA, for example, offers a range of safety training videos that are free and contain critical information to keep teams safe.

Erin Bala is senior brand experience, engagement and innovation director at WD-40.