Reference book presents conveyor safety best practices

Martin Engineering published a reference book dedicated to reducing conveyor risk and injuries.

Modeled after the company’s “Foundations” reference volume, now in its fourth edition, “Foundations for Conveyor Safety” from Martin Engineering provides a collection of information assembled to help conveyor system operators achieve safe production. To assess the value of safety, the book features methodology for calculating the payback from safety investments, sometimes referred to as “ROS” for “return on safety.”

“This work is based on the premise that the extraction and processing of bulk materials can be done safely and profitably by applying global best practices for conveyor safety and design,” says Ed Peterson, Martin Engineering chairman. “The first step to true productivity is safety. If a conveyor, a plant or an industry is not safe, it cannot maximize productivity.”

Adds Todd Swinderman, observed lead author who has been an officer and chair of a number of Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association standards writing committees: “This book is really a global roundup of best practices to keep safe those who must work on or around belt conveyors. Part of that is recognizing the hazards, hardware systems and work practices that will improve safety. But it also includes methodologies on how to design conveyors to be safer and how to justify the expenses for those improved systems.”

According to Martin Engineering, the new volume is a collaboration of experts with experience in bulk material handling. It is designed to educate readers by identifying hazards, danger zones and unsafe work practices around conveyors, helping to raise awareness among management, operators and maintenance personnel.

“The book’s first section discusses the dangers and potential hazards of conveyors, based on decades of experience in bulk handling,” says Daniel Marshall, product engineer. “That includes descriptions of the areas and components that pose inherent risks, as well as the unsafe practices that could lead to serious injuries or fatalities. Understanding the risks is the first step toward accident prevention.”

“Foundations for Conveyor Safety” will be available to Martin Engineering customers and by request – in print and digital formats – and will be used in conjunction with “Foundations” in the company’s conveyor safety training classes.

The book can be downloaded for free at: martin.hostservices.net.