PLANT & MACHINERY SAFETY FUNCTIONAL SAFETY
Jorgen Saxeryd, Safety Products and Functional Safety Advisor to ABB’s food and beverage program, explains how
safety procedures must be developed in food processing plants.
In 2014 in the UK, a large food manufacturer had to pay an £800,000 fine after a serious industrial accident. An engineer was trapped by the machinery while examining a conveyor belt and suffered major injury and ongoing nerve damage. An investigation revealed that this dangerous accident could have been prevented if a guard was in place on the machine.
Across the globe, there are a variety of different regulations for food processing plants. In particular, North America and Europe have strict regulations for safety in these potentially dangerous environments. This also applies to the safety of employees in the processing plants and employers who fail to make adequate safety considerations can face large fines. Not only can authorities enforce these in the case of accidents, they can also be enforced during regular inspections.
In Europe, the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC requires machinery to be designed and built so it can be used safely. In food processing plants, there are many dangerous machines for which plant managers should follow safety regulations, or the plants could face closure or high fines. Machines such as decanters, operate at high centrifugal forces and it is not uncommon for the machine's g-forces to reach more than 2,000 times gravitational force. This is clearly a dangerous environment for employees to work in, however as these machines are essential for use, the key concept is the management of risk.
In the 1970s, the increase in heavy machinery, such as the creation of the steel press, led to increased safety guards. Since then, many safety conscious companies undertake a risk analysis in the initial stages of machine development.
In the case of decanters, it is not possible to remove the risk, but it is possible to mitigate the risk to an acceptable level by putting safety guards such as enclosures or emergency stops into place.
Often, companies find it too difficult to manage the complex world of safety regulations alone. In this case, it is always better to consult professional services rather than to not comply with the regulations, as this could be a costly mistake. ABB’s experts can provide specific advice on regulations, which also takes into account the needs of food processing plants.
As companies become more knowledgeable about regulations and regulations become more stringent, the need for retrofitting old equipment with additional safety measures may arise. Although it may seem instinctive, where there is a dangerous moving machine, the safest answer is not always to shut it away behind an enclosure or barrier.
THE COST OF
38
www.tomorrowshs.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
