Mechanical Accidents

1. The drives of all the machines are a potential threat for accidents. A moving belt can break and fly and hit a person in the vicinity. Accidental insertion of hand or foot between a driving chain and chain wheel or between two gears will result in serious casualty. Therefore, insist upon covering the moving parts of a driving mechanism with properly designed guards.
2. Moving parts of some machines themselves are potential threat for accidents. Moving screw of a screw conveyor or moving chain of a chain conveyor can cause accidents in case they are not properly covered. Similarly moving chain or belt of bucket elevator or moving screw lift are potentials threats for accidents.
3. A frequent accident spot in the preparatory section of a solvent extraction plant is the space between two moving rolls of a cracker or a flaker. Several operators have lost their fingers by inserting a hand in these to catch a flying nut or bolt or stone which has come along with the feed material. Insist upon closing the cover of the machine when it is running so that the operator is not tempted to insert his hand.
4. The innocent looking rotary valve in an extraction plant can be a deadly source of accident. Many operators have lost their arms by inserting their hand in the rotor of the moving rotary valve. Therefore, the chutes at the feed and discharge ends of a rotary valve should be long enough so that a person cannot reach the moving rotor by inserting his hand.
5. The inspection doors in a hopper or chute of any machine shall be so located that it is far enough from the moving part of machine so that the hand inserted through this door cannot reach the moving part.
6. All machines with moving parts shall be provided with safety switches for their motors. Thus when a machine is under repair or maintenance its safety switch shall be in `OFF' position, so that the motor cannot be started by anybody accidentally pushing the starter button.
7. A main safety switch in each operating floor of a plant and preparatory and bagging sections shall be installed to switch off the entire plant in case of an emergency at any part of the plant.
8. Incidents of personnel in a plant getting electrical shocks are well known. This happens generally due to the incompetent people meddling with electrical equipment such as starters, fuses etc. where electrically live terminals and wires are existing. Therefore, only competent electricians shall be allowed to handle such equipment.
9. All the electrical equipment in the plant such as motors, starters, push buttons shall be well earthed to avoid electrical shocks in case of short-circuiting of the power anywhere. So also the entire plant shall be well earthed.
10. Spillage of oil, miscella etc. on the floor and, especially on the staircases, shall be avoided and in case of any such spillage, it shall be thoroughly cleaned immediately to avoid slipping of foot of the personnel in the plant.