• HEALTH AND SAFETY
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF CONVEYOR SERVICE AND SAFETY TRAINING( PART1)
By R. Todd Swinderman, president emeritus, Martin Engineering
belt can store elastic energy even when Lock-Out Tag-Out procedures are followed and why additional securing of the belt is required. Further, with the retirement of many experienced operators and mechanics – and the difficulty in finding new employees – it becomes critical that new employees understand the basics of conveyor design and operation.
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Maintenance personnel should receive advanced conveyor training, so that they can analyse cause-and-effect relationships.
Are you just checking the boxes by doing required training hours, or is your goal to get a return on your investment? There can be huge improvements in production, maintenance labour, risk avoidance and cashflow by training employees on how to safely control fugitive materials in bulk material handling, and then implementing changes. Unfortunately, ' half measures don’ t get half results ', so training alone won’ t be sufficient. Following through on what has been learned is the key.
Training should be robust enough to break the“ we’ ve always done it that way” mentality and encourage creativity in problem solving with safety at the forefront of the design. Companies that place a priority on safety – and address fugitive material problems seriously – benefit from fewer safety incidents, less regulatory oversight and higher productivity and profits.
The online Martin ® Foundations™ Learning Center1 draws from the collective knowledge and expertise gathered over nearly 80 years of solving bulk handling challenges. Aimed at apprentice technicians and experienced engineers alike, the non-commercial information is offered at no charge and is accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone. An extension of the Foundation’ s training curriculum, the Learning Center uses a mix of text, photos, videos, webinars, online events and live experts available to answer questions.
Basic training Employees operating, cleaning or maintaining conveyors should be trained in the hazards of belt conveyors and bulk material handling. Operators and cleaning crews should have a basic understanding of what normal conveyor operation is and what the common problems are, so they can be aware that there are ways to reduce day-to-day problems such as spillage and belt wander.
Basic training includes topics such as guarding, identifying problems and safe work practices. Appropriate safety training emphasises how the
Advanced training The engineering and maintenance staff should be additionally trained in fundamental conveyor design concepts, so they can analyse causeand-effect relationships. Quite often the visible signs of poor conveyor operation are not the root cause of the problem. For example, using guide rollers to force the belt to track does not address the fundamental reason for the belt mistracking and usually results in belt edge damage.
Sometimes training is on a specific piece of equipment with the goal of creating trainers who can educate the rest of the maintenance department. This approach works well with certain types of equipment but ends up with one or two motivated and well-versed technicians who can troubleshoot.
A mechanic trained in installing problem solving components will run into myriad physical constraints. First, the original conveyor design and subsequent modifications can make it impossible to install equipment according to the manufacturer’ s instructions without a complete redesign. Second, often structural obstructions or conveyor arrangements don’ t allow enough room for installation, clear views for inspection, or access for safe and easy maintenance access according to industry standards.
Conveyor design training for engineers and mechanics is critical so that they can diagnose problems with an understanding of fundamental design methods. Systems are incrementally modified over time to minimise problems when belt speed and capacity exceed the original design specifications. No two conveyors are identical and even twin conveyors side by side can act differently. So, adhering to standard design methods allows one technician to make these slight adjustments and another technician to recognise the intentions even without the prior technician present.
Training for results Training alone rarely results in meaningful actions to improve conveyor performance. When management understands the clear links between safety, cleanliness and productivity, it is much easier to turn training into results. There are many variations of how this can work, but most success stories have common threads:
• Basic training in conveyor hazards and methods for controlling fugitive materials
• Training in conveyor design fundamentals and the root causes of common problems
• Management participation in the training to show support
• A pilot programme and measured results
• A long-term plan implemented from a successful pilot program
Keep an eye out for Part 2 in African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror July 2025 issue, where Swinderman addresses the“ how to”. •
References:
1. https:// foundations. martin-eng. com / learningcenter
Source: The Swinderman Scale of Fugitive Materials, Martin Engineering, R. Todd Swinderman. Aug, 2004. https:// foundations. martin-eng. com / learning-center / learning-center / measuring-fugitive-materials-from-beltconveyors-part-2
26 • African Mining • June 2025 www. africanmining. co. za