Crushers
Crushers are essential tools for material processing, but they present significant mechanical hazards that require constant vigilance in smaller work environments. Prioritizing robust safety protocols ensures that your team remains protected while maintaining efficient daily operations.
About 86% of related real accidents concentrate in these types.
Key prevention
- Ensure all nip points and moving parts are fully enclosed with fixed guards that remain in place during operation.
- Implement a rigorous lockout-tagout procedure to completely de-energize equipment before any maintenance or clearing of blockages occurs.
- Require operators to wear close-fitting clothing and secure loose items to prevent entanglement with rotating components.
- Establish clear emergency stop protocols and verify that kill switches are easily accessible from every primary workstation.
- Conduct frequent visual inspections to identify worn components or structural damage before they lead to unexpected mechanical failure.
Related accident cases
While cleaning a crusher after stopping the machine, a worker's pinky finger was caught between the rotating and stationary parts when attempting to lift rocks.
While replacing a part on a grinder, an employee rolled their ankle, causing their little finger to get caught between the grinder's side wall and the part, resulting in injury.
A miner's left pinky and ring fingers were caught between the crusher rotor and housing while operating the crusher rotor. This incident occurred during crushing and grinding operations.
During crushing operations, a worker's hand became caught between a stone and the side of the crusher while attempting to move rocks.
A worker was caught while cleaning around a secondary pulverizer. This incident occurred during work involving pulverizers and crushers.