Pottal Pool Quarry is one of Hanson’s sand and gravel operations in Staffordshire. In common with a high percentage of quarries, the inclined conveyors have walkways along one side only. When the need arises to change the brackets supporting the return idlers, (other than near ground level), the job takes 40 minutes per bracket, half of which entails the fitter wearing a full safety harness, lying on his back on boards inserted into the conveyor trestle structure.
Workforce participation resulted in the design of a bracket, which can be fitted in half the time, and from one side of the conveyor only, the fixing bolts being located on the walkway side only. (Clearly, harnessed-access is still needed, albeit for some five minutes only, whilst cutting away the old bracket on the non-walkway side).
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