| Hydraulically operated feeder safety plate |
The material from the ballast stockpile on this site had to be taken to the main plant using belt feeders. To access the material, a concrete structure was built to move in and out of. The danger existed in the recovery tunnel. Here the three feeders would require maintenance, but this was potentially dangerous as material could fall from the pile above onto the feeders – creating an entrapment hazard for operatives.
So a safety plate was put in place to slide across and cover the gap which existed above the belt feeders. A hydraulic system was used which enabled the plate to move without workers having to place and remove it, which took away a potential manual handling issue too.
So overall, this measure has taken away the danger of workers becoming trapped or injured by the ballast stockpile and removed any need for operatives to physically move and remove the plate.
This entry was highly commended.
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