| Paddle mixer inching tool |
Cleaning the Miller Paddle type mixer at this Lutterworth plant was a concern for Lafarge Aggregates. A member of staff physically entered the mixer, which was electrically isolated, and pushed the shaft and arms round using his feet and body weight. The mixer shaft had a point of balance – when past that point, the shaft and arms continued to turn and could not be stopped. There was a real risk of entrapment and of slipping.
To overcome this, a cranking handle was attached to the motor, allowing the shaft to be halted from outside the mixer. So that the handle does not fly off at speed when the mixer is started, the cranking handle was mounted on the electrical mains isolator panel – the mixer will not operate unless the cranking handle is removed.
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