Plant isolation
LOCATION:
CONCRETE PRODUCTS PLANT
ACTIVITY:
PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
TITLE
Plant isolation
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
WHAT HAPPENED
A report on a Near Miss / Hazard Alert card has highlighted a potential shortfall in isolation procedures that may be evident on some sites with a particular type of concrete plant mixer.
The Hazard Alert referred to the interlock system on a rotary mixer unit and in particular the traversing mechanism. Whilst the captive key arrangement isolated the rotary mixer, subsequent testing identified that the mixer traverse mechanism remained live. If this had not been identified, the failing could have resulted in the mixer and the carriage / unit being retracted when maintenance was being carried out with potentially fatal consequences.
This type of shortfall could affect similar electrically or pneumatically operated systems.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
Where sites use this type of mixer arrangement the isolation procedures should be reviewed to verify that they are robust. In addition the incident has identified the following points for attention:
Do site risk assessments consider all maintenance activities that are undertaken and are all necessary safe systems of work in place? Site specific isolation procedures should be detailed in safe systems of work and training must ensure that they are understood by all relevant personnel.
Do your procedures identify all equipment that requires isolation for a particular job? Isolation procedures must ensure that all necessary equipment is “locked out”, including that in the process leading to/from the item of plant being worked on.
After “locking out” equipment do you check that it is isolated before starting work? Always prove that the isolation procedure is effective before guards are removed and entry is gained to machinery. This should be done by attempting to start the equipment by normal means.
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
LOCATION:
CONCRETE PRODUCTS PLANT
ACTIVITY:
PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
Go Back to Search Critera