By R. Todd Swinderman, President Emeritus / Martin Engineering

The hours spent training production and maintenance teams can lead to variable results.  They might just tick the boxes without providing a return on investment.  Or they can enhance safety, foster team building, and develop a deep understanding of the equipment that boosts efficiency and uptime.  

Training should be robust and encourage problem-solving using modern methods and standards.  Companies that prioritize safety experience fewer safety incidents, less regulatory oversight, and higher productivity and profits.  

When it comes to conveyor belts, a one-day training session can serve as a refresher, but it is recommended that staff complete a comprehensive course lasting at least 2 days. Conveyors are as complex as they are crucial to operations, and training should include a mix of classroom and hands-on learning, followed by a pilot program to encourage team building and gauge results.

A commitment to safety starts at the top with corporate culture.  A “production-at-all-costs” approach means safety concerns are always present.  Bad habits and injuries often stem from three things: 

• Lack of funding. 
• An understaffed maintenance department. 
• A “run-till-broke” mentality.  

Good safety habits require training and the patience for extra steps.  Cutting corners and labelling it “efficiency” can lead to serious injuries, low morale, downtime, and lost production. 

Everyone who operates, cleans, or maintains conveyors should be trained on the hazards of bulk material handling.  Basic training helps staff identify problems and resolve them safely.  Appropriate safety training emphasizes a basic understanding of conveyor design and operation, as well as the Lock-Out Tag-Out (LOTO) procedures required for working on and around the system.

Over time, production demands cause the conveyor belt speed and capacity to reach beyond the original design specifications.  Systems are incrementally modified to minimize problems associated with the demands.  Advanced conveyor design training for engineers and mechanics is critical for diagnosis and the development of updated solutions.  No two conveyors are identical, so adhering to standard design methods allows a technician to make adjustments that another can recognize and understand.

A walk down “problem belts” before the training helps the instructor focus on site-specific problems and the management’s expectations.  The first day starts in the classroom with the class reviewing typical problems, discussing challenges, and the best practices of safely addressing them.  The class identifies a couple of problem conveyors and splits into small teams.  Each team examines the same problem and brainstorms solutions.  

The class reviews and discusses root causes, solutions, and procedures.  Once the teams reach an agreement, they prepare a short presentation using the knowledge they gained.  The presentations may also include an estimate of the cost of the proposed solutions.  

Management is then invited to listen to the team presentations, ask questions, and show a commitment to safety and communication.  By making the presentations, trainees display knowledge and support for the solutions.  It is critical at this step that the manager(s) who attend the presentations have the authority to act on the proposals and are willing to commit to a pilot program to demonstrate that theoretical results can be translated into reality.

One or more conveyors from the presentation are selected for a pilot program.  Usually, the results of the pilot program are immediately noticeable.  A lapse in maintenance affects the pilot results, so extend the test period to the next scheduled shutdown, with periodic inspections and adjustments made by the equipment manufacturer.

It is incumbent upon management to take safety and maintenance training as seriously as the staff, listen to employees' concerns, and fix the problem correctly the first time.  As research has shown, companies that prioritize safety, training, and updating equipment enjoy fewer safety incidents, less regulatory oversight, higher productivity and greater long-term profits.

The online Martin® Foundations™ Learning Center draws on the collective knowledge and expertise gathered over 80+ years of solving bulk-handling challenges.  Aimed at apprentice technicians and experienced engineers alike, the non-commercial information is offered at no charge and is accessible by computer, tablet, or smartphone.  An extension of the Foundations training curriculum, the Learning Center uses a mix of text, photos, videos, webinars, online events, and live experts available to answer questions.

For more information visit martin-eng.com.