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Before starting up a new recycling plant, baler, shredder or any waste processing system, it is important for safety managers and supervisors to conduct a pre-startup safety review of the new or modified equipment to ensure the safety of the employees who will be working on the system.
By Will Flower

Across North America, owners and operators of waste processing systems are spending capital to install new equipment and upgrade existing facilities. Perhaps the improvements include a new baler, a state-of-the-art optical sorting system or an entirely new recycling system with robotics. Whatever changes are made, a critical step in the construction process is to conduct a thorough safety review of the new equipment and search for potential safety hazards before employees begin working on the system.

A Close Look at the Equipment
The pre-startup safety review should include an examination of the entire facility with a close look at the equipment that was modified or upgraded. A safety manager and site manager should make sure that all equipment was properly installed in accordance with design and manufacturer’s specifications. Some of the specific items that should be reviewed prior to starting up a new piece of equipment include:
• Electrical connections
• Guarding around chains, belts, gears, pulleys and motors
• Ergonomics
• Lighting
• Trip hazards
• Noise hazards
• Fire hazards
• Confined space
• Proper warning labels
Alarms, emergency shut offs and fire suppression systems should also be reviewed and tested. Any defects in the design, construction or operation of the equipment that results in a threat to worker safety should be immediately addressed with corrective action taken prior to the startup of the system.

A Safety Review
To conduct a thorough pre-startup safety review, the owner or operator of a solid waste facility should:
1. Assign a qualified safety professional to lead the process.
2. Use a team approach. Having multiple people reviewing a system or new piece of equipment will increase the probability of identifying unsafe conditions. Some of the people on the review team could include supervisors, maintenance workers, engineers, laborers and safety experts who are knowledgable and experienced in the identification of potential threats to worker safety. If the talent needed to perform the required pre-startup safety review is lacking, consider hiring an outside safety contractor for assistance in completing the review.
3. Use a checklist to identify the various areas that should be reviewed and evaluated for potential work hazards.
4. Identify the training, operational procedures and maintenance needed to safely operate the equipment.

Educate and Train
Facility managers will want to have a high level of confidence that the new sorting system or process is safe for employees. The proper operating guidelines and maintenance requirements of the new equipment should be documented. Every employee working at the plant should be educated about the new equipment especially how to shut off the new equipment. Training should also cover the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment and Lock Out, Tag Out procedures to keep employees safe when repairing or cleaning a machine.
The pre-startup safety review is a critical step in the construction process and must be completed in order to keep employees safe.
Next month’s Safety Brief will discuss staying safe during a virus outbreak. | WA

Will Flower is the Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs at Winters Bros. Waste Systems. Will has 36 years of experience in the area of solid waste management and environmental protection. He has held operational and executive leadership positions at the Director’s Office of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services. Inc. and Green Stream Recycling. Share your safety tip. Submit your suggestions to Will Flower at [email protected].