Conveyor Safety Tips to Protect Your Team and Keep Operations Running

Conveyor systems streamline operations and help eliminate bottlenecks in warehouse picking, product packing, and inventory receiving.

But these same systems carry potential risks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 1,000 conveyor-related injuries each year, some of which are fatal.

The conclusion? Conveyor safety is essential in any warehouse environment. Failure to implement robust and reliable safety protocols can lead to lost productivity, legal challenges, regulatory audits, and individual harm.

Here’s what you need to know about creating a program that keeps conveyors running and keeps your staff safe — and five tips to get started.

Who Is Responsible for Conveyor Safety?

Everyone.

This includes conveyor operators, maintenance crews, nearby workers, and production line managers. At many companies, conveyor safety is considered the responsibility of maintenance teams. It makes sense since these teams are responsible for evaluating machine performance, pinpoint potential issues, and implementing solutions to reduce overall risk.

In practice, however, even perfectly performing conveyors present a possible risk. Ideal operating conditions do not prevent staff members from making choices that put themselves or someone else at risk.

As a result, safety programs are only effective if they include everyone in the organization and provide clear directions on what staff should do, what they should absolutely avoid, and how they can communicate potential problems. 

Five Tips for Better Conveyor Belt Safety

Every environment and every conveyor are different. For example, some warehouses use flexible powered conveyor systems, others use telescoping solutions, and still others have application-specific dock conveyor systems that fit their needs.

As a result, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to conveyor safety. Instead, companies are best served by creating customized programs that align with their specific use case and most likely risks.

Not sure where to get started? Here are five conveyor safety tips.

1) Know the Equipment Before You Use It

The more workers know about conveyor equipment, the better. Up-front training and education can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries and limit the amount of unexpected conveyor downtime.

First, train operators to understand controls, use emergency stops, and recognize hazard zones. Make sure to include temporary and seasonal workers in any safety onboarding. In addition, provide basic warehouse conveyor safety training to all staff, even if they will not be operating these conveyors. This training should cover potential hazards, basic safety practices, and the location of emergency stops.

Worth noting? You should never assume experience. Instead, verify knowledge. For example, even if a new staff member worked extensively with conveyors at their previous job, include them in all training and evaluations. Best case? They learn something new. Worst case? They have to sit through a few hours of review. Both are a win-win for safety.

2) Never Climb, Sit, or Ride on Conveyors

Climbing, sitting, or riding on conveyors is sometimes done as horseplay. In other situations, it’s done to access another piece of machinery or clear a jam.

No matter the reason, however, these behaviors are dangerous. If conveyors are operating, risks include crushed fingers or toes, slips that result in serious falls, or shear injuries that can result in lost limbs or loss of life.

It is also hazardous to climb, sit, or ride on conveyors even when they are not operating. For example, while gravity conveyors used in warehouse loading are often unpowered, the slope of these conveyors could lead to staff travelling at excessive speed; if they fall, the result could be sprained joints or broken bones.

3) Use Lockout/Tagout Before Cleaning Jams or Doing Maintenance

Lockout/tagout (LOTO) processes are an essential component of conveyor maintenance. Under OSHA standard 1910.147, LOTO is required every time a piece of machinery is being serviced or tested. These processes must also be followed when clearing a conveyor jam.

The purpose of lockout/tagout is to prevent unexpected energy release during maintenance or other work. Here’s a look at each component in more detail.

• Lockout — Lockout is the act of physically isolating an energy source or energy-isolating device. This may include circuit breakers, valves, switches, or other controls.
• Tagout — Tagout is the act of attaching a warning tag or label to locked-out equipment. This serves as a visual reminder that it should not be operated.

Only certified and trained personnel should perform LOTO, and companies should regularly update LOTO processes as conveyor systems are updated or replaced.

4) Watch for Pinch Points and Moving Parts

Conveyor systems contain moving parts that create pinch points. Three of the most common pinch points include rollers, belt junctions, and chain drives. Any one of these points can lead to injuries that range from minor to catastrophic.

To reduce the risk of pinch point injuries, companies should:

• Install machine guards — Machine guards should be installed on conveyor belts at possible pinch, shear, or other injury points and should never be removed or bypassed.
• Label risk zones — Risk zones should be clearly labeled, and these labels should be regularly replaced.
• Ensure staff use PPE — Staff should always wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, helmets, and steel-toed boots around conveyors.
• Conduct daily visual checks — Daily visual checks should be conducted to verify machine conditions and identify any problem areas.

5) Stay Alert and Communicate Clearly

Three components help create a culture of communication:

• Continuous contact — Staff should stay in contact using radios and hand signals to communicate current conveyor conditions or indicate potential problems. In addition, shift change briefings give incoming staff a head start on any issues or concerns.
• Visible signs and markings — Using caution signs and floor markings in high-risk areas offers a visual reminder to staff as they go about their daily tasks.
• Early reporting — If staff see something, encourage them to say something. The sooner hazards are reported, the lower the risk of damage or injury.

Conveyor Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility

True safety starts with habits, not policies. While companies can create safety increases with a large-scale, one-time push, these increases are naturally short-lived.

Instead, businesses need to build a culture of safety that starts with a sustainable mindset, recognizes the need for accountability across all employees, and evolves over time to align with new regulations and updated device deployments.

This culture also includes finding the right tools for the job. Even well-defined and regularly updated safety policies can solve issues that stem from faulty or poorly constructed equipment. At FMH, we specialize in the sale, installation, and service of industry-leading conveyors that both increase productivity and help companies reduce the risk of injury.

Bottom line? Quality equipment, plus ongoing education and regular evaluation, encourages the creation of company-wide conveyor safety culture.

Upgrade your safety approach, and contact our team for more conveyor safety insights.