Powered Rollers: Ironing Press

Alert

Powered Rollers: Ironing Press ( )

Document Type: Alert
Keycode: web only
Category: Plant 
Division Author: Manufacturing, Logistics & Agriculture
Publication Date: 23 July 2007
Date First Published: 23 July 2007
Summary: Recently, an employee sustained fatal injuries performing maintenance, cleaning duties on an industrial ironing press.

EMPLOYEE KILLED WHEN DRAWN INTO THE ROLLERS OF AN IRONING PRESS

Background

Recently, an employee sustained fatal injuries performing maintenance / cleaning duties on an industrial ironing press. The injuries were the result of the employee being drawn into the moving rollers while kneeling on the top cover of the ironing press.

The top covers were made of steel checker plate and had been used as a platform allowing an employee to stand, walk and kneel on top of the machine. Accessing this area while the machine was operating exposed the employee to the hazardous action of the powered in-running rollers. The rollers were not guarded or interlocked to prevent access.

The ironing press line is comprised of three separate but related items of plant—a feeding unit, an ironer unit and a folder unit. Configurations of plant such as this are common to the industrial laundry industry.

Contributing factors

Hazard:    exposed in-running ironing press rollers (nip point)

Risk:    person sustaining injury while accessing the top of the machine, by standing, walking or kneeling on the checker plate and being drawn in by the in-running action of the moving rollers.

Existing knowledge of the hazard

In-running powered rollers without a ‘Risk Control’ have been involved in amputation and death of people in workplaces. In-running rollers must be afforded controls to preclude the catching of tools, clothing or appendages drawing in people.

Control measures

Where reasonably practicable to do so, contact between people and hazardous machinery mechanisms and equipment must be prevented through separation by barrier, distance or time (or a combination of these).

Barrier: application of physical barrier, guard or fence that denies access

Distance: hazardous mechanism cannot be reached

Time: At the time, access to the action of the hazardous mechanism is disabled

Another consideration in this case was the separate treatment of the three plant units comprising the ironing line. Each machine had a stop button control device. However, the stop control devices were not inter-connected. At the time of the incident, pushing the stop devices of either of the two end machines (the feeding unit or the folder unit) would not have stopped the operation of the ironing press (the central unit).  

Where several machines are aligned, with each performing a related function, each emergency stop button should disable all the related machines in the production line and remain in a latched position until reset. Resetting the stop button should not initiate commencement of the machine or line.

Further Information

Generally accepted industry practises for the safe operation and maintenance of machinery and equipment are described in the WorkSafe publication Code of Practice Plant No. 19, and Standards Australia publication Safety of Machinery AS 4024.