A worker was holding onto the feeder while trying to clear a blockage in a jaw crusher, when a rock hit his hand and he sustained injury to the hand, requiring medical treatment. The cause of blockages within a crusher is commonly known as “bridging” — where oversize material prevents product from entering the crusher chamber or stalls the crusher.
Hazards encountered when crushers become blocked may include poor or difficult access, accidental start-up, being
struck by material from the feeder, movement of oddly shaped material inside the crusher chamber or pit, slips and falls, manual handling of rocks and equipment.
DO NOT attempt to clear blockages by barring the blockage while the crusher is operating, or entering the crusher chamber pit to manually remove the cause of the blockage/bridging material.
You need to ensure that:
• A fixed breaker (as in the photo above) or rock breaker attachment on an excavator are used to clear blockages while the crusher is running. NO PERSON should be working in or around any crusher while it is running.
• Procedures for clearing blockages in crushers are clearly understood by all workers at the site. This should include training and assessment of competence to work on crushers.
• Activities are adequately supervised, and tasks observed, to ensure risk controls are in place and are effective.
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