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In the Fold
February 1, 2008 By: Chris Raney Paperboard PackagingThe Nature of the Beast
I'm sure there haven't been many Paperboard Packaging columns that have started with a Greek fable, especially one involving a couple of talking critters. However, the tale I have in mind really helps illustrate the problem we face in making the workplace, or for that matter any place, safe.
You might know the story. It's the one where a scorpion convinces a frog to carry him across a river, only to get fatally stung mid-stream. As they sink, the frog asks the scorpion why he has stung him, given that it means they will both die. "Because it's in my nature..." replies the scorpion.
Humans, by nature, are not exactly a careful lot. Every day we experience people doing things that are 'in their nature' and causing harm to either themselves or others. As equipment manufacturers, we are continually incorporating new safety features into our machines, but we also know that we can't design out all risk.
 Chris Raney |
Therefore, training becomes necessary to fill in the gaps. If the user isn't properly trained to work safely, and resorts to natural instincts, then someone could well suffer the consequences.
Stop Before You Start
Whoever is instructing your staff needs to instill in them safe work habits as well as safe operation of the machine. This includes everything from pointing out the hazardous areas and correct handling of tooling and material, through the importance of maintenance and good housekeeping.
The trainer should not only be an expert in the machine itself, but also the one who permeates safety through every part of the training experience.
As an example, here is a simple, but very important, thing that our Bobst instructors do when training operators and technicians.
Before they teach their trainees anything — before they even tell them how to switch the machine on – they first teach them how to turn it off! I don't mean just 'OFF' off. I mean 'EMERGENCY STOP' off, where all power is cut and everything comes to a halt instantly.
It's only once they're sure their trainees know exactly where all those big red buttons are, and what to do with them, that our instructors teach them how to run the machine. By making safety their first priority, they instill the right culture in their trainees from the beginning and, at the same time, begin to change their nature.
Beyond training in the safe operation of the machine, there is much that your equipment supplier can do to help you create a culture of safety. They should keep you informed of safety issues and safety upgrades relevant to your machines. By the same token, it's also worth you checking in with them on a regular basis – after all you don't want someone to suffer an avoidable accident just because a notification got lost in the mail or gobbled up by overzealous spam filtering on your email server.
An example of a common upgrade would be the gripper bar locking devices found on many diecutters. Ensuring that the gripper bar chains cannot start to move when the machine is stopped and the guards open is an important safety feature. This movement can cause injury, or worse, to the person working in the machine.
Gripper chain locking devices, which physically lock the chain when the machine is stopped, have been standard on many diecutter ranges for some years, but they are also available as retrofits for many older machines. Keeping up a dialogue with your equipment supplier is the best way to ensure that you're up-to-date with this type of safety development.
Taking the Pain Out of Making Boxes
It's not just sudden, catastrophic injuries that concern box makers these days, it's also the slowly developing ones like back problems and repetitive strain injuries (RSI). In response to this, equipment manufacturers have been developing systems and equipment to reduce the physical strain on operators and assistants. Diecutters, for example, have followed a clear path towards making the job of their operators less physically demanding.
From the introduction of caged tool transfer systems in the 1980s, through the development of chase changers in the 1990s to today's frameless, lightweight tool systems, leading manufacturers work diligently to take the risk of injury out of tool change operations. As an added benefit they have also made the process faster and easier.
Similarly, on folder-gluers, the development of lightweight frames that can be kept on the machine has lowered the risk of strains and sprains. However, it's in providing peripheral equipment that gluer designers have led the way in minimizing slow developing injuries.
Prefeeders, batch inverters and carton packing equipment not only speed up the gluing process, but by removing many repetitive tasks they reduce the possibility of RSI type injuries.
There's a lot your equipment supplier can do to help you protect the frogs and change the nature of the scorpions. It begins with choosing your equipment with safety in mind, providing the proper training and then maintaining an open dialogue with your employees and supplier. However, it doesn't stop there.
Humans, by nature revert to their old hazardous habits if not continually reminded of the safe way to work. There are scorpions lurking about everyday and by working together we can minimize the chance that anyone will get stung.
Beyond training in the safe operation of the machine, there is much that your equipment supplier can do to help you create a culture of safety.
Chris Raney is vice president, Folding Carton products for Bobst Group USA, Roseland, N.J. He is responsible for the Folding Carton Business Area for the North American market. He can be reached at christopher.raney@bobstgroup.com.
