Page 25 - OHS, July/August 2024

Since the inherent nature of the pneumatic system prevents loose powder from becoming airborne, it makes for a cleaner and safer environment all around, and a greater number of organizations are looking at safety reasons for engaging a pneumatic conveying system.
Several years ago, a manufacturer of cable faced a major materi- als handling problem--two of the fourteen ingredients used in its process were toxic. The ingredients were received in powder form in 50-lb bags which were opened on the production floor, hatched on platform scales and manually dumped into a mixer or blender. Despite extensive use of exhaust ducting and respiratory protec- tion for the workers in the area, engineers were still concerned with the impact of toxic contamination on the environment and the threat of not meeting OSHA regulatory standards.
Indirect costs for a single dust disease, according the SP work- sheet, are around 25,000 with an additional $509,000 needed in sales to recoup the cost. The worksheet lists other respiratory illnesses as well as illnesses associated that can be caused by dusty environments such as dermatitis. A single injury for dermatitis can result in indi- rect costs around $10,000 with over $200,000 of additional sales to make up for those costs.
The cable company eliminated the need to dump 50-pound bags of toxic material into a mixer manually by converting to a monorail-mounted hoist. The device lifts and positions semi-bulk bags to an unloader, which forms a dust-tight seal against the ring
on the discharge opening. Agitator pads and an auger under the storage bin help to deliver material into a weigh hopper on the flfloor below at a controlled rate. ThThe material is then conveyed to a blender on an upper flfloor.
The entire flow path is enclosed resulting in a safer environ- ment and because of the bulk packaging, the cost per pound of materials is lower. In addition, handling costs in receiving, storing and discharging the materials are substantially lower.
Manual materials handling is the number one source of compen- sable injuries in the manufacturing sector. Many of those injuries could be avoided by employing a pneumatic conveying system — often for less than combined direct and indirect costs associated with those injuries. Nearly 100 percent of the time, solving a work- place hazard with a pneumatic conveyor system increases profit through production efficiencies.
Doan Pendleton is President of VAC-U-MAX (www.vac-u-max. com) located in Belleville, New Jersey. Mr. Pendleton’s professional experience includes over 30 years in the design, engineering, manu- facturing and marketing of dry bulk material transfer systems and industrial vacuum cleaning systems, with strong application exper- tise in the food, pharmaceutical, plastics, chemical and non-wovens industries. Mr. Pendleton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mar- keting and Management from Suffolk University.
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JULY/AUGUST 2024 | Occupational Health & Safety 23