Conveyor belts expedite done by conveying items from one spot to another. Workers load and unload conveyor belts by hand, with heavy equipment, or using automation. Whenever machinery enables goods and materials to move from one place to another, the potential rises for workplace injuries to occur. Workplace injuries caused by conveyor belt accidents can be deadly.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that many workers have died from injuries caused by conveyor belt accidents. The accidents include workers who were crushed, fell into a hopper from the belt, or were electrocuted.
Many workers have died getting caught in the conveyor belt. Others have suffered amputations and other catastrophic injuries in conveyor belt accidents. The risks working with conveyor belts are potentially deadly, and the injuries often are severe.
Common Causes of Conveyor Belt Worker Injuries
No matter what you might do for a living, human error is a constant cause of workplace injuries. Working with or near conveyor belts is no different.
Human error is a common cause of conveyor belt injuries. While errors could injure the worker who made the mistake, conveyor belt errors also cause injuries to other workers.
Improperly loading goods or materials could cause the load to shift or drop from the belt and potentially injure another worker. Other conveyor belt issues that might injure workers include:
- Improper assembly and defective machinery
- Overloading the conveyor belt
- Poor maintenance
- Using excessive speed
- Using faulty procedures
The conveyor belt must be erected correctly and its machinery designed and installed properly to help make it as safe as possible for workers and the goods or materials that it will move from one location to another.
Putting too much weight onto a conveyor belt might cause a sudden failure that could injure other workers. So could running the conveyor at too high of a speed. The higher the speed, the more likely other workers will be overwhelmed and an injury accident might occur.
Maintenance also is a crucial component of conveyor belt safety. The constant movement of conveyor belts puts a lot of wear and tear on the equipment, including the many moving parts that make them work. Like all mechanical equipment, conveyor belts require regular maintenance and occasional repairs. It is important for employers to ensure conveyor belts and other equipment are maintained properly.
Improperly maintained conveyor belts could become dangerous to workers who must use them to get their jobs done. They also suggest the employer is negligent in making the workplace as safe as possible.
How to Reduce Accidents When Using Conveyor Belts?
It is of the utmost importance for job providers to ensure workers are fully trained in the safe use of conveyor belts. Whether their jobs require them to operate, load, or unload the conveyor, they must know how to do so safely.
Working safely requires knowing the dangers. Employers should make sure that every worker knows what the dangers are and how to avoid them. Those dangers could change based on the way in which an employee’s particular job is related to the conveyor belt.
Someone who is working in an area that the material goes past needs to know how to avoid getting caught in the conveyor. Someone involved in unloading the conveyor needs to know how to do so without suffering a crush or lifting injury.
Safety seminars and continual reminders from supervisors help to keep workers aware of conveyor belt dangers. So do safety barriers and equipping workers with personal protection equipment.
Workers’ Compensation Covers Most Injuries
If you suffer an injury while working with a conveyor belt or in any other manner, workers’ compensation benefits should cover all medical costs. You would have to see a work-approved medical services provider. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should pay for all injury-related medical services.
The medical services and costs would include prescription drugs, physical therapy, and mental health therapy if needed. Any harm caused by the work-related injury is subject to workers’ compensation covers.
Your injury might cause you to miss more than three days of work. When you miss at least three days due to a work-related injury or illness, workers’ compensation should pay for your lost wages.
The amount usually is about two-thirds of your normal pay as determined by the average number of hours that you normally work. The reduced pay partly reflects the lower costs of not having to commute to and from work.
When you accept workers’ compensation benefits, you automatically agree that you will not sue your employer due to the injury accident. Your employer benefits by not having to defend a lawsuit and by ensuring a trained and experienced worker likely will be back on the job after recovering from injuries.
Potential Denial of Workers’ Compensation Benefits
There is a chance that your employer or the insurer underwriting the workers’ compensation insurance denies your claim. If that happens, you could sue your employer and the insurer and possibly obtain additional damages.
Employers and insurers could deny just about any claim for workers’ compensation for nearly any reason. For example, your employer or the insurer might say that you were not injured at work and the condition already existed.
That does not mean the decision is final. You can obtain the help of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to uphold your rights as an injured worker.
You would need to show that the injury or illness occurred due to work. Information on the accident and subsequent medical diagnosis and treatment could help to do that. So does reporting any injury accident and obtaining medical treatment right away.
An attorney could help you to build the strongest case against your employer and insurer and help to uphold your rights after suffering a work-related injury or illness.
Burlington County Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Pietras Saracino Smith & Meeks, LLP, Help to Enforce Worker Rights
If you have a problem with a work-related injury, our experienced Burlington County workers’ compensation lawyers at Pietras Saracino Smith & Meeks, LLP, could help. You can call 856-761-3773 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation at our Cherry Hill, New Jersey office. We serve clients in Camden, Cinnaminson, Delran, Maple Shade, Pennsauken, South Jersey, and throughout the state.
