Conveyor belts are indispensable in the manufacturing and distribution of all types of goods. However, workers who perform tasks around conveyor belts risk bodily injury every day. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are more than 9,000 serious conveyor belt accidents each year. Many of these accidents result in permanent hand injuries.
Conveyor belt systems are dangerous because they move continuously at speeds of up to 10 feet per second. If loose clothing, hair, or jewelry gets caught in a moving conveyor belt, the consequences can be deadly. In addition, the machinery and gears of conveyor belt systems typically contain many pinch-points, which can quickly crush or amputate a worker’s fingers, hands, or arms. If the conveyor belt system is not equipped with adequate safeguards, employees can easily suffer injury even if they are doing their best to be careful.
The most common types of injuries caused by conveyor belt accidents include the following:
Hand injuries are among the most frequent type of injury caused by conveyor belt accidents. The treatment of a hand injury can be very complex, costly, and long in duration. It often involves surgery by a hand specialist as well as ongoing physical therapy. This is because the hand is a very complex body part with 27 bones. All of the hand’s bones, nerves, tissues, and tendons work together in an intricate arrangement to allow various types of movements. Conveyor belt accidents that result in damage to any one of correlational parts can make it difficult or impossible to do simple tasks required for work or daily living.
There are a number of standards that regulate the design and use of conveyor belts in order to prevent injuries to workers. National standards are listed below.
This standard outlines the proper procedures for designing, constructing, installing, inspecting, maintaining, and operating conveyor belt systems in order to minimize hazards to workers. The standard covers dozens of types of conveyor belt systems and specifies the use of safety features, such as machine guards, interlock devices, and clear labeling of all stop-and-start mechanisms.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require conformance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) requirements and add other provisions that include but are not limited to the following:
Since conveyor belt designs vary, each conveyor system must be evaluated carefully to determine which safeguards and energy control mechanisms are needed. Local municipalities and equipment manufacturers may specify additional measures to ensure safety of workers who perform tasks at or near conveyor belts. These measures may include safeguarding by distance or the use of horns, lights, or other means to make workers aware of the dangers present.
Employers and manufacturers can prevent conveyor belt injuries by following OSHA, ANSI, and ASME standards and ensuring that equipment sold, distributed, and used includes all necessary safety guards. In particular, employers can prevent accidents by doing the following:
Manufacturers can prevent accidents by producing, selling, and distributing conveyor belts that are free from mechanical defects, include all necessary machine guards and safety features, are properly assembled, and contain adequate warnings about their operation and maintenance.
Employees can obtain money to pay for conveyor belt injuries by filing for Workers’ Compensation benefits, regardless of fault. This money can be used to pay for medical expenses and lost wages. In the case of an amputation injury, Workers’ Compensation may also provide an additional specific loss payment. Surviving family members who have lost a loved one in a conveyor belt accident may also be eligible for death benefits. However, Workers’ Compensation rarely provides full and just recovery for all damages resulting from a conveyor belt injury. In a number of workplace accidents, third parties may also be held accountable for damages.
The lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP have helped many victims of conveyor belt accidents. Three important cases the firm has handled include:
Conveyor belt injuries similar to these cases are fairly common. In addition to preventing employees from returning to their chosen line of work, the loss of function due to a severe hand injury can hinder a person’s ability to perform simple daily tasks.
Hand injuries due to conveyor belt accidents have life-altering consequences, which is why it is important to seek legal representation. The Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP have experience protecting the rights of workers who have suffered traumatic hand injuries. If you or someone you know has been in a conveyor belt accident, call 800-222-USWA (8792) or complete an online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, Pennsylvania, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.