Packaging machinery - in all manufacturing industries

Injury rate comparisons

Packaging machines are used in most manufacturing industries although the majority are in the food/drink industries and, to a lesser extent, the pharmaceutical industries.

Because of their widespread nature it is not possible to pinpoint an injury rate for any particular type of machine. However an analysis of machinery accidents investigated by HSE in the food/drink industries has established the following machines require particular attention:

Conveyors

• Conveyors are involved in 30% of all machinery accidents in the food/drink industries - more than any other class of machine.
• 90% of conveyor injuries occur on flat belt conveyors.
• 90% of the injuries involve well known hazards such as in-running nips, transmission parts and trapping points between moving and fixed parts.

• Food Information Sheet 25
  Guidance on injury prevention is given in Safeguarding flat belt conveyors in the food and drink industries

Thermoform, fill and seal machines

Around 50% of injuries are caused by failures in guarding the two main hazard areas:

• the forming dies, and
• the cutters that separate the continuous packaging into individual packs.

The major causative factors are:

• guards removed or inadequate (36%)
• guards not provided or fallen into disuse (19%) - unsafe systems of work especially during maintenance (17%).

Guidance on injury prevention is given in:

• Food Information Sheet 26
  Packaging machinery: Safeguarding thermo-form, fill and seal machines
• BS EN 415-3:2000 Safety of packaging machines - Part 3: Form, fill and seal machines available from BSI (see below).

Palletisers and depalletisers

• Most injuries occur when operators or maintenance personnel enter the machine and become trapped between fixed parts and moving parts such as transfer heads, sweepers, pushers etc. The risk is made greater by the unexpected nature of machine movements.
• There are also hazards from falling loads, sudden movements of jammed product or pallets that are freed, or by movement due to failure to dump stored energy in pneumatic or hydraulic systems.

Guidance on injury prevention is given in:

• Food Information Sheet 27
  Packaging machinery: Safeguarding palletisers and depalletisers.
• BS EN 415-4:1998 Safety of packaging machines - Part 4: Palletisers and depalletisers available from BSI (see below)

Pre-formed rigid container machines

Guidance on injury prevention is given in:

• Food Information Sheet 28
  Packaging machinery: Safeguarding pre-formed rigid container packaging machines
• BSEN 415-2:2000 - Safety of packaging machines Part 2: Pre-formed rigid container packaging machines, available from BSI (see below).

Other BS EN Packaging machinery standards:

• BSEN 415-5:2006 Safety of Packaging Machines: Wrapping machines
• BSEN 415-6:2006 Safety of Packaging Machines: Pallet wrapping machines
• BSEN 415-7:2006 Safety of Packaging Machines: Group packaging machines
• BSEN 415-8:2008 Safety of Packaging Machines: Strapping machines
• BSEN 415-9:2009 Safety of Packaging Machines: Noise measurement methods for packaging machines, packaging lines and associated equipment

Copies of published BS EN standards (but not those in preparation) are available from:

BSI Customer Services
389 Chiswick High Road
London W4 4AL
Tel: 020 8996 9001
Website: www.bsi-global.com