www.foodtechnology.co.nz 27
SAFETY NO BARRIER
TO PALLET PRODUCTIVITY
Universal Packaging’s recent North Island expansion is due to increased demand
for future-focused pallet wrapping. A key focus of this work has been on the
design of both new and retrofitted safety systems.
The impact of workplace safety incidents on health,
morale and productivity is well known. However,
New Zealand companies are obviously reluctant
to introduce systems that may be inefficient or not
work as intended.
“Many existing semi-automatic and fully auto
wrappers are being operated without safety fencing
or light curtains,” Universal’s Matt Goddin says.
“The safety standards can allow for equipment
installation without these features, making them
a ‘nice-to-have’ for some companies. However,
forward-thinking companies are carrying out risk
assessments and putting systems in place.”
Foodstuffs Rotorua distribution centre is one such
company. Here, Universal’s technical consultant
Jason Lightfoot designed a retrofitted system
around its three stretch-wrappers. “There’s up to
500kg of material revolving on these platforms,”
Lightfoot says. “Trapping points and moving parts
will do damage if incorrectly used.”
FT492
With a wider perspective of user behaviour and
workplace efficiency, Lightfoot developed a
combination of physical fencing, sliding doors, light
curtains, emergency stops and system fail-safes.
“We needed to know that once it was running there
was no possibility of touching moving parts,” he
says. “But we couldn’t have extra steps added to the
existing set-up.”
Foodstuffs dispatch supervisor Amrat Rama says
the company thought it might lag behind or need
more people to operate the new set-up equipment.
“But there have been no problems. Everything’s
running as smoothly and as quickly as it did before
the system was installed.”
This is the ideal response for Lightfoot. “A good
safety system needs to aid productivity, not hinder
it,” he says. “Otherwise, human nature being what
it is, people try and get around it to stay on top of
the workload. The entire process can be counterproductive.”
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