4. Mix Production
4.10 Safety
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Personnel working at an asphalt plant must always be safety-conscious and on the alert for potential dangers to personnel and property. Safety considerations cannot be overemphasized.
Safety considerations at an asphalt plant include the following:
- Dust is not only a threat to lungs and eyes, but it may contribute to poor visibility, especially when trucks, front-end loaders, or other equipment are in use around the stockpiles or cold bins. Reduced visibility in work traffic is a prime cause of accidents.
- Noise can be a significant hazard. It is harmful to hearing and can distract workers’ awareness of moving equipment or other dangers.
- Moving belts should be a constant concern, as should belts to motors and sprockets and chain drives. All pulleys, belts, and drive mechanisms should be covered or otherwise protected. Loose clothing that can get caught in machinery should never be worn at an asphalt plant.
- Good housekeeping is essential for plant safety. The plant and yard should be kept free of debris, pipes, hoses, or other obstacles that can cause a trip and fall hazard.
- High-voltage lines are required to distribute electrical power to all the major plant components. Power lines should be properly mounted or buried and protected. Any loose connections, frayed insulation, or improperly grounded equipment should be repaired immediately.
- Plant workers should not work on or near stockpiles or cold-feed bins while the plant is in operation. With limited sightlines, loader operators who are focused on stockpile management and keeping cold-feed bins properly charged can easily overlook a person on the ground. Equipment training regarding blind spots is encouraged.
- Burner flames and high temperatures around plant dryers are obvious hazards. Installing control valves that can be operated from a safe distance on all fuel lines helps reduce the danger. Flame safety devices also should be installed on all fuel lines. Smoking should not be permitted near asphalt or fuel storage tanks. Frequent checks should be made for leaks in oil heating lines and jacketing on the asphalt distribution lines. Safety valves should be installed and be in good working order on all lines. Screens, barrier guards, and shields should be installed as protection from steam, hot asphalt, hot surfaces, and similar dangers.
- For workers around hot liquid asphalt binder, all shirts should be long-sleeved, completely buttoned, worn tucked in, and cuffs buttoned at the wrist. Gloves with gauntlets that extend up onto the arm should fit loosely so that they can be flipped off easily if accidentally covered with hot asphalt. Pants without cuffs should extend over boot tops.
- Workers should use extreme care when moving around plant components, observing the screens and hot bins, and collecting samples. There should be covered or protected ladders or stairways to provide safe access to all parts of the plant. All stairs and platforms should be provided with secure handrails. All workers around the plant site should always wear a hardhat.
- Traffic patterns should be planned with both safety and convenience in mind. Trucks entering the plant to pick up a load of hot mix should not have to cross the path of loaded trucks leaving the plant. In addition, trucks should not have to back up.