Making paper safely -A review of recent initiatives to improve the safety performance of the UK paper industry

摘要

Paper mills, and paper machines in particular, are inherently dangerous, with many rotating parts and ingoing nips. A poor safety record in the past resulted in the UK paper industry being targeted for improvement. In addition to the human cost of accidents, the cost to business is considerable, whether this is in terms of covering the job function of an absent employee, payment of medical bills, rising insurance costs, or the result of legal actions. The approach to improve the poor situation was a multiparty one, with input from paper mills, government agencies, the unions, the Paper Federation and machinery designers. This paper examines some of the legislation and initiatives that were employed in Europe and the UK, in an attempt to rectify the unacceptable levels of accidents. These include guidelines to provide safe operation of existing machinery, as well as changes to the design philosophy when providing new equipment. Systems designed to ensure safety during equipment installation, particularly during major shut downs, are also examined. With care, however, and the right approach to safety, paper machines can be installed, maintained and operated in a safe manner.