An Update From The Safety 2014 Conference

Last month, I attended Safety 2014, the annual professional development conference of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). I was there to research developing safety products and services for the bulk handling industries for a new project I’m working on at Martin.

The conference had both full-group sessions featuring speakers of general interest and small group sessions with presentations on specific safety topics—from lockout/tagout, to fall protection, to food handling, to combustible dust.

Some interesting things I learned:

• Temporary workers are the fastest growing segment of the US workforce.
• In the UK, an unsuccessful (or perhaps ill-conceived) attempt can be described as a “chocolate fire guard.”
• If a plant or its equipment is designed for a 30-year life, then the engineers working on that facility are designing for people who are not yet born.
• A contractor building a housing development had a 30% efficiency improvement (as well as a significant safety benefit) from building the roofs on the ground and using a crane to position them on top of the structures.
• M.B.A. can be said to stand for “More Bad Advice.”
• You can (should) delegate authority, but not responsibility.
• An outbreak of cholera in London in 1854 was solved by removing the handle from the pump on the contaminated well.
• Mistakes, injuries, near misses, violations and lost income are the symptoms, not the problem.

The Safety 2014 Exhibit Hall featured displays of safety glasses, safety shoes, fall-protection-systems and man-lifts. In addition, there were providers of safety training and consultants on corporate safety culture and programming. The Expo referred to itself as a “one stop shop for all things safety.” However, not much attention was paid to hardware, like guarding systems and even less attention was paid to belt conveyors and bulk handling operations, subjects that are near and dear to Martin.

Improving safety for those who must work on or around belt conveyors and other bulk material handling systems is important to us at Martin. Our dedication to safety is not only included in the development of our products and services, but also in the safety of our employees. We are constantly trying to make our products cleaner, safer and more productive.

About The Author

Andy Marti

Andy Marti has more than 25 years of experience in writing about problems and solutions in bulk material handling. He has served as coordinating author and editor for all four editions of Martin Engineering's Foundations™ books on improving the performance of belt conveyors and transfer points. Marti holds a B.A. in Journalism from Central Michigan University and an M.A. in Communications Media from the University of Northern Iowa.