Simple Guide To Safe Operation Of Mobile Jaw Crushers

The mobile jaw crushers are described as powerful and highly efficient machines which are used for crushing different materials that are needed for further use. Designed to meet the toughest crushing applications, these machines provide reliability, powerful performance, and superior results.

However, dealing with these machines involve some responsibilities, such as safe operation. This simple guide is for all those who are responsible for the operation of the mobile jaw crushers, including operators, managers and supervisory staff.

Key risks

• Machinery guarding
• Slips and trips
• Clearing blocked or stalled crushers
• Transport

Different types of layouts

The jaw crushers are normally fed from loading shovels, backhoe excavators or other machinery. In a standard crushing procedure, they are fed directly with the material to be crushed which is then discharged to a stockpile. If the machine is going to be fed directly by an excavator or a loading shovel, certain factors need to be considered, such as:

• The excavator standing pads must be suitable and positioned high enough for the operator to be able to monitor the feed hopper from the cab
• If using wheeled loading shovels, make sure that the ramp is wide enough to provide adequate edge protection
• Make sure that all pedestrians are on a safe distance, and remove all ground obstacles

Blocked Crushers

The causes for crusher blockages can be divided in two main headings: stalling and bridging.

– Stalling can be caused by:

• Electrical or mechanical failure
• Overload
• Accumulation of fine material in the discharge compartment
• Accumulation of material in the crash box

– Bridging can be caused by:

• Oversize feed material
• Excessive fines in the crushing cavity
• A foreign body obstructing the feed material

Prevention

In order to avoid some unwanted accidents or machine failures, make sure to avoid using oversized materials or tramp metal. These materials can easily block the jaw crushers.

What to do if a jaw crusher becomes blocked?

• Stop the machine as soon as possible
• Have a qualified person to supervise the activity and call for further assistance
• Remove the excess material
• Only a trained and competent person should perform a manual removal.

Guarding

Another major cause for accidents is inadequate guarding. A safe procedure should involve regular machine checks at specified intervals, particularly after cleaning and maintenance work.

Transport

In order to minimize the transport risks on your work site, a risk assessment should address:

• Safe site
• Safe equipment
• Safe worker