Safety video pulls no punches - Scrap Industry News - Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc - Brief Article

Recycling Today, Nov, 2001

A new videotape on baler safety is now available from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), Washington.

"Working Safe and Smart with Balers" offers stark examples of the dangers of balers, and pulls no punches in portraying to employees the disastrous outcome of ignoring baler safety rules.

The number of injuries and fatalities from equipment in the recycling industry, including conveyors, shears and balers, has prompted ISRI to make a series of safety videos, says Mike Mattia, the association's director of risk management.

"We looked at balers, and when we really got into it with an in-depth analysis, we saw there was a pretty significant story," he says.

Mattia says the injuries and fatalities have often involved employees who crawled or walked up a conveyor to attempt to un-jam paper from a baler. Often, the individual tried to kick the paper free, and once the material loosened, the person then fell into the baler, with his or her body activating the sensor in the baler to start a baling cycle. "There are some gruesome images in our baling video," Mattia notes.

Deaths relating to horizontal balers have tallied at least 29 since 1986, according to the ISRI video. Twenty-four of those 29 involved machines that were baling paper grades. In at least nine of the 29 horizontal baler deaths reported, the person was severed in two by the baler.

Once a person falls into the baling chamber, it is very difficult to get out. This point is illustrated in the video with a person trying to climb out of a baler and an image of a moving ram superimposed over the scene.

The video explains reasons behind baler fatalities. "In essence, we are trying to give anyone who operates a baler a renewed respect for the equipment and information on how not to put themselves into dangerous situations," Mattia remarks.

The video is available in both English and Spanish. Ordering information can be obtained at ISRI's Web site, www.isri.org, or by calling ISRI at (202) 737-1770.