The Challenge
When one of the largest mining companies in the world looked to address a safety issue, they turned to long-time partner and trusted advisor, Wajax – where safety is a core value that extends to customers and suppliers.
The Need
During the installation of conveyor rollers, mechanics had to handle a load weighing over 130 pounds when removing, changing and installing new rollers; increasing the risk of injury for this task alone. Given that there are thousands of rollers on site to be handled by mechanics, the risk of injury was high. Wajax was tasked with providing a solution that would ensure the safety of their mechanics and continue their operations reliably.
Our Solution
The customer would need a solution that would eliminate the risk of back injuries, reduce downtime and continue to improve operational and cost efficiencies. This required designing a
new “removable” roller support, to reduce weight and allow safe installation. The new design now weighs 50 pounds (versus 130 pounds) and uses a pivoting system (versus having to lift and pull).
The Impact
The design not only eliminated any new cases of back injuries for the mechanics, but it came with other benefits including: reduced downtime as the new rollers are removed and replaced in less time; reduced costs as the new design will be produced in Canada; and reduced lead time by over 50% going from an 8–10 week standard delivery down to four weeks.
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