Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Machine Safety Chapter 296-806, WAC

Effective Date: 01/01/05

WAC 296-806-460 Mills

For printing

In addition to the requirements in this section, you need to refer to the following sections of this chapter in order to fully protect your employees from machine hazards: – Requirements for All Machines, WAC 296-806-200 and WAC 296-806-300

 

This section applies only to mills in the rubber and plastics industry that have in-running metal rolls that are set horizontally and run toward each other.

Your Responsibility

To protect employees from hazards associated with mills

You must

Meet height requirements for mill rolls	WAC 296-806-46002
Provide mill safety controls	WAC 296-806-46004
Follow these stopping limit requirements for mills	WAC 296-806-46006

 

WAC 296-806-46002  

Meet height requirements for mill rolls

You must

• Make sure that the tops of mill rolls installed after August 27, 1971, are at least 50 inches above the working level where the operator stands.
  • – This distance applies to the actual working level, which could be:
    • The general floor level
    • In a pit
    • On a platform

WAC 296-806-46004

Provide mill safety controls

Exemption: These rules don't apply to mills if the machinery is permanently set up so employees: – Can't reach through, over, under, or around to come in contact with the roll bite or – Can't be caught between a roll and nearby objects

 

You must

1) Provide a safety trip control that's easy to reach, operates readily on contact, and is located in front and back of each mill. Each safety trip control must include at least one of the following:

• Pressure-sensitive body bars that:
  • – Are installed at the front and back of mills having a 46 inch roll height or over
  • – Operate readily on contact from the pressure of the mill operator’s body
• Safety trip rods that are:
  • – Installed in the front and back of each mill and located within 2 inches of the front and rear rolls
  • – Installed so the top rods are no more than 72 inches above the level where the operator stands
  • – Easy to reach and operate when the rods are pushed or pulled
• Safety tripwire cables or wire center cords that are:
  • – Installed in the front and back of each mill
  • – Located within 2 inches of the face of the rolls
  • – Installed so that cables are no more than 72 inches above the level where the operator stands
  • – Easy to operate whether pushed or pulled

2) Make sure that all auxiliary equipment such as mill dividers, support bars, spray pipes, feed conveyors, and strip knives don't interfere with safety devices

WAC 296-806-46006  

Follow these stopping limit requirements for mills

You must

• Make sure that mills are stopped within 1½ percent of the fastest speed at which they operate when empty
  • – When mills operate at more than 250 feet per minute, stopping distances above 1½ percent of their fastest speed are allowed, but must have engineering support

Helpful Tool: Mills Stopping Chart You can find a copy of a mill stopping chart in the Resources section of this chapter.