| Pulley system to move Linatex sand chutes |
A control has been developed to enable Linatex sand chutes to be moved at ground level. The objectives were to minimise manual handling hazards; eliminate the need to work at height; minimise exposure to slip, trip, and fall hazards; and minimise exposure to entrapment hazard.
The method of moving the chute historically involved climbing up a vertical ladder to a height of 15 metres, often passing through staging gates to move the tower chute to its new position – occasionally through kicking for older units.
After various designs were suggested by the workforce, a simple pulley and wire system was progressed, tested and finally installed. The lower pulley was mounted at ground level as a manual operated winch. This is attached to the upper pulley via cables, which in turn is connected to the moving chute at the discharge point. To prevent overrun, stops are attached to the framework.
There are ideas in development to improve the system further, such as spring-mounting the chute and even fitting an electric motor to the winch which could then be controlled from the plant control cabin.
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