Conveyor symposium in Turkey addresses safety and productivity
Martin Engineering Turkey, one of the leaders in bulk material handling technology has completed its “Conveyor Safety and Productivity Symposium” in Antalya/Turkey (Fig. 1), introducing strategies and innovations for improving safety practices while enhancing profitability. More than 40 management and supervisory personnel attended the event, representing a wide range of industries, including aggregates/cement, mining, coal/power, steel production and dry bulk handlers.
The symposium featured content selected specifically to address current issues facing local industries. The keynote address was entitled, “Safety and Total Ownership Cost Management,” delivered by Dr. Halefsan Sumen, respected journalist and professor at Istanbul Technical University. Following Dr. Sumen was former CEMA president (Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association) Todd Swinderman, holder of 140 product licenses in a dozen different countries, who spoke on “Safety by Design.” He emphasized that design is the single most effective method of safety improvement, outperforming even guards and controls. Swinderman described the company’s EVO® Modern Conveyor Architecture, a new approach that encourages engineers to question the design of every component in a conveyor system, looking for ways to redesign for safer operation, better fugitive material control and serviceability. “It’s an incremental approach that applies from head to tail on a conveyor, examining every aspect of design and looking for ways to upgrade without significantly driving up cost,” he said. Also featured as a speaker was trainer and field expert Michael Tenzer of Martin Engineering, who drew on 23 years of experience to create his presentation, “Innovations,” which highlighted recent technical developments that have led to proven solutions for common industry problems.
Several of the presenters touched on standardizing maintenance procedures to further reduce the risk of injury from working on and around conveyors. In addition, attendees were treated to scale model displays and demonstration equipment, helping presenters illustrate representative applications and clarify details from their talks. Discussions in between the presentations emphasized that safety and profit are not mutually exclusive (Fig. 2). In fact, said Martin Engineering VP Jim Turner, just the opposite is true. “The most productive and profitable companies are the ones with the best safety records,” he observed. About the symposium Turner added, “These events have been extremely well-received, helping management and operations personnel eliminate potential risks and improve productivity.” Summing up the experience, Martin Engineering Turkey’s Branch Manager Ilker Tan commented: “The importance of both safety and efficiency is constantly growing. Our goal with this symposium was to help elevate the safety and productivity standards of bulk material handling in Turkey. That’s our expertise as a company, and events like this one are going on all across the globe,” he added.
