Pit & Quarry, August 2010

onsite at Knife River when the groundline conveyor arrived for setup Of our five man setup crew we had one worker communicating with the truck operator another worker to handle the transport straps and pull pins for each conveyor section and two workers to position the supports says Felton who explains that a string line was in place to guide the truck operator so that the system remains in proper alignment Although we do have alignment tools on the system such as self aligning idlers and Navigator training rolls we want to ensure that alignment is correct at all the hinge points This eliminates any belt tracking issues Its very easy to ensure proper alignment if youre paying attention to alignment he says The portable groundline is also designed to accommodate variations in grade At Knife River the system is set to convey material up a 12 degree incline and over an embankment which S P E C I A L S E C T I O N could be accomplished via its standard 50 hp drive Variations in grade dictate the size of the drive required and the hinges on the channel sections can handle significant changes in grade as long as the drive is sized accordingly says Felton Knife River placed an existing transfer conveyor to feed material from the crusher to the 500 ft portable groundline system From there material is conveyed to Superior Industries Slide Pac conveyors which were also part of the rental package before being fed to an existing stacker which stockpiles at the wash plant Safe operation The Slide Pac conveyor is a three unit system providing up to 240 ft of conveyors in one load We were new to the Slide Pac conveyors as well and it is their safety aspect that really impressed us says Raske Weve had stackable Knife River safety In 2007 Knife River became a smoke free workplace Smoking is prohibited in all company buildings vehicles and equipment The goal is to encourage employees to quit smoking for their own health and for the health of their co workers around them Following are just a few of the companys safety rules and best practices High visibility safety apparel High visibility fluorescent colored safety apparel shall be worn whenever employees are working on foot and exposed to mobile equipment or vehicular traffic Clothing Appropriate clothing shall be required for the duties being performed Long pants shirt and work boots are the minimum requirements Tank tops shorts sweatpants and tennis shoes shall not be worn on the job site yards or plant areas Seat belts Seat belts shall be properly worn by the operator and all passengers in company vehicles and equipment Daytime running lights All vehicles and equipment shall be operated with lights on night and day Cell phones Personal cell phone use while on the job is restricted to breaks and meal periods The use of company owned issued cell phones shall be limited to the minimum required to conduct necessary business Drug and alcohol testing Preemployment random and postaccident drug testing is required of all employees Reasonable suspicion testing is to be conducted when warranted Horseplay Any activity such as practical jokes wrestling fighting or other physical or violent acts and any verbal threat or physically threatening act will not be tolerated www pitandquarry com August 2010 PIT QUARRY 17