Don't Stretch Safety with Poor Cable Racking...
Pat Delaney, managing director of Delaney PSD Ltd who are the UK Agent for Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche Firenze srl, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of safe cable racking and measuring systems, discusses how to keep cable storage safe...
Over the past seven years, both the Health and Safety executive and electrical wholesalers have strived to improve the safety aspect of pulling and cutting lengths of cable from rack mounted cable drums. This follows a fatal accident concerning an individual using an electrically operated cable winding machine having his back to the rack while operating the machine, see below, The cable snagged the drum which then stopped rotating and the whole racking system toppled over...
Any improvement is to be welcomed, but even so we cannot be complacent. Whether electrical wholesalers are large or small, if they are dispensing cable from racking systems, they are only required to show that they are meeting the very basic requirements. These are spelt out in the HSE document referred to above, but in summary state:
- The racking system should be purpose made for the job intended and tests carried out to ensure the weight carried is within the framework’s design tolerance.
- Safety hooks should be used to ensure that the cable drum shafts are secured and will not spring out when tensioned.
- The racking system should be installed correctly and bolted to the floor and where necessary to the walls.
- That adequate facilities must be employed if using a forklift to ensure drums supported on shafts will not roll off the forks.
- The operator must use a foot-controlled actuator that stops any electrically operated cable winding machine if the weight of the foot is removed.
- The operator should stand facing the racking system and must be aware at all times of any snagging of cable or any other potentially dangerous occurrence.
- Electrically operated cable machines must have facilities to stop if the cable tension becomes too great.
Loading of the drums
Cable racking is not like conventional racking; it is under constant tension from the pulling of cable (at varying angles), the weight of the cable (vertically downwards) and the positioning of the cable by a forklift (horizontally from the front). Usually racking only has to deal with tension in one (vertical) direction, supporting the material loaded onto it. And with cable racking, the higher the structure the more prone the rack becomes to all these forces.
There is clearly much emphasis on the pulling of the cable itself, but damage and potentially dangerous situations can also arise when loading the cable onto the racks. In most cases this is done with the use of a forklift, where sadly crude wedges of wood are often used to stop the shaft moving whilst on the forks. So why take this risk, when simple and inexpensive custom designed products are readily available in the market? Using one of these alternatives not only avoids any slippage of the drums, but also more importantly guarantees the safety of the operator(s). The simplest product consists of a steel adaptor that fits over the forks and is secured by wing nuts. The end of the adaptor is designed to fit snugly onto the cable drum spindle and allows the safe lifting of the drum onto the rack with no chance of accidents. Another benefit of this adaptor is that only a few millimetres on either side of the forks are required to insert the drum safely into its bracket allowing the racking to be designed with minimum space either side of the drum thereby reducing the footprint of the overall racking system.
Safety first with racking
Manufacturers of racking continuously develop and improve the design, and hence safety, of their equipment, but this in itself may not be enough unless it is installed correctly in the first place. Once in situ, it is still important to perform maintenance checks on the system at least on an annual basis to ensure continued safety. To maintain machinery is almost a given, but how many wholesalers can put their hands up and confirm they carry out annual safety checks to their cable storage facility. We all know that it is a requirement of PAT testing to ensure the electrical safety of equipment used, but here we are talking about electro-mechanical safety, so do we have a different set of rules for this? But, you may say, cable racking has no moving parts – or does it? Remember, the whole structure is under constant stress in all directions and there is a drum turning on its spindle, so a simple safety check each year will highlight any structural defects and identify any part that needs replacing such as a cable drum shaft or spindle. Such checks will also ensure the brackets are functioning correctly. With constant drum rolling, wear will take place, hence any static spindle brackets can become dangerous over time with wear and tear from the spindle, that is why spring loaded safety brackets are the preferred option for safety conscious operators. These safety brackets not only provide greater safety over time, but also make life easier when loading and unloading drums onto the racking.
Good cable racking systems have other advantages. It is not uncommon to see large quantities of cable drums strewn across the floor of a warehouse, so in many ways the installation of racking can in itself help to improve safety at electrical wholesalers, where the racking itself provides a tidy and organised storage facility. Removing this obvious hazard of clutter is a clear way to reduce the potential for injuries, but what about the lifting and supporting of individual cable drums (which can weigh anything up to 1 tonne). Often this is done manually when no forklift is available hence increasing the likelihood of back injuries. Then there are the supports, many of which are antiquated and should quite frankly be condemned. Modern lifting jacks, either manual worm screw or hand pumped hydraulic can remove the risk of many injuries that occur daily, but investing in a racking system, whether for large of small cable drums, not only improves the procedure of providing cut length cable to your customers but also frees up valuable floor space that could be utilised far more efficiently.
Why a forklift?
A forklift is probably the most versatile machine any wholesaler can have. But, there are obvious drawbacks:
- They are expensive to purchase.
- They require a large space to work in.
- They require additional area and space for charging or require a gas storage facility.
- They require trained personnel to operate them.
- They need a high degree of maintenance.
- They cause accidents to other personnel and equipment.
So for cable storage and dispensing, get rid of them! Purpose made hydraulic drum lifters are readily available, and to operate them requires only simple training from the manufacturer, they use very little space, and they are much safer than forklifts.
Small is beautiful
Finally, at the other end of the scale, there are small cable drums to consider such as those for flexible cables and twin and earth. These are not so much of a safety hazard as their larger counterparts, perhaps, but remember, you do not need the same large section standard racking to cater for them. They are however probably more of nuisance than say the larger wooden drums. They can be scattered here, there and everywhere, so not only can they cause a problem with untidiness and take up an inordinate amount of space but also can make it difficult to locate the correct drum and thus ensure good stock rotation. And it is not uncommon the see many partly used drums of identical cable size in use at the same time.
Small racks are readily available at low prices and can be tailor made to squeeze into the smallest of spaces available. There is even ‘cassette-type’ racking that is semi-portable and allows you to expand as the business grows. With this type of racking, the drums are safely stored, are easier to use and they are clearly identified for ultimate efficiency.
Ensuring good standards of health and safety at work for cable handling is not rocket science. Just take care to use proper cable racking systems and procedures. They are vitally important in helping to avoid serious and even fatal accidents in the warehouse, so don’t make do with Heath Robinson contraptions when economical solutions are readily available.
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