E stop

[M107]

I have a customer who has an E stop button next to a door, when the food delivery drivers come in they always end up snapping off the key in the mushroom by inadvertantly backing into it while pulling roll pallets into the kitchen.

I'm trying to source a mushroom switch with key that has a guard to protect the key when inserted to the switch..................................anybody got some links to such a product?

Failing that it's a length of clear poly & a heat gun to bend in to shape with a few nuts/bolts to fix to new switch.

 

[NozSpark]

Surely the key shouldn't be in the E stop as a matter of course?

 

[M107]

Their reasoning for leaving the key in the switch................................we kept losing the key:C

I did tell them the key needs to be kept else where until required.....but what do I know.

 

[NozSpark]

Can you make a chain up for the key and screw that to the wall?

 

[NozSpark]

The key shouldnt be kept near the EStop Get them to do a Risk Assessment and then decide what EStop and circuits are required

Thats what I thought

 

[M107]

Fair point Canoe, thanks.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:46 ---------- Previous post was made at 20:44 ----------

Maybe a chain on the key thats 20ft long so it reaches the kitchen office:slap

 

[revjames]

455 keys are hardly difficult to get hold of

 

[Manator]

One reason why the key should not be kept near or in the E-stop is to make sure that any reason why the emergency arose is fully cleared before a competant person resets the E-stop. This should never be left to the operator, unless he is qualified or deemed to be the competant person. We all know however that some people use the e stop as a switch, to turn the motors on and off.

Sidewinder will tell you how many rules and regulations they are breaking by having the key in the e-stop.

 

[ProDave]

As above, the whole point of a key release estop is to prevent it being reset without the key holder releasing it, and probably making sure it's safe to re start. So the key should not be left in the stop. End of.

If anyone did have to operate the estop, it could bl***y well hurt if you give that a thump with key still in it.

Perhaps they need to re do the risk assessment to see if it really does need a key release estop button?

You can get shrouded estop buttons, but again you can't just go and fit one, that too has to be part of the risk assessment.

 

[steptoe]

would it just be easier to move the E-STOP a foot horizontal if they are still insisting on keeping the key in it?

 

[green-hornet]

I dont think this company are aware of the penalties they could incur should the practice of leaving a key in an emergency stop. Just as Prodave said in his post should anything happen you could get a nasty jolt. If the key is used by all who use the machine without ever thinking that it may be under fault conditions, then I would say that a very large fine would find its way to the owners, and even closure of the factory.

I do know that the H&S E take a very dim veiw of slack practices in the workplace.

 

[M107]

It's a school kitchen GH & as per the fine advice here, they have agreed to undertake a risk assessment but have already agreed the switch needs to be relocated & the key should be held by the site manager (caretaker in old money).

Currently the key or what is left of it, is stuck in the lock:_|

 

[Sidewinder]

One other thing M107, releasing the e-stop key switch must not re-energise any circuits, that must be done with a separate momentary switch.

You can get just heads for the popular e-stops and they are not that expensive either.

 

[NozSpark]

It's a school kitchen GH & as per the fine advice here, they have agreed to undertake a risk assessment but have already agreed the switch needs to be relocated & the key should be held by the site manager (caretaker in old money).Currently the key or what is left of it, is stuck in the lock:_|

I'd have thought that it would be better off being kept in the secetarys office,, caretakers often only start work at 3pm and aren't on site during the day:O