Machine Guarding for Ship Loaders, Stackers & Reclaimers | Bulk Materials Safety

Why guarding matters on large bulk material machines

Ship loaders, stackers and reclaimers combine elements of mobile plant, fixed plant and continuous conveying systems. Their scale, movement and operating envelopes introduce hazards that cannot be managed with ad-hoc or legacy guarding.

Most guarding failures are not caused by a single missing guard, but by brownfield modifications, undocumented changes, and loss of original design intent. This makes engineering-led guarding essential for safety, compliance and uptime.

Australian Standards framework for guarding

AS 4024 – Safety of Machinery

The AS 4024 series provides the primary principles for machine guarding, including hazard identification, risk assessment, guarding selection, and safe distances. For bulk materials handling equipment, it must be applied in context rather than as a checklist.

AS 1755 – Conveyors: Safety requirements

AS 1755 governs conveyor-specific hazards common to ship loaders, stackers and reclaimers, including:

Nip points and pulleys
Transfer and chute interfaces
Emergency stop systems
Access for inspection and maintenance

Most real-world non-conformances occur at head/tail pulleys, transitions, take-ups and return belts beneath walkways.

AS 1657 – Fixed access systems

Guarding must coexist with compliant access. AS 1657 covers walkways, stairs, ladders, handrails and edge protection. Poor integration often leads to guards being removed to regain access — undermining safety intent.

AS 4324.1 – Mobile bulk materials handling equipment

AS 4324.1 recognises ship loaders, stackers and reclaimers as integrated machines, where guarding, access, structure and maintainability must be considered together.

Guarding challenges unique to ship loaders & reclaimers

Scale and movement
These machines include slew, luff and travel motions, requiring guarding to remain effective across all operating positions.

Brownfield evolution
Temporary or reactive guarding solutions often become permanent without verification against standards.

Shutdown constraints
Guarding changes made under shutdown pressure frequently prioritise constructability over defensible engineering.

Engineering-led guarding approach

Effective guarding is based on:

Engineering-grade spatial understanding of reach, envelopes and access paths
Risk-based selection of fixed, interlocked or removable guarding in line with AS 4024
Integration with maintenance and operations, avoiding unsafe workarounds

On large machines, guarding that cannot be safely removed, reinstated or inspected will not survive long-term operation.

Common high-risk interfaces

Guarding assessment typically focuses on:

Conveyor head, tail and bend pulleys
Transfer points and chutes
Slew, luff and drive mechanisms
Gearboxes, brakes and take-ups
Return belt zones beneath accessways

Each interface must be checked against AS 4024, AS 1755, AS 1657 and AS 4324.1 as a combined framework.

Our clients:

Building toward a bulk materials handling safety framework

This post forms part of a broader technical narrative around safe, maintainable bulk materials handling systems.
Future companion topics may include:

Conveyor transfer point guarding
Brownfield guarding upgrades during life-extension works
Balancing guarding and access on reclaimers
Using validated 3D data to de-risk shutdown modifications

Together, these posts naturally support a future Bulk Materials Handling / Stacker & Reclaimer Engineering landing page without forcing a sales message.

Key takeaway

On ship loaders, stackers and reclaimers, guarding must be engineered, spatially validated and operationally practical. When aligned with Australian Standards, guarding becomes an enabler of safe production — not a liability.

Discuss machine safety and guarding for bulk materials handling equipment

If you are reviewing or upgrading ship loaders, stackers, reclaimers or conveyor systems, early engineering input can reduce safety risk, rework and shutdown pressure.

For discussions relating to:

Machine guarding and conveyor safety
Brownfield compliance with Australian Standards
Engineering-led reviews for bulk materials handling equipment

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AS 4324.1 Brownfield Bulk Handling Assets: Engineering Mobile Equipment for Today’s Mine Sites

AS 1755 Conveyor Safety

3D Laser Scanning for Engineering

Designing Conveyor Guarding for Compliance, Safety, and Practical Operation

Conveyors are widely used across processing, manufacturing, and materials-handling environments, but they also present some of the most persistent safety risks in industrial operations. Entrapment, nip points, rotating components, and maintenance access are all recognised hazards that must be managed through proper design and guarding.

In Australia, these risks are addressed through AS 1755 – Conveyors – Safety Requirements, which establishes the minimum safety expectations for conveyor systems across their full lifecycle, from design and installation through to operation and maintenance.

This article outlines what AS 1755 requires, why compliant conveyor guarding is critical, and how engineering-led design plays a key role in achieving practical safety outcomes.

Bulk materials conveyor with compliant safety guarding at the hopper, tail end, and along the conveyor, shown with an engineer reviewing guarding design drawings.

What Is AS 1755?

AS 1755 is the Australian Standard that defines safety requirements for belt conveyors and other conveyor systems. It addresses both new and existing installations and applies to conveyors used in industrial, commercial, and processing environments.

Rather than focusing on individual guarding components in isolation, AS 1755 considers the conveyor system as a whole, including how people interact with it during normal operation, inspection, cleaning, and maintenance.

The standard is referenced by regulators, safety professionals, and engineers as the primary benchmark for conveyor safety in Australia.

Key Safety Principles in AS 1755

AS 1755 is built around a number of core safety principles that influence how conveyor guarding should be designed.

These include eliminating hazards where possible, controlling remaining risks through engineering solutions, and ensuring that guarding does not introduce new risks by restricting access or encouraging unsafe behaviour.

In practice, this means that compliant guarding must be effective, durable, and suitable for the operating environment, while still allowing conveyors to be inspected, cleaned, and maintained safely.

Conveyor Guarding Requirements

A major focus of AS 1755 is the control of access to hazardous areas. This includes guarding of:

Drive pulleys and tail pulleys
Return rollers and idlers
Nip points and shear points
Rotating shafts and couplings
Chain drives, belt drives, and gearboxes

Guarding must be designed so that body parts cannot access hazardous zones, taking into account reach distances, openings, and the position of the conveyor relative to walkways or platforms.

Importantly, AS 1755 recognises that guarding must be fit for purpose. Poorly designed guards that are difficult to remove, inspect, or maintain are often bypassed or removed altogether, creating new safety risks.

Fixed Guards vs Interlocked Guards

AS 1755 allows for different types of guarding depending on the application and risk profile.

Fixed guards are commonly used where access is not required during normal operation. These guards must be securely fixed and require tools for removal.

Interlocked guards may be required where regular access is necessary. These systems ensure that the conveyor cannot operate while the guard is open or removed, reducing the risk of exposure to moving parts.

Selecting the appropriate guarding strategy requires an understanding of how the conveyor is used in practice, not just how it appears on drawings.

Existing Conveyors and Retrofit Challenges

Many conveyors currently in service were installed before the latest versions of AS 1755 were adopted. In these cases, compliance is often achieved through retrofit guarding rather than full replacement.

Retrofitting guarding to existing conveyors introduces additional challenges, including:

Limited space around existing equipment
Incomplete or outdated drawings
Structural constraints
Ongoing operation during upgrades

Engineering-led assessment and accurate documentation of existing conditions are critical when designing retrofit guarding solutions that comply with AS 1755 without disrupting operations.

The Role of Engineering in Conveyor Guarding Design

AS 1755 does not provide prescriptive “one-size-fits-all” guard designs. Instead, it sets performance requirements that must be interpreted and applied by competent professionals.

Engineering input is essential to ensure that conveyor guarding:

Addresses all relevant hazards
Integrates with existing mechanical and structural systems
Can be fabricated and installed accurately
Supports safe maintenance and inspection activities

Poorly engineered guarding may appear compliant on paper but fail in real-world use.

Documentation, Verification, and Ongoing Safety

Compliance with AS 1755 is not a one-time activity. Conveyor systems evolve over time as layouts change, equipment is upgraded, and operating practices shift.

Clear documentation of guarding design, installation, and assumptions provides a baseline for future modifications and safety reviews. This documentation is also critical when demonstrating due diligence to regulators or during incident investigations.

Why AS 1755 Matters

AS 1755 exists to prevent serious injuries and fatalities associated with conveyor systems. When applied correctly, it provides a structured framework for identifying hazards, implementing effective controls, and maintaining safe operation over the life of the equipment.

Achieving compliance requires more than installing mesh around moving parts. It requires understanding how people interact with conveyors and designing guarding that supports safe behaviour rather than working against it.

Conveyor guarding designed in accordance with AS 1755 is a critical component of safe industrial operations. Engineering-led design, accurate documentation, and practical consideration of maintenance and operation are essential to achieving compliance that works in practice.

When conveyor safety is treated as an engineering problem rather than a checkbox exercise, the result is safer equipment, fewer incidents, and more reliable operations.