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Bucket elevators are familiar tools for people in the industrial field, but others may have never seen them before as they had never had a reason to use them. But this multipurpose piece of equipment helps improve efficiency at just about any site, especially if you know how to use them.

What is a bucket elevator?

Bucket elevators are must-have tools that enable workers to vertically convey, elevate, or lift large amounts of materials through a large bucket where the material goes. For example, if you have a large amount of material that needs to be moved from one end of the factory to the other, this is the tool to do it. With bucket elevators, workers and personnel won’t have to carry those by themselves.

The bucket is attached to a rotating belt or chain, which picks up the material and moves it to the endpoint. It then discharges the material and goes back to the starting point.

Here are the different types of bucket elevators:

• Centrifugal Bucket Elevator

This type of bucket elevator uses centrifugal force, which hurls the material out of the buckets as they travel over the head pulley. It operates much faster than others, and the buckets are spaced apart separately. The result is that the material is speedily and constantly transported, saving time. These bucket elevators are the best options for free-flowing, fine, or powdered materials such as paint powders, dry chemicals, cement, and more.

• Continuous Bucket Elevator

These are much larger capacity bucket elevators compared to the centrifugal ones. They’re best for more significant loads and applications that require handling material with care. Steel or synthetic buckets have a single chain or two on each side. The buckets are continuously mounted and moving at slower speeds. There is a direct feed on the up-leg side that loads the buckets. Once they reach their destination, they discharge through gravity.

KC Supply explains that depending on your industry needs and the amount of material you need to be transported. You should choose the right bucket elevator that gives you efficiency and safety in handling the materials.

KC Supply takes pride in providing heavy-duty industries with the right equipment. Visit KC Supply Co to learn about applications for equipment.

Belt tension is one of the most crucial factors affecting conveyor belt performance and maintenance. Conveyor belts are highly dynamic equipment used for multiple purposes across many industries. Everything from manufacturing to distribution uses conveyor belts to get the work done.

Because these machines do so much work, companies have to maintain the life of the conveyor belt, and one of the best ways to do that is to ensure that the belt tension remains optimal. Not only will this keep the belt running smoothly, but if you can detect anomalies in belt tension, it could be a sign that something is wrong.

Importance of Belt Tension

• It affects all the rest of the machine

Without the proper belt tension, the rest of the conveyor belt’s parts start to suffer. Rollers, joints, and other machine parts begin to strain and operate poorly if you don’t have the correct tension. You have to determine the perfect level accurately: not too loose that the belt slips or too tight that it causes the machine to break apart.

• It causes unnecessary wear

Without the proper belt tension, the conveyor can’t run smoothly, and it becomes challenging for the rest of the machine to get the belt going. If the belt is too tight, the bearings and shafts of the machine start to grind and wear down prematurely. You may also experience tracking problems. The strap itself starts to wear out unevenly.

Maintaining Belt Tension

The best way to find out if your belt has improper tension are these checks:

• Is the belt lacing pulling out? This may mean having too much tension.
• Check the belt track. It may not be tracking properly if the belt edges curl.
• Stalling belts means it’s too loose, starting to slip.
• Squealing noises means the belt is not tracking, and there’s too much tension.

KC Supply Co explains that with these tips, you can keep an eye on the performance of your conveyor belt and ensure that there is optimal belt tension at all times.

KC Supply knows how important maintaining heavy-duty industrial equipment is for company processes. Head to KCSupply.com to find more tips to keep equipment at top performance.

KC Supply sometimes receives queries about types of bearing and bearing lubrication. Rolling elements typically require proper lubrication to increase their performance efficiency and prolong their overall lifespan.

Benefits of Lubrication

Something worth noting is that lubrication of a bearing can be a messy process that isn’t always considered practical by some companies. Some people see it as an unnecessary secondary process. But proper lubrication for bearings is crucial, especially to your machinery.

Not lubricating properly can break a whole machine. Furthermore, lubrication defends against corrosion and contaminants and prevents heat from transferring.

 Tips for Correct Lubrication

1. Identify the correct lubricant

Depending on the ball bearing or roller you use for the machinery, you might use oil or grease. It becomes imperative to check the manufacturer’s instructions on the appropriate lubricant for specific machines, even down to specific parts.

1. Know the benefits of each type

Oil is typically used for multiple bearing components and is often used for high-temperature equipment. It’s easier to change out and drain. On the other hand, grease remains in place and is more likely used on equipment that requires sealing. While high-temperature grease does exist, it can be expensive.

1. Ensure that you clean the area first

Remove all existing oils, grease, and anti-corrosion coatings on the bearings that you will lubricate. It improves the adhesion of the new grease and oil. It also eliminates potential incompatibilities between different lubricants.

1. Fill the lubricant cavity appropriately

Some machines have a specific fill quantity that allows all bearings and rollers in the area to receive proper lubrication. Keeping the right fill quantity means not over or underfilling the lubricant cavity. Over-lubricating can be just as dangerous as under-lubricating. Over-lubrication can increase internal friction. Under-lubrication means contact surfaces on the bearings and rollers aren’t lubricated enough.

For KC Supply, it’s essential to be aware of these different factors as improper lubrication, whether too much, too little, or the wrong type of lubricant entirely, can be detrimental to equipment lifespan. It may cause workplace hazards errors and will cost your business money in maintenance and repair.

Ensuring that your equipment runs smoothly is critical to continued efficiency in any production line. Learn more about crucial equipment maintenance tips by visiting KC Supply.

held every year to continually and constantly remind the workers and farmers of the agricultural sector to remain vigilant about the safety of workers that do their jobs in and around any bin that holds any grain.

The Numbers to Know

It’s extremely easy for something to go wrong during cleaning or unclogging a grain bin, and tragic accidents have affected entire communities. In 2020 alone, 20 people died of entrapment inside grain bins.

To prevent more accidents, it’s crucial to put grain safety at the forefront of all activities regarding the grain bin and to have all the necessary safety items like grain bin safety tubes, oxygen tanks, and masks at hand.

Grain Bin Safety Week

Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety Week is holding a contest where fire departments across the country can get nominated to win some all-essential grain bin safety tubes and proper, hands-on training on how to use them. First responders will also need training on how to proceed in a grain entrapment situation, which requires absolute speed and skill as lives hang in the balance.

If you want to win a grain bin safety tube for your fire department, you can nominate them online and through email from January 1 to April 30, 2022. You can email gbswinfo@nationwide.com to describe your fire department or emergency rescue team and explain how they can benefit from receiving the grain safety tube and how big a difference the entrapment training can give them and their community.

As a nominator, you have to provide your name, occupation, phone number, postal and email addresses, and your nominated fire department or rescue team’s name, address, and phone number.

KC Supply Co fully supports Grain Bin Safety Week 2022, emphasizing the need for safety equipment when handling all things grain. Visit KC Supply to learn more about our safety equipment.

An OSHA inspection could be an extremely stressful experience for a business if they’re unprepared for it. Should OSHA find violations and safety issues during their inspection, it could lead to fines and even a potential business license suspension. So, it’s better to strictly follow safety precautions and regulations and expect an OSHA surprise inspection any time.

Here are some tips to ensure that your business is prepared for what an inspection will entail.

Expect to see their OSHA credentials.

OSHA inspectors are required to show you their credentials before the inspection. As the business owner, it ensures that you are dealing with qualified and designated OSHA personnel. It also signals you to notify managers, supervisors, employees, and other personnel of their presence.

Distribute assignments.

Before the OSHA inspection, you have to make sure that someone in the organization is already tasked with meeting the personnel when they arrive. This point person is responsible for ensuring that OSHA guidelines and regulations have been in place in the company long before any inspection. They should also have all the expected paperwork, policy documentation, and licenses ready when OSHA asks for them.

Keep meticulous records.

Keeping detailed records of all procedures, training, incidences, and more is crucial. The paperwork ensures that the company has been enacting OSHA safety regulations. Documentation also proves that the company has provided its personnel with the safety training, equipment, and reminders necessary for compliance.

Perform internal audits.

Do a regular mock OSHA inspection within the company and perform audits of your procedures. Be on the lookout for irregularities or potential issues that might cause OSHA to ding you. By performing regular audits, you already know your daily operations fall within OSHA regulations. You should have nothing to worry about when an actual inspection comes knocking.

The key isn’t to be afraid of an inspection—it’s to ensure that protocol gets followed daily. Therefore whether a surprise OSHA inspection or not, you’re always ready for a review. And when the inspector comes, you’ll be confident that you’ll pass with flying colors.

KC Supply Co understands how crucial following OSHA regulations are. See more tips for remaining OSHA-compliant by visiting KCSupply.com.

It’s time to ring in the new year with work safety reminders from KC Supply. As everyone shakes off the holiday, it’s time to get back to work and the daily grind. However, now that everyone is back on the job, it means all the workplace safety precautions get enforced again. Here’s a refresher to keep important safety tips in mind.

Use tools, equipment, and machinery correctly.

All tools, equipment, and machines in a workplace have operational standards and purposes. Remember only to use these tools the way they are meant to be used. It may be tempting to take a shortcut and misuse a tool for a purpose it wasn’t built for, but work safety hinges on workers following instructions on properly using these items.

Report unsafe conditions.

At any instance of potentially hazardous conditions or situations, it’s crucial to report it back to your supervisors or managers. For example, if an enclosed space has too high concentrations of toxic fumes or gases, restrict entrance into it immediately and report the situation to a supervisor to ensure that the problem is resolved before work can resume.

Keep all workstations clean and orderly.

Clean and orderly stations help keep workplaces safe as there won’t be tools lying around where someone could have an accident with them. It’s also a way to limit mistakes as it’s a lot easier to find where specific tools are. You won’t accidentally grab the wrong one.

Take breaks when needed.

Work safety means protecting employees’ health by ensuring that they take regular breaks and stay hydrated. In labor-intensive industries or in extreme environments (high temperatures or altitudes, work that requires specialized PPE equipment, and more), it’s crucial to regularly take breaks to prevent bodies from getting overcome with exhaustion. Tired minds and bodies are more prone to mistakes, leading to potential accidents.

KC Supply also encourages gathering all workers or employees to refresh everyone on work safety procedures or protocols. This way, everyone remains up-to-date on safety regulations and has this information fresh in their minds as they return to work.

KC Supply places worker safety in industrial workplaces at the forefront of their concerns. Visit KCSupply.com to browse a selection of worker safety equipment that helps prevent accidents.

Though ladders don’t seem like the most dangerous tools in the industrial field, KC Supply has repeatedly emphasized is the importance of safety when working in heights. Even when personnel climb ladders, safety precautions should remain in place.

The Numbers

The CDC has reported that 20% of workers across all industries have had accidents or falls on ladders. It’s exceptionally high among construction workers. Overall, 81% of falls in emergency rooms come from ladders. Any business with workers on ladders needs to remain vigilant on ladders safety based on these numbers alone.

OSHA Requirements and ANSI Regulations

Some of the crucial requirements and regulations for ladders of all types include:

General Rungs and Steps Requirements:

• Ladder rungs and steps should not be spaced less than 10 inches and not more than 14 inches apart.
• Fixed rungs and steps on telecommunication towers must be spaced not more than 18 inches apart.
• There must be a minimum clear width of 11.5 inches on portable ladders and 16 inches for fixed ladders.

General Ladder Requirements:

• Wooden ladders must not be coated with materials that obscure structural defects.
• Metal ladders must be made with corrosion-resistant material.
• All ladder surfaces must be free of puncture and laceration hazards.
• Workers must only use ladders for the purpose for which they were designed.

Fixed Ladders:

• Ladders must support the maximum intended load.
• Grab bars should not protrude on the climbing side beyond the ladder’s rungs.
• Grab bars must extend 42 inches above the access level or landing platforms.
• Ladders that have a pitch greater than 90-degrees should not be used.

Portable Ladders:

• All rungs and steps must be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or any other method to minimize slippage risks.
• Workers should never load ladders beyond the maximum intended load.
• Workers must use no single-rail ladders.
• Stepladders’ top step and caps should not be used nor function as steps.
• Ladders should not be placed on boxes, barrels, or other unstable bases.

 The full list is extensive. But KC Supply believes that a vast majority of them are crucial to preventing accidents and falls on ladders and are worth knowing.

It’s not enough to simply have safety equipment. You also have to be well-informed on the regulations. To find more critical safety precautions and important OSHA guidelines, visit KCSupply.com.

Lockout/tagout procedures are rigorously implemented in any workplace for a reason. For KC Supply, staying safe in the workplace is a thorough knowledge of the safety procedures for specific situations, such as handling and operating machinery for hazardous energy. The lockout/tagout procedures are critical in maintaining a safe working environment when working around machines.

Lockout/Tagout Procedures to Remember

• Ensure that all workers are aware and prepared for the shutdown. Everyone in the surrounding area should have already been trained or received proper instruction on hazardous-energy-awareness, as well as the sources.
• All affected employees should be notified. Ensure that everyone is paying attention to know that the lockout is about to begin.
• Shut down the equipment in a safe and orderly manner. Depending on the machinery used, employees should follow the careful steps precisely in the shutdown manner. Always consult with the equipment-specific procedures or the machine’s operating manual.
• Isolate all hazardous energy sources. During this part of the lockout/tagout procedure, take extreme precautions. Ensure that the circuit breaker or valve has gotten completely isolated to prevent any risk of accidents.
• Apply lockout/tagout devices to the energy sources. For example, use specific logs and tags. No one else except assigned personnel to each of the locks and tags can do this procedure, nor can anyone else remove or move the locks and tags unless with complete approval from a supervisor.
• Release any stored energy. This could be excess steam, hydraulic energy, and other types. No energy should be in the area before you move the equipment.
• Test the controls and return them to the off position. This is the final phase of the lockout/tagout procedures. You need to test the controls to ensure that they are disconnected, are nonfunctional, and have no risk of an accidental restart. Once you’ve confirmed it’s shut down, you can return the control to the off position.

KC Supply emphasizes the need for intense precautions during the lockout/tagout procedure because of the hazardous energy that could put everyone at risk. To learn more about crucial workplace safety, visit KC Supply’s website.

Before making a PPE selection among the different variants in the market, certain conditions and situations about the nature of your work and your employees’ work need to be considered. This is critical to ensure that you can select the correct variation of PPE that will give you and your employees the ideal protection.

• Sizing: Excellent fit matters when using PPE. Consider the side range available to you and how well they’ll fit the employees who need to wear them. A complete protective seal is crucial.
• Kit Weight: Some PPEs are made of different materials from others used for specialized applications. However, that could also make them heavier. Before making a PPE selection, consider the weight of the whole suit put together and think about whether your workers will be able to move and do their work for long periods while wearing the PPE.
• Workplace Hazards: What kind of dangers do you expect to find in the working area? As mentioned, different PPE have different functions. Select a kit that will give you plenty of flexibility if you expect general workplace protection. Meanwhile, if you expect your workers to work in areas with hazardous gases, choose PPE that works best against that specific hazard.
• Reputable Distributor: Many PPE types are available now, but remember that you need to check if you’re getting the real deal and not a cheap knockoff before making your PPE selection. In the case of workplace safety and protecting your employees from hazards, you do get what you pay for. Choose PPE that is made by authentic brands and distributed by reputable resellers or shops.

Making a PPE selection is more than just choosing a protective suit. Remember that your workers’ lives are at risk, and that is what the PPE should defend them against. Find quality PPE selections and more by visiting KC Supply.

When selecting a safety harness for your workplace, there are several considerations you have to make before making a purchase.

• Understand the basics of safety harnesses. 

The safety harness you select should cover the vital areas of the body. Its purpose is to shield a worker from injury from falling from great heights and keep them upright. Find harnesses that have positioned D-rings that are used to anchor a worker to lifelines. This is the most vital part and purpose of a harness.

• Understand the different types of safety harnesses. 

What kind of work does your company do? The activity will dictate the type of safety harness you need. There are:

• Fall arrest harnesses: Stops workers from falling.
• Ladder climbing: The D-ring is located in the front to facilitate workers climbing up.
• Descent control: Think of it like rock climbing—the harness is meant to help a worker safely go down from a great height.
• Confined space entry: This is a critical harness for workers entering small spaces or going into grain bins.
• Suspension/rigging harnesses: If your work involves ropes, towers, rescue, and other similar jobs involving workers getting suspended up in heights and working there, you need this one.
• Consider your workers and their comfort. 

Who among your colleagues or employees will be wearing the safety harness? Consider their convenience when wearing this harness. They will be wearing the harness for extended periods. Furthermore, comfort matters because the harness fits them correctly and won’t cause them injury should an incident occur.

• Don’t skimp out on the price. 

With a safety harness, you get what you pay for. A single harness could mean life or death for a worker wearing it. The cost of the harness reflects the superiority of the material and quality of it, and therefore it’s more reliable. Remember that you’re placing lives at stake with this harness.

Safety harnesses are critical components of workplace safety, especially in situations involving rigging and suspension. Remember to consult with specialists if you’re not sure of the correct type of harness to get. Contact KC Supply today and find out more about harnesses.