Prioritising compliance to ensure machine operator safety

For over 40 years, Enmin has been designing and building a range of vibratory equipment and materials handling solutions for a myriad of applications and environments. The company’s knowledge and expertise in this area has led to their list of customers growing to include most of Australia’s leading food industry manufacturers. The equipment that Enmin manufactures at its factory in Braeside is designed with a clear focus on electrical safety and ergonomic design to maximise operator efficiency and minimise fatigue.

Enmin General Manager Anthony Gallaher said that as a local manufacturer, Enmin can offer a Factory Acceptance Test where a customer can come and inspect the equipment and make any minor changes before being shipped; this includes supplying a risk assessment certificate for further peace of mind. It also helps to ensure that when customers run their own Site Acceptance Test, they find minimal or no rectification work is needed to get the equipment ‘system ready’.

“There are a number of Australian industry safety standards that need to be met. In addition to that, all our customers have additional requirements to suit their particular operating environment — different sites have different needs. Our aim is to accommodate all possible standards. Certain countries will be designing and building equipment with only price in mind. Very often this does not meet even the most basic safety standards. Couple that with little on-the-ground support and it will ultimately cause a lot of problems, which often delays the installation of the equipment leading to unproductive hold-ups and additional costs,” Gallaher said.

Enmin’s Hopper Feeder and Mi-CON elevating conveyor are among the company’s most popular products. Gallaher said that buying locally has many benefits, including prompt delivery turnaround, the ability to work closely with Enmin during every phase of the project and the opportunity to add to or modify equipment years later as production needs change. Being a local manufacturer also enables Enmin to immediately respond to any customer technical query, and to provide service and parts support throughout Australia.

“Very often companies may think that imported equipment meets the Australian standards, but that is often not the case. Whilst lower-cost equipment from overseas may initially seem an attractive proposition, it is ultimately false economy. The rectification costs and time involved to ensure the unit meets Australian safety standards is significant. And if a company does decide to cut corners on operator safety they are literally walking a tightrope — things can go horribly wrong. Getting the right safety up front is a small price to pay for security and safety long term. The reassurance that comes with having safety built in and the knowledge that the equipment is fit for purpose from the start far outweighs any price difference. In terms of peace of mind, time savings and return on investment, there is simply no comparison,” Gallaher said.

Image credit: Enmin