WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced today that its Machinery Safety Standards Committee has released a new American National Standards Institute-accredited safety standard: ANSI/PLASTICS B151.11 Safety Requirements for Granulators, Strand Pelletizers and Dicers Used for Size Reduction of Plastics.
Safety Requirements for Granulators, Strand Pelletizers and Dicers Used for Size Reduction of Plastics is available for sale at a reduced price for PLASTICS members at the PLASTICS web store. It sets the latest industry standards for the manufacture, care and use of granulators, strand pelletizers, dicers and single-shaft rotary grinders. This standard does not apply to other types of shredders or to pulverizers.
“This document provides important information, vital to the safety of people working on or near some very powerful machinery,” said Tony Radoszewski, President and CEO of PLASTICS, “and the standards for keeping these machines in top condition are essential to the future of plastic production and recycling.”
These safety requirements are the result of a three-year collaboration among members of the PLASTICS Machinery Safety Standards Committee, representing expertise from all corners of the plastics industry.
Created as an update and expansion of a 2004 standard, Safety Requirements for Granulators, Strand Pelletizers and Dicers Used for Size Reduction of Plastics expands the scope of the previous standard while also updating normative and informative references, as well as definitions for clarity and unity with the new standard.
Jason Forgash, President of Bay Plastics Machinery and David Miller, General Manager for Size Reduction at Conair, co-chaired the team that produced the standard.
“Working with a team of outstanding individuals from across our industry on this standard was a great experience,” said Forgash. “Our goal was to update a standard that had not been reviewed for too long, and to ensure that our segment of the industry is meeting the most current safety requirements available.”
Miller further emphasized the depth of the work that went into the new standard. “This process included representatives from many size-reduction companies that represent all of the equipment detailed in this very important safety document,” he said.
“Collaboration was key for the members of this drafting group,” said Jennifer Jones, Director of Industry Standards for PLASTICS. “This equipment is used in wide-ranging applications that vary in configurations. This group was able to apply knowledge of multiple systems to be sure the standard addresses the complexity of safety considerations presented by a multifaceted industry.”