PLASTICS Releases New Safety Standard For Plastic Sheet and Film Machinery

May 18, 2020

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced today that its Machinery Safety Standards Committee has released a new American National Standards Institute-accredited safety standard for Plastic Sheet and Film Machinery.

Available for sale at a reduced price for PLASTICS members, ANSI/PLASTICS B151.5-2020, Safety Requirements for Plastic Film and Sheet Winding and Unwinding Machinery sets the latest industry standards for plastic film and sheet winding, slitter rewinding and unwinding machinery.

“Helping to provide for the safety of plastics industry personnel is one of our hallmarks,” stated PLASTICS President and CEO Tony Radoszewski, CAE. “Our ANSI Standards Program ensures this standard will minimize hazards to personnel by establishing safety requirements for the manufacture, care and use of these machines.”

The ANSI/PLASTICS B151.5-2020 has an expanded scope, additional definitions, and performance levels. Forty-six members representing all aspects of the plastics industry participated in its creation, as part of the PLASTICS Machinery Safety Technical Committee. “The wide variety and sizes of plastic film and sheet winding machines complicates any standard detailing their safety requirements,” explained Jennifer Jones, Director of Industry Standards at PLASTICS. 

“Combinations of parts, production methods and operating conditions in our industry are virtually infinite,” she explained. “PLASTICS addressed the situation in our updated standard by establishing a methodology to pinpoint important areas: eliminating common hazards; establishing standard designs for competitors with similar manufacturing operations; safeguarding machines with uncommon designs for technical or operational reasons; and warnings in instances where the total elimination of hazards may not be technically or operationally feasible.”

The document is available for purchase at:

access.plasticsindustry.org/PLASTICS/Store/Store_Home.aspx or www.ansi.org.  

About Plastics Industry Association

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), formerly SPI, is the only organization that supports the entire plastics supply chain, representing nearly one million workers in the $451 billion U.S. industry. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to make its members and the industry more globally competitive while advancing recycling and sustainability. To learn more about PLASTICS’ education initiatives, industry-leading insights and events, networking opportunities and policy advocacy, and North America’s largest plastics trade show, NPE: The Plastics Show, visit plasticsindustry.org. Connect with PLASTICS on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn and Instagram.