ASPHALT PLANT SAFETY You must always be safety conscious and on the alert  for  potential  dangers  to  personnel  and  property. Safety considerations cannot be overemphasized. Coal distillate, such as benzene or naphthalene in benzol,  are  suspected  carcinogens.  Avoid  all  skin contact and do not inhale the vapors and gases from these   distillates.   Asphalt   contains   components suspected  of  causing  cancer.  Anyone  handling  asphalt must be trained on the health hazards. Dust  is  particularly  hazardous  because  of  its  threat to  your  lungs  and  eyes.  Additionally,  dust  contributes greatly to poor visibility when trucks, front-end loaders, or other equipment are being used around the stockpiles or cold bins. Reduced visibility in work traffic is a prime cause of accidents. Noise can be a double hazard. Noise is not only harmful to your hearing but also distracts your attention from moving equipment or other dangers. Moving  belts  transporting  aggregates  should  be  a constant concern, as should belts to motors and sprocket and  chain  drives.  All  pulleys  and  belts  and  drive mechanisms should be covered or otherwise protected. Loose  clothing  that  can  get  caught  in  machinery  should never be worn at an asphalt plant. Good housekeeping is essential for plant safety. The plant and yard should be kept free of loose wire or lines, pipes,  hoses,  or  other  obstacles.  High-voltage  lines,  field connections, and wet ground surfaces are other hazards. Anyloose connections, grayed insulation, or improperly grounded  equipment  should  be  reported  immediately. Plant workers should not work on stockpiles while the plant is in operation. Personnel should  NOT walk or stand on the stockpiles or on the bunkers over the feeder gate  openings.  Many  workers  have  been  pulled  down into the material and buried alive so quickly that nothing could have been done to save them. Burner flame and high temperatures around plant dryers are obvious hazards. Control valves that can be operated from a safe distance should be installed on all fuel  lines.  Flame  safety  devices  also  should  be  installed on all fuel lines. Smoking should not be permitted near asphalt or fuel storage tanks. Check frequently for leaks in oil heating lines and steam lines or jacketing on the asphalt distribution lines. Be sure safety valves are installed in all steam lines, and they are in working order. Make use of screens, barrier guards, and shields for protection  from  steam,  hot  asphalt,  hot  surfaces,  and similar dangers. When you are handling heated asphalt, use chemical goggles and a face shield. All shirt collars should be worn closed and cuffs buttoned at the wrist. Gloves with gauntlets that extend up the arm should be worn loosely so that they can be flipped off easily if they become covered  with  hot  asphalt.  Pants  should  remain  bloused. Exercise  extreme  care  when  climbing  around  the screen deck. All stairs and platforms should have secure handrails. Hard hats should be worn by all personnel. Truck traffic patterns should be planned with both safety and convenience in mind. Trucks entering the plant to pick up a load of hot mix should not have to cross the path of loaded trucks leaving the plant. If at all possible, trucks should not have to back up. All operators should know the three horn signals. l l l One blast on the horn, STOP, Two  blasts,  GO  FORWARD, Three  blasts,  BACKUP 8-34