Filling Machine Safety

When purchasing a filling machine system, one of the most important factors to consider is the safety features. Filling machines are used in a wide variety of industries and environments, making it essential to ensure that they are built to the highest standards and meet all regulated safety standards. These safety features are necessary to protect operators and other workers, as well as to prevent product and revenue loss during production.

Filling Machine Safety Features

Although each industry may have different safety needs for their products and environment, there are some standard safety features to look for on filling machines. It is important that the machine is built to meet all UL standards and has the proper safety precautions and guards in place to make it safe to use. Some of the features to look for include: 

• Guard enclosures. Operators must be properly protected from possible splashing or spilling of hot or dangerous products that may be used on a filling machine. Guard enclosures insulate the operators from hazardous materials by the use of interlock doors, with a safety feature that does not allow machine function unless the doors are shut. These doors should be made to withstand chemical and heat exposure, protecting the operators behind them.  In some cases, it may be necessary for operators to wear protective clothing.
• Electrical panels. All electrical panels should meet UL standards for safety. For filling machines used in hazardous locations, they should come equipped with electrical panels that are built to UL listed Class1/Division1/Group D electrical standards that meet all insurance requirements. This protects the electrical components from exposure to possible combustible materials that are found in these hazardous locations.
• Machine construction. Filling machines should meet construction requirements for safety, such as components made of stainless steel and stainless shrouded aluminum for wash down capabilities. In addition, the filler functions should meet all NEC regulations using mechanical activation features.
• Software. The software used in filling machines is also critical for safety. Software should include built-in safety features to regulate automatic shut-off or no-start mode when there is a jam or filling jets are not properly aligned. In addition, software should prevent spills that may be hazardous to workers, as well as costly during production. 

Ensuring your filling machine is made to the highest standards of safety should be a top priority when purchasing new equipment. Lack of quality safety features can be costly, causing unnecessary employee injuries and expensive losses in production. It is worth taking the time and money to invest in filling machines that meet and exceed all safety standards for your company’s industry.

Sam Lubus is the owner of Inline Filling Systems, a liquid filling machine manufacturer with over twenty years of experience in the industry. Made in the USA, and installed Worldwide, we believe in safety first when installing our machinery at business locations.