High Worker Turnover and Training Challenges: How Control Systems and Safety Design Reduce Labor Burden in Recycling Yards

In many Nigerian recycling yards, finding and retaining skilled operators is difficult. Frequent staff changes, combined with complex machine operation and unclear safety design, can drive up training costs and accident risks.

1) Make the control interface understandable and accurate

• Keep the number of buttons and indicators manageable, with clear text or icons for key functions;

• Place start, stop, auto cycle and emergency stop in obvious, easy-to-reach positions;

• Use clear light or text alarms for common issues such as high oil temperature, open doors or abnormal pressure.

2) Balance automatic and manual functions

• Fully manual operation depends heavily on experienced workers and slows down new-hire training;

• Full automation can lead to frequent alarms and stoppages when material conditions fluctuate;

• For most yards, a practical approach is to keep the compression cycle automatic while leaving strapping, ejection and certain steps under manual confirmation, striking a balance between efficiency and safety.

3) Do not cut corners on safety interlocks and physical guards

• Prevent compression cycles from starting when doors or gates are not properly closed;

• Install guards and limit switches around hazardous zones;

• Put emergency stops where operators instinctively reach, and design them to be visually obvious for new workers.

4) Use standardized procedures to lower training requirements

• In addition to manuals, provide simple, illustrated step-by-step cards mounted near the machine;

• Break the workflow into 5–7 fixed steps—pre-checks, feeding, starting auto cycle, strapping, ejection, shutdown—so new operators can practice against a checklist;

• Supervisors can then focus on reinforcing key safety points instead of repeating full oral training each time.