Hi
Have you read page 66 of the WorkSafe Best Practice Guideline "Safe Use of Machinery"? This details WorkSafe's view on how to guard conveyors, There's also an MBIE Factsheet "Guarding of Conveyors" 2013.

Bottom line is that the rollers will have to be guarded if the belt is not able to be pulled up from the roller. Theory is that if a finger/hand got into the nip point, the belt would ride up and the hand pass underneath with (hopefully) minimal injury. If the belt is under tension or is prevented from riding up, then a more serious injury is likely. Basically it's down to risk assessment and then applying the guarding standards.

As an aside I can't see any emergency stops in the photos. All our conveyors have e-stop cables running the length.

I'm assuming that preventing access to the conveyor area and/or isolating the conveyor before entry isn't a goer?

Added some examples for info only - not suggesting this is the solution as that would be situation dependent.

I would follow Craig's advice and read the WorkSafe Best Practice Guideline "Safe Use of Machinery"? and the MBIE Factsheet "Guarding of Conveyors" and risk assess.

Try the joint/international standard AS/NZS ISO 4024.3610:2015. Safety of machinery - Conveyors - General requirements from Standards New Zealand. It:
"Provides guidance and clarity in applying the principles articulated in the AS/NZS 4024 series of standards to conveyors. It sets out the minimum lifecycle safety requirements for conveyor systems and is intended to be used in conjunction with other conveyor Standards in the AS 4024 series by all persons that design/modify, manufacture, supply, install, commission, operate, maintain or dismantle conveyor systems. The objective is to protect workers and other persons against harm to their health, safety and welfare through the elimination or minimization of lifecycle risks associated with conveyor systems."
There are other parts to the standard that give more detailed guidance.

Hey,

Very dependent on circumstance? If for instance the conveyor is isolated from staff and people in general, as in contained in its own room with access controlled to limited number of people and a lock out tag system in place to ensure when people do access conveyor is non-operational and remains so until room is re-secured, then you wouldn't need to guard rollers as plant as a whole is guarded.

However if anyone can wonder up to or around during operation then dependent on level of risk etc. some formal level of guarding will need to be entertained.

First step in this instance would be a gap analysis determining level of compliance with the relative codes from which you would then further review dependent on outcome, including a risk analysis to support any action taken.

The point made by @Craig Scarlett regarding emergency stop would be equally important.

Type of guarding would need to be separately reviewed and based on how staff work around the conveyor. Something which would be a good project for a H&S committee to sink their teeth into may be?