Health & Safety Update - May 2021

Health & Safety Update | MAY 2021

Industry News - Safety & Security - PPE - Tools & Equipment

Showcasing the most exciting Products, Services and Innovations in the Health & Safety Industry

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

PM Boris Johnson visits MTX’s Hereford Country Hospital site MTX Contracts were awarded the £12million contract as part of the UK Government’s ‘Project Speed’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was welcomed to MTX’s latest scheme at the site of Hereford County Hospital, where the MTX team were hard at work constructing 3 fast-track wards.

Granted a £12 million contract to carry out this essential work as part of the Government’s ‘Project Speed’ initiative, the on-site build will give the NHS 72 valuable extra hospital beds.

What is Project Speed?

Project Speed is the name for the UK Government’s Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce; a UK Government initiative which was launched in the summer of 2020 to speed up and improve the delivery of important infrastructure. Quite simply, and as the PM himself put it, the initiative aims to help Britain ‘to build better, to build greener, to build faster’.

For the NHS, this meant a huge capital investment of £3billion to support the delivery of infrastructure that was desperately needed to keep the healthcare system running smoothly and to improve services.

The scheme has been described as “the most radical reforms of our planning system since the end of the second world war”.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

How will project speeds goals be achieved?

To achieve their goals of a better infrastructure, the Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce is making radical changes to Government policies and strategies that previously slowed down the delivery of infrastructure.

This will reduce the overall time taken to deliver projects.

Fast-tracking construction doesn’t mean quality slipping. One of the task forces goals is to ensure projects are finished to the highest quality, and that they are carried out ethically.

Better MTX use off-site construction techniques which limits any disruption to day-to-day business on live sites.

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It is an engineered solution

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There is less disruptive vehicle movement

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They have safer construction sites

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They minimise disruption to operational sites

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They have an exceptional factory quality control process

Greener

Which sectors will see benefits?

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MTX’s buildings are already designed with ethical construction in mind.

There are a number of sectors that will benefit from Project Speed.

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Increases recycling opportunities for waste materials

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Reduces waste from construction activities by up to 60%

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Improved the energy performance of building

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Reduces carbon emissions created during construction

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The Healthcare Sector – the NHS will benefit massively from the project as resources are driven to build new hospitals, improve existing facilities, direct change where it is needed and increase A&E capacity. This will help the sector to deliver responsive, dedicated care The Education Sector – the project will fasttrack investment in the education sector. This includes schools and further education facilities.

As well as these sectors benefitting from the project, the environment is a huge focus. Ethical construction is a key part of this project.

How MTX delivers better, greener, faster construction MTX use an innovative offsite construction system and other fast-track methods, which brilliantly support the better, greener, faster ethos introduced with this scheme.

The methods used during the new ward scheme at Hereford County Hospital aim to reduce construction time by an impressive 50%. This reduction in time means the NHS can use their new facilities and reap the benefits of extra bed space months earlier than if traditional construction methods were used.

So how do MTX meet the Better, Greener, Faster specifications of Project Speed with their MMC (Modern Methods of Construction)?

Faster Less time is wasted by using off-site construction, there is no need to wait for demolition to be completed or groundworks to be put in place.

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Reduces construction time by up to 50%

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Constructs sub-structure and super structure in parallel

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Utilise pre-manufactured MEP services

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Utilise off-site finishes

Why hospitals and organisations should get involved The amount of red-tape involved in construction can mean that some essential, important projects have previously not gone ahead. Project Speed has removed a lot of this red tape and made many of these projects possible, without compromising on ethical aspects.

The project has made is much easier for public sectors and companies to create partnerships with construction firms, whilst also making the projects more cost-effective.

Find out more details about Project Speed We’d love to talk to you about how we can help you use Project Speed to fast-track your ethical construction projects. Feel free to get in touch to find out more.

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WELCOME May 2021

Contents

Health & Safety Update | MAY 2021

Industry News - Safety & Security - PPE - Tools & Equipment

4 10

Electric Arc - Understand the Risks and Protect Yourself!

7

Showcasing the most exciting Products, Services and Innovations in the Health & Safety Industry

Wipe away the risk of infection with PURELL®

16

Perfectly Matched pedestrian traffic control from GEZE UK

4 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

5 1.

Electrical Mistakes That are Often Made on Work Sites Electrical hazards are present across many work sites due to a constant flow of workers, powered equipment, and exposed electrical parts to name a few. Whether you are working on a construction site or in a welding workshop, it is important to avoid making any errors with electrical equipment in an already dangerous environment. Here are five common electrical mistakes that are often made on a work site.

Incorrect testing

It is vital that proper testing is carried out on all work sites, where electrical equipment and live currents are present. It is important to prioritise high quality electrical testing in a workplace, as encountering a live current can cause serious injury and even death.

Testing electrical outlets requires the necessary personnel on site and should not be undertaken by workers who are not specifically trained to do so.

Professional electricians use a variety of testers, including voltage detectors and clamp meters, to check a wide range of electrical functions in residential and commercial electrical wiring.

2.

Underestimating the dangers of lower voltage levels Across work sites, employees can often underestimate the power in lower voltage levels and can lack understanding of the dangers when encountering lower voltage currents. The only difference between low and high voltage exposure is how fast it could potentially cause a fatality. High voltages have the potential to kill instantly, while lower voltage can be the cause of death up two days after the event. A 120-volt shock for example, can lead to death up to 48 hours after the initial exposure, so it is vital to avoid all live currents no matter what their voltage.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 5

3.

Completing an incorrect lockout tagout procedure Lockout tagout is a key procedure that ensures the safety of fellow workers when a machine is being powered down or undergoing maintenance repairs. Lockout tagout ensures that re-energisation of a machine does not occur which could cause potential harm to workers in proximity.

Equipment that is not correctly locked out can also cause electrical shocks and burns, so performing the lockout procedure is key for electrical safety.

The correct lockout devices are required to perform a complete lockout programme safely and effectively.

Equipment such as safety padlocks from Reece Safety will ensure that electrical equipment is safely secured and locked out until it is ready to be restarted. This procedure should be standardised to ensure that equipment is safely stored and organised and ready for use.

4.

A lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) Electrical environments require specific PPE, such as Arc Flash PPE, rubber insulating gloves, and electrical safety hooks to prevent injury and harm. While it can be uncomfortable at times, it will protect you from many potential hazards and is therefore important to always wear the required PPE on a work site. The correct PPE clothing is an important mitigating factor against electrical hazards such as exposure to fire from faulty electrical installations, explosions, shock or burns.

Employers are responsible for providing the correct level of PPE for staff to be safe from electrical hazards in and around the workplace.

5.

Lack of adequate training

One of the biggest hazards on any work site is a lack of adequate training. Initial training and regular refresher courses should be strictly implemented and shown to be understood by testing employees thereafter. If workers do not feel fully confident in following procedures to keep the workplace safe and react to dangerous situations, they are putting themselves and other workers at risk.

When present on any work site where there are live electrical hazards, so it is essential that staff undertake necessary training and are prepared with the required knowledge and PPE before entering the site and beginning work.

6 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

Softing Integrates CNC Data into Industrial Edge Applications Softing expands its dataFEED edgeConnector product family which is based on Docker technology. The new edgeConnector 840D container supports easy access to data from SINUMERIK 840D controllers and makes it available on edge devices or virtual environments via OPC UA and MQTT. This enables flexible integration of local OPC UA clients and MQTT brokers in a cloud environment and the Industrial IoT

Following dataFEED edgeConnector Siemens for the connection of SIMATIC S7 controllers, Softing now introduces dataFEED edgeConnector 840D. This software module is the world’s first container application for accessing SINUMERIK 840D Solution Line and Power Line controls. It supports the reading of all process parameters and drive data without the need to intervene in the configuration of the machine tool. dataFEED edgeConnector 840D allows seamless integration of up to five CNC controllers into a cloud environment such as Azure IoT Edge or AWS IoT Greengrass. It can be used, for example, to check production quality and tolerances, record machine data and integrate it into higher-level management systems or visualize process parameters and other performance indicators. Configuration can be done locally via an internet browser or remotely via the REST interface.

A central deployment of all connected edge devices with their containers, e.g., for updates or security patches, can be carried out using an optional device management system.

dataFEED edgeConnector 840D supports innovative industrial edge solutions (Source: Softing Industrial)

About Softing Industrial Softing connects disparate automation components to feed data from the shop floor to the cloud for control and analytics. The company’s products enable the monitoring and diagnosis of communication networks and thus ensure a reliable data flow. In this way, they create the basis for the optimization of production processes. For more information, please visit http://industrial.softing.com

“We are seeing an increasing demand in the market for software solutions that can be efficiently managed and run on standard hardware. Our response to this is the systematic expansion of the dataFEED product family to include Docker containers for integrating data from production into innovative and flexible Industrial IoT solutions. In this way, we help users and system integrators close the gap between OT and IT,” says Sebastian Schenk, Product Manager at Softing Industrial.

It is planned to grow the dataFEED edgeConnector product family further and, for example, also support the control connection via Modbus TCP or Ethernet/IP. In addition, containers for data aggregation and preprocessing as well as address space modeling are in the planning stage. The options for configuration from the cloud are also to be expanded.

dataFEED edgeConnector 840D can be downloaded from online directories like Docker Hub or Microsoft Azure Marketplace and tested for free. More information can be found on the product website.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 7

Wipe away the risk of infection with new PURELL® Surface products Skin and surface hygiene expert enhances PURELL surface range to offer powerful, germ-killing peace of mind

Skin health and surface hygiene expert, GOJO IndustriesEurope, has extended its PURELL surface range, with the addition of two new products, to help businesses keep their spaces hygienically clean and healthy. The portfolio also has a new look. The yellow packaging has been replaced with blue trigger handles, lids, and labels, bringing them into line with PURELL’s market-leading hand hygiene range.

Added to the portfolio of PURELL Surface Sanitising Spray and Wipes, are a bucket of wipes and a 5-litre jug. The bucket holds 450 wipes, ideal for large surfaces and intensive use, whilst the 5L jug is designed to refill the 750ml trigger spray bottles, making it a more sustainable purchase.

Fast acting and with high antimicrobial efficacy, PURELL surface sanitising products can be used with complete confidence in a variety of settings and sectors. They are compatible with most smooth surfaces such as desks, tables, toys, fitness equipment, and worktops. Bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal, they come ready-to-use with no rinse required.

Last year, PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub and its Surface Spray and Wipes were tested against Coronavirus1, passing the EN 14476 standard with a contact time of just 30 seconds. The Surface range has also been tested specifically 1 BCoV (surrogate virus)

on Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and yeast, and conforms to the international food taint testing standard EN 4120:2007. This provides assurance that they are safe for use in food environments.

Chris Wakefield, Managing Director UK & Ireland, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd comments, ‘The PURELL focus on “formulation without compromise” is all about striking the perfect balance of efficacy and safety, which helps us to fulfill the GOJO purpose of saving lives and making life better through wellbeing solutions.

‘As society begins to re-open, employing effective sanitising and hygiene products will be crucial to keep spaces clean and COVID-secure, regardless of industry. Built on decades of scientific innovation and proven to work by independent testing, the PURELL brand can be trusted to safely and effectively eliminate germs and viruses.’

For more information, call +44 (0)1908 588444, email infouk@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com

­ ­

­­­

UK Rental Cost

£9.95 per unit per month

One-off sign-up fee of

£39.95

prices ex. VAT + PP

The CardsSafe system is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit, debit and ID cards while the cardholder runs a tab or hires a product or service.

forty UK golf resorts, including Foxhills, Silvermere and the London Golf Club, the demand for the system is increasing.

CardsSafe cost-effective technology has revolutionised how the hospitality industry manages its customer’s tabs on or off their premises. A significant deterrent for walkouts, misplacement of hotels assets and vandalism, CardsSafe also offers customers security against credit card fraud. It ensures peace of mind that their cards are secure while they enjoy the facilities.

Matthew, Director at Hilton Hotels, explains, “All our customers are pleased that we look after their cards in a more secure manner with CardsSafe”.

Now trusted by over 5000 brands in the UK, including Hilton Hotels, Lord’s – the home of cricket, and over

The technologically is also not hard-wired, which means it can sit discreetly behind reception or bar and be mobile to offer customers alfresco services.

CardsSafe helps Hilton Hotels to tackle their bar tabs, and hotel amenities hires. With thousands of guests visiting daily, keeping track of customer spending and borrowing and shift changes, CardsSafe offers the ideal solution to ensure that all tabs are up-to-date, accurate and always settled.

For more information, please visit www.cardssafe.com Or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040

10 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

Electric Arc

- Understand the Risks and Protect Yourself

Peter Dumigan is managing director of the Hultafors Group UK, owners of Snickers Workwear and its ProtecWork range of Protective Wear. He writes: Whilst it’s an employer’s legal responsibility to ensure that staff have the right level of protection and training against risks on site. Employees have a personal responsibility to be aware of risks and potential injuries to ensure adequate protection for themselves, their safety and wellbeing.

What does this mean for electricians’ workwear?

Depending on the job task to be performed, PPE for electricians generally includes safety glasses, face shields, hard hats, safety shoes, insulating (rubber) gloves and flameresistant clothing.

number, the higher the level of protection.

Category I covers exposure to minimal risks, and for this category there are CE standards such as EN 343 (rain protection) and EN 14058 (cold protection).

Category II includes exposure to medium risks, for instance EN 20471 for high visibility clothing.

Category III covers exposure to serious risks, which include major hazards such as electric arcs and molten metal splashes or liquid chemicals.

Protective Wear vs Workwear – a matter of life and death

What protection do electricians need?

In terms of clothing, there’s a big difference between conventional Workwear and specialist Protective Wear. Over the years, workwear has evolved to make your working day more comfortable and efficient, with built-in functionality for tools and fixings, as well as protection against cold, rain and the effects of warm weather.

To be able to properly identify what protection you need, you have to know what risks you, your employees or your workmates face.

Protective Wear, which can have one or more CE (European Conformity) marks, has been designed and developed to protect the wearer from serious risks such as heat, flames, electric arcs and hazardous chemicals. In effect, clothing that can mean the difference between life and death for the wearer.

Risk environments and CE protection categories.

In order to meet the protective requirements of a specific risk area, protective wear is divided into three categories - the higher the category

Never assume that a Category I garment will protect against the more serious hazards and risks defined in Category III. It wont and you’ll be putting yourself at serious risk if you think it will.

That means understanding the hazards and risks of a specific electrician’s working environment or knowing the risk level before you start work and therefore wear appropriate clothing and PPE accessories.

That risk assessment and therefore the determination of the calorie levels required in the clothing needed has to be carried out by the company buying the clothing. Importantly, each working situation will have its own required minimum protection depending on the risk situation.

How do I know the protection level of my outfit?

It all starts with having working clothes with the appropriate CE mark for the specific risk environment.

In work locations that involve a risk of electric arcing, you must also ensure your clothing offers a level of protection that corresponds to the risk level – Category III. You do this by adding up the total number of Calories of all the layers of your outfit and it’s important to remember that highrisk environments require that all the clothes you wear, including underwear and base layers provide protection against heat and flames.

For instance, using Snickers Workwear ergonomically designed ProtekWork clothing, a typical set of garments that could be worn in an electric arc risk environment would be: • Baselayer – 2462 long sleeve turtle-neck shirt and a pair of 9468 wool long johns.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 11

What sort of burn injuries can occur?

A burn to the skin or other tissue caused by heat or hot substances in a solid, liquid or gaseous state. They can cause tissue damage to various degrees, depending on the nature, intensity and duration of the damage.

Burns are classified into four types: A First-degree burn results in damage to the epidermis (outermost layer of the skin), which normally heals in a couple of days.

A Second- degree burn damages the dermis (thick layer of living tissue below the epidermis), usually causing skin blisters and major inflammation.

• Midlayer – 2660 long sleeve polo shirt and a 2862 hoodie.

• Toplayer – 1260 Shoftshell jacket CL3 with a pair of 6362 work trousers, plus a 9068 beanie, a 9069 multi-purpose neck/head warmer and 9262 wool socks.

What is a Calorie in the context of PPE? In PPE terms, Calories are used to define the protection level of a fabric an item of clothing or the system of materials/garments.

When an electric arc is triggered, different types of energy and risk factors are created, such as arc power, arc energy and incident energy, all of which are measured in Calories. This is why calories per square centimetre (cal/cm2) has become the unit used to measure a fabric’s or garment’s level of protection.

What sort of electric arc risks do electricians have to deal with?

Arcs due to electrical faults can cause severe injuries and damage such as thermal injury, serious burns, electric shock, noise, UV emissions, pressure and shrapnel, as well as toxic exposure and the impact of physical and mental shock.

A Third-degree burn causes total damage to skin/tissue and is characterised by hard, white skin resembling parchment. In a fullthickness skin injury, sensory receptors in the tissue are damaged, meaning no pain will be felt in the damaged area.

A Fourth-degree burn extends through the entire skin into underlying fat, muscle and bone and, as a result, the skin is black and charred with dead tissue.

The injury area is defined as the TBSA (Total Burn Surface Area) percentage, which expresses the size of the burn as a percentage of total body area. For instance an arm is approximately 9%, and a leg 18%.

Avoid Injury – work safely, ensure sure your whole outfit offers proper protection “Based on independent tests and reports coupled with our years of experience, we recommend that you should never wear garments that offer total protection of less than 11 calories/cm2 if you are going to work in or near a high-risk environment”, says Peter Dumigan.

“This calorie level does not in any way provide total protection, far from it, but should be seen as a minimum

level. Different jobs require different levels of protection, and the higher the calorie level your clothes (or outfit) have, the better protection you get. Be sure you know the risk level before you enter a specific risk environment, and wear appropriate clothing”.

Wear layers to increase your protection.

“One of the best ways to improve your level of protection is to wear layers – base-, mid- and top-layers. A fundamental requirement is of course that all the garments are certified and flame retardant” says Peter.

The main benefit of wearing layers is that the air gap formed between dif ferent gar ments prov ides increased protection. There is no general rating for how much increased protection the air gap between layers provides. However, we have conducted a number of tests that show that the air gap increases protection by more than 5 cal/cm2.

The calorie level of the extra protection depends on a variety of factors, such as fabric structure, thickness and construction – and for a precise value, combined tests on each layer must be performed. “What we know for certain”, says Peter, “is that wearing multiple layers improves the protection rating. It’s therefore best to think of the air gap between each layer as extra protection that improves your chances of avoiding burns in the event of an accident”.

Understand the risks – choose the right level of effective protection Working in high-risk environments involves, as the name implies, highrisk levels.

Arcs due to electrical faults can cause severe injuries and damage.

So it’s vital that you choose the right protective wear to ensure your safety and well-being on site.

Getting more information on the Snickers Workwear ProtecWork protective wear range is easy.

Call the Helpline on 01484 854788; Visit www.snickersworkwear.co.uk; or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

12 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

Snickers Workwear Stretch Shorts – For Street-Smart Comfort This Summer Brand NEW Men’s and Women’s Work Shorts for the flexible working environment designed for superior comfort and freedom of movement.

Combining 4-way stretch fabric that delivers working comfort all day with street-smart, slim-fit designs, Snickers Work Shorts are great for grafting in the warmer months.

These lightweight garments feature a body-mapping design and are made from a self-ventilating stretch fabric with CORDURA® reinforcements for durability all-round mobility when you need it most.

The Men’s FLEXIWork lightweight work shorts come with flexible gusset seams and also have easy-to-access holster pockets with zip compartments, an expandable stretch cargo pocket and a ruler pocket. The AllroundWork Women’s multi-purpose, slim-fit shorts have 4-way stretch panels in the right places for consistent comfort, practical pockets for optimal functionality and great freedom of movement.

For professional tradesmen and women who rely on their gear in demanding environments, they’re a must for those who want the ultimate in cool comfort this summer.

Getting more information on the Snickers Workwear clothing range is easy. You can call the Helpline on 01484 854788; check out www.snickersworkwear.co.uk and download a digital catalogue or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

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14 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

Hydroblast Goggle – Reliable, comfortable sealed eye protection...

As experts in the field of protective eyewear we pride ourselves on our range of safety glasses, goggles and face visors, available to all within a competitive price range.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 15

The Hydrobast goggle is the latest addition to our goggle range.

Designed and manufactured by MCR Safety, this is a premium product without the premium price tag.

It’s a sealed unit eye protector, a form of eye protection which is becoming increasingly popular throughout the industrial sector. The onset of COVID19 has also played its part in highlighting a need for more fortified face coverings.

Functionality and Comfort The Hydroblast® HB3 goggle fits perfectly to your face to give you supreme comfort along with secure and reliable protection. It’s able to do so because of it’s unique, super-soft TPR seal. We use TPR where the safety goggle meets your skin because its soft, supple and extremely resistant to every-day wear and tear.

Summary of key CE standards ‘3’ Withstands liquid splash ‘4’ Prevents the penetration of dust over 5 microns ‘9’ Resistant to penetration by hot solids ‘F’ Withstands impact from an object travelling at 45 metres per second ‘1’

Optical Class 1 indicates a high-quality lens for all day use

The Goggle features a 7-point ratchet action on the strap fastening so you can adjust it to the optimum fit for you.

‘N’ Anti-fog, will not become clouded by condensation

The indirect vented air flow allows air to circulate reducing clamminess, but still protecting you from splash hazards and larger dust particles.

Find out more

The lens is optically clear and coated with our premium MAX6 Anti-Fog (N) coating to withstand extreme stresses in your working environment, free from unwanted distraction.

And if you’re a prescription wearer, a prescription insert can simply be added to the goggle.

These carefully considered features teamed with refined ergonomic design ensure that the safety goggle is perfect to wear all-day.

Protection Assurance Hydroblast® HB3 has been tested in accordance with CE EN166, with grade F impact protection. The dielectric construction means there are no metal components and therefore the goggle is a non-conductor, ideal in hot or electrical environments. It’s ability to withstand liquid splash and dust penetration is particularly useful in these times of COVID19 when face covering as a barrier is of utmost importance.

The Hydroblast goggle is a great piece of safeguarding eye protection for industrial environments spanning a wide cross-section of industry.

You can find out more about the Hydroblast® HB3 Goggle by visiting the Product Profile page on our website or you can make enquiries by phone or via email at: +44 (0) 1922 457 421 sales@mcrsafetyeurope.com

16 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

PERFECTLY

A pedestrian traffic control system that complemen automatic doors has been introduced by GEZE UK providing both safety and security.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 17

MATCHED

nts K

PACE, Pedestrian Access Control Equipment is a range of speed lanes and turnstiles that offer an efficient control of pedestrians in and out of buildings. More cost effective than manual checks and providing round the clock control in buildings that are operational 24 hours a day, they are ideal for controlling access to any part of a building that requires it, as well as the entrance.

From the simplest, easy to install tripod system for buildings such as leisure centres to the most stylish, highly sophisticated security with anti-tailgating sensors designed for the most demanding government buildings or banking institutes.

The PACE range can be tailored to the needs of any specification, there is a choice of control devices - push button, card reader - or single or bi-directional use, and different lane widths.

To complement the design or match automatic doors different finishes can be specified – brushed stainless steel, polished stainless steel, or RAL powder coating.

Where security is a high priority, options include high panels, anti-tailgating functions, IRIS reader, and finger-print or face recognition. But whatever the demand for security, the visual aspect of the building is never compromised.

Controlling large numbers of people entering or leaving a building ensures their safety but in an emergency, the power is turned off and all motorised systems can be used freely in both directions.

GEZE UK offers a complete package of pedestrian control that includes access control and automatic doors.

Said Andy Howland, Sales and Marketing Director for GEZE UK “Together GEZE automatic doors and the PACE range of access control enables specifiers to specify the complete package to control the flow of people in and around a building ensuring safety and security at all times for those using the building”.

To find out more or for a brochure on PACE email info.uk@geze.com or for more information about GEZE UK’s comprehensive range of automatic and manual door closers visit www.geze.co.uk

18 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

STUVEX - KEEPING FACTORIES SAFE StuvEx supplies a large range of products and systems to protect every part of the processing function from fires and explosions. From the raw-product storage silo all the way through to final processing and packing, StuvEx will have it covered. Products that will detect a spark in a fraction of a second, systems which will protect every size of filter from the smallest to the largest. Valves which automatically shut to prevent propagation. Flash, a system that will immediately extinguish an explosion. Along with explosion panels that will safely vent an explosion into the atmosphere and products that will prevent the build-up of static electricity when powder is discharged from road tankers. If you are looking to install a new fire and explosion protection system or modify and improve an existing system, what follows may help.

EXPLOSION VENTING Explosion venting is about minimising the damage to a vessel or silo by directing the explosion away from people and machinery in a controlled way. Calculating precisely where a vent should be located is the difficult part. Cutting a hole in the side of a vessel and fitting a simple bursting disc without first calculating opening pressures and correct placement could be a disaster in the making. But we do this all the time – and, more to the point, we get it right all the time so please, leave it to us.

We have developed a range of products for Explosion Venting which cover specific requirements: StuvEx DQS Flameless Indoor Vent – This is a completely different type of explosion protection system.

Once installed, explosive pressure can be safely vented even in areas where the workforce is close to the vent opening.

In the event of an explosion, a spring-loaded diaphragm opens and allows the gases to be cooled by a series of metal plates. This stops flames from entering the workplace. When the explosive pressure is reduced, the DQS closes to stop any air re-entering the vessel, stopping any chances of a secondary explosion. DQS is practically maintenance free and ATEX Certified.

The StuvEx Indoorvent has an integrated flame arrestor which allows an explosive event to safely occur inside a building. The Stuvent consists of a large area rupture disc and a flame arresting, ceramic filter. The big advantage of this system is that once activated by an explosion, both the rupture disc and the filter elements can be easily replaced by the user, saving both time and lost production.

The Indoorvent is ATEX Certified.

The StuvEx Stuvent Explosion Vent has a thin metal membrane which opens once a specific explosive pressure is reached and it is suitable for areas where both gas and or dust explosions are possible. The membrane is pre-cut on three sides; the fourth side is left un-cut which means that in the event of an explosion the vent stays attached thereby eliminating the damage that a flying metal plate could cause. Four different models are available covering every type of application. Every Stuvent is ATEX certified.

EXPLOSION ISOLATION When an explosion occurs, isolating it and stopping its propagation is vital because it has been shown that it is not the first explosion that causes the greatest damage it is the second or subsequent. These additional explosions are inevitably due to non- existent or insufficient explosion isolation systems in place. StuvEx manufactures a range of different valves designed specifically for explosion isolation.

While the NOVEX non-return valve was primarily designed for isolating filters, it can be used elsewhere. A NOVEX valve stays in an open position while air and dust is directed towards the filter. But the moment that reverse pressure occurs due to an explosion, the NOVEX valve closes automatically, which stops the explosive effect travelling back down the line. NOVEX valves are easy to install, are available in a wide range of different sizes and can handle organic and metal dusts. Every model is ATEX Certified.

The Ventex valve is the opposite of the Novex valve in that it was designed to be installed to the exhaust or clean air side of a filter. As soon as the Ventex valve senses the pressure wave preceding a flame jet, it automatically closes. This high-speed valve stops flame propagation and can resist explosive pressures up to 14bar. Every model is ATEX Certified.

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 19

The StuvEx FSGV is the fastest way to isolate an explosion with activation times between 8 and 30 m-secs. The FSGV can handle explosive pressures of up to 50 bar. Activation is by means of an explosion detector and it will work in any dry environment regardless of dust levels. There are special versions available for the pharmaceutical industries and every model is ATEX certified.

With a StuvEx Diverter Valve installed in a pneumatic conveying line, an explosion can be diverted to a safe area.

StuvEx Diverter Valves are all fitted with position sensors that indicate its position in the line on a factory control system.

Designed to be used in conjunction with a spark detection system, the StuvEx Fire Trap Valve can be supplied with either electro-pneumatic or magnetic release mechanisms.

FLASH EXPLOSION SUPPRESSION A correctly installed explosion suppression system is one of the best insurances that a processing facility can have. The StuvEx Flash Explosion Suppression System is widely considered to be the industry standard.

The Flash system is both flexible and modular.

Explosion detectors triggered by either static pressure or a rate of rise in pressure or optical monitoring, or even a combination of all three send a signal to a multifunctional control unit linked to ultra-fast powder extinguishers filled with food-grade Sodium Bicarbonate. In operation, the detectors continuously monitor the process system being protected. In the event of an increase in pressure or optical detection a signal is sent to the control unit which, in turn, triggers the gas generators of the extinguishing agent bottles. It takes milliseconds to flood the area with enough Sodium Bicarbonate to suppress the explosion before it has had a chance to take hold. As sodium bicarbonate is used as the suppressing agent cleaning is easy. While other manufacturers use pressure vessels in their systems, which can leak, the Flash system is powered by gas generators, so no re-pressurising is need.

Safeground consists of an easy to install Control Unit, a cable, and an earth clamp. Both types will only allow the object – a road tanker for example - to be discharged if it safely earthed. If it is safely earthed, a green light will show on the Control Unit.

A poor earth and a red light will show, the latest dust versions now feature a stainless-steel casing for easy cleaning and maintenance and a revised facia.

Safeground has dual certification – ATEX and IECEx.

FILTER PROTECTION StuvEx has a solution to the problem of fires in process filters which is based on their CO2 fire extinguishing system which can be installed on a new filter or retrofitted to an existing filter.

The StuvEx Filter Protection system uses spark detectors and/or heat sensors on the filter to trigger the control unit. The control unit provides an audible alarm and operates a relay interlock to shut down the filter and associated process equipment. After a short delay for evacuation, a solenoid valve is activated, flooding CO2 through pipework to injection points located on the filter.

The StuvEx CO2 fire extinguishing system is simple to install. A single cabinet houses both the control system and the CO2 bottle assembly, which features a weighing system to ensure that it is full.

Product Development is a key phrase at StuvEx. Technology does not stand still and neither has StuvEx. The development of products that will stop explosions and fires occurring and make the process industries safer is what StuvEx is all about so before upgrading or renewing your factories fire and explosion safety systems, speak to StuvEx first.

EARTHING CONTROL Since its launch, StuvEX has sold hundreds of its market leading Safeground Earthing Systems throughout Europe and has been at the forefront, dealing with the dangers of static electricity in the transport and process industries. StuvEx manufactures two types: One for dusts and the other for gas.

For further information contact Stuvex Tel: +44 (0)1932 571303 Email: info@stuvex.com

www.stuvexuk.com

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