Hex 18 02

hazardexonthenet.net

Febuary 2018

the journal for hazardous area environments

Robotics Ex-certified mobile robots Mining Major mining sector hazards

Security

Oil & gas

Robotics

Considerations for hazardous locations

EX equipment selection

Hostile environment robot control systems

Delegate & exhibition visitor registrations available

The 2018 Hazardex International Conference and Exhibition will be taking place once again at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Runcorn, Cheshire, UK, on February 28 and March 1.

The two-day Conference & Exhibition, which also includes workshops, a networking dinner and awards ceremony, aims to strengthen and expand the community that looks to the Hazardex website and journal for industry intelligence and information.

We are pleased to announce the keynote presentation will be a joint paper from the UK HSE and National Cyber Security Centre titled ‘Cybersecurity: Is the UK prepared to address the risks?’. This will set the tone for the conference & event along with the IIOT / Industry 4.0 exhibitor village and workshops.

Other areas of interest at this year’s conference will be systems, incident and risk management, functional safety, PPE, safety culture and certification.

The full conference programme is available on the Hazardex website.

Delegate, exhibitor or sponsorship enquiries should be addressed to Event Director Russell Goater at events@imlgroup.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 1732 359990.

Event Sponsors

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contents febuary 2018 A report into the UK engineering labour market published by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) reveals the challenges facing the industry’s workforce now and in the future, including the likely retirement of one in five UK engineers by 2026.

Employer feedback suggests that newly-qualified engineers are not receiving the right education for today’s economy, with companies citing the content of STEM qualifications and a lack of workplace experience and soft skills, such as interpersonal communication, among the reasons why some engineering graduates struggle to find jobs in spite of demand.

Key findings: • Engineers in the workforce: In 2016, there were just under 465,000 engineers employed in the UK, a 9% increase since 2009.

• Women in engineering: Almost 9% of engineers in the UK are women (2016), an increase from 5% in 2009.

• Earnings of engineers: In 2016, the average engineer’s

14 16

income exceeded £42,000, 50% higher than the average earnings in the UK. Engineering graduates earned £5,000 more than the average salary for graduates.

• Engineers in Higher Education: In 2015/16, 38.5% engineering graduates went into engineering professions, the lowest figure since 2012.

• Apprenticeships in Engineering: In 2013/14 over 90% of engineering apprentices sustained employment, compared to an average of 75% for all apprentices.

• Engineering retirements: By 2026, more than 91,000 engineers, or nearly 20% of the workforce, will have retired or be close to retiring. Additionally, 29,000 engineering technicians, or 18% of the technician workforce, will have retired or be close to retiring by 2026.

Despite some encouraging trends such as the overall increase in engineering employment, government and employers will have to work hard to ensure sufficient high quality candidates are educated, trained and have the requisite skills for employment in the mid-2020s …Alan Franck, Editor, Hazardex

Ex-certified mobile robots can move sensors and tools between locations at hazardous sites, complementing fixed instruments

22

Robots designed to work in environments where radiation, toxicity or explosion risk are issues require special control systems

in this issue 5

26

News Extra

• Malware targeting SIS industrial safety systems identified • Automation of ammunition production in China could triple output and cut fatal accidents • Nexen Energy charged over fatal 2016 oil sands plant explosion in northern Canada • California water company loses case against insurer which refused to pay explosion costs • Lloyds of London rejects claim after hash oil explosion destroys Colorado house • Ukraine to develop Chernobyl exclusion zone as massive solar park • World’s biggest floating solar project in China connects to grid • Netherlands earthquake could lead to further gas production cuts at Groningen field • Canada remembers 1917 Great Halifax Explosion on 100th anniversary

High hazard industry plants are potentially high-risk targets for hackers and terrorists, and pose unique protection challenges

15 Standards: Digitalisation is king!

16 How Ex certified robots are finding a niche in remote and hazardous oil and gas sites

28

22 Developing a control system for hazardous environment mobile robots 26 The open and shut case for enhancing security in hazardous environments 28 Does the mining industry have the most workplace hazards?

30 Increasing operational success by harnessing the power of Ex Equipment

Those working in mining and quarrying operations are regularly exposed to a range of potentially fatal hazards

the journal for hazardous area environments

hazardexonthenet.net

Febuary 2018

34 Datafiles & Buyers Guide

Robotics Ex-certified mobile robots Mining Major mining sector hazards

Security

Oil & gas

Robotics

Considerations for hazardous locations

EX equipment selection

Hostile environment robot control systems

Hazardex is a controlled circulation journal published monthly.

Completed print or online registration forms will be considered for free supply of printed issues, web site access and online services. Annual subscription for non-qualifying readers is UK £84.00, EU €113.00, Airmail £178.00 and single copy price is £17.00 plus P&P.

Hazardex content is the property of the publishers or relevant content providers. The publishers and sponsors of this magazine are not responsible for the results of any actions or omissions taken on the basis of information in this publication. In particular, no liability can be accepted in respect of any claim based on or in relation to material provided for inclusion.

Editor Alan Franck alan.franck@imlgroup.co.uk

Group Publisher Russell Goater russell.goater@imlgroup.co.uk

Sales Executive Kathryn Startin kathryn.startin@imlgroup.co.uk

Circulation subscriptions@imlgroup.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1732 359990

Production and Events Sara Clover sara.clover@imlgroup.co.uk

Design Graham Rich Design www.grahamrichdesign.co.uk

IML Group plc Blair House, High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BQ, UK Tel: +44 1732 359990 Fax: +44 1732 770049 Email: events@imlgroup.co.uk ISSN 1476-7376

Register for weekly email newsletter & up-to-the-minute news at www.hazardexonthenet.net

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News Extra

5

Malware targeting SIS industrial safety systems identified

C

ybersecurity specialist FireEye has given details of a cyber attack at

down the industrial process and prompted the asset owner to initiate an investigation.

organizations and ICS-CERT to investigate and mitigate the risks of this type of

a critical infrastructure organisation where the attacker deployed malware designed to manipulate industrial safety systems. The targeted systems

The investigation found that the SIS controllers initiated a safe shutdown when application code between redundant processing units failed a validation check

attack. While evidence suggests this was an isolated incident and not due to a vulnerability in the Triconex system or its program code, we continue to investigate

provided emergency shutdown capability for industrial processes.

The company said the attacker could

- resulting in an MP diagnostic failure message.

whether there are additional attack vectors. It is important to note that in this instance, the Triconex system responded

be developing the capability to cause physical damage and shut down operations.

Emerging technologies magazine WIRED, in a report on the incident, spoke to Rob Lee, the founder of security firm Dragos

appropriately, safely shutting down plant operations. No harm was incurred by the customer or the environment.”

This malware, which FireEye calls Triton, is an attack framework built to interact

Inc. Lee said Dragos had observed the malware operating in the Middle East about a month ago, and had since

FireEye said the most likely scenario was that the attack was sponsored by

with Triconex Safety Instrumented System (SIS) controllers sold by Schneider Electric, often used in oil and gas facilities.

been analysing it. He said that when Triton is installed in an industrial control system, the code looks for Schneider’s Triconex equipment, confirms that it can

a nation state. “The targeting of critical infrastructure as well as the attacker’s persistence, lack of any clear monetary goal and the technical resources

TRITON is one of a limited number of publicly identified malicious software families targeted at industrial control systems (ICS) and could prevent safety mechanisms from executing their intended function, resulting in “a physical consequence”, FireEye said.

connect to it, and then begins injecting new commands into its operations. If those commands aren’t accepted by the Triconex components, it can crash the safety system.

necessary to create the attack framework suggest a well-resourced nation state actor.”

In a statement to WIRED, Schneider Electric said it was investigating the

“The targeting of critical infrastructure to disrupt, degrade, or destroy systems is consistent with numerous attack and reconnaissance activities carried

The attacker gained remote access to an SIS engineering workstation and deployed the TRITON attack framework to reprogram the SIS controllers. During the incident, some SIS controllers entered

incident. “Schneider Electric is aware of a directed incident targeting a single customer’s Triconex Tricon safety shutdown system,” the company said. “We are working closely with our

out globally by Russian, Iranian, North Korean, US, and Israeli nation state actors.

Intrusions of this nature do not necessarily indicate an immediate intent to disrupt targeted systems, and may be preparation

a fail-safe state, which automatically shut

customer, independent cybersecurity

for a contingency,” FireEye said.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

6

Image: Xinhua

News Extra

Automation of ammunition production in China could triple output and reduce fatal accidents

A

rtificial intelligence and robotics

involved in the job, with numerous deadly

the powder into a warhead with just the right

could triple China’s production of bombs and shells by 2028, according to a senior scientist involved in the program

accidents having occurred at ammunition factories in recent years.

pressure to achieve the optimum density needed to produce the highest possible yield on denotation.

to boost ammunition productivity, quoted by the South China Morning Post. The scientist told the Hong Kong newspaper that smart machines have

Over the past few decades, up to 30 new ordnance factories have been set up in China.

Most are situated in remote locations due to safety concerns.

begun replacing workers in a quarter of the country’s ammunition and ordnance factories.

One bomb assembly line that used to have more than 100 workers now had only three after a recent upgrade, Xu said.

It would take a human worker years to acquire such skills, Xu said, and the machines never get tired because they were designed to run full-throttle, non-stop for months.

Xu Zhigang, lead scientist with China’s weapon systems intelligent manufacturing

The humans now stay in blast shelters, with

Professor Huang Dexian, from Tsinghua University’s department of automation, told the newspaper that robots can now be

program, said smart robots with advanced sensory and manipulative capabilities were able to assemble

one worker overseeing the production process via an array of control consoles and the two others tending to tasks that were too difficult

programmed to come up with more efficient bomb-making techniques by analysing the working habits of skilful, experienced human

artillery shells, bombs, rockets and other ordnance, and were five times more productive than humans.

for robots, such as connecting fine, loose wires inside a bomb.

employees.

The bomb-making robots differed from

“Robotisation can free workers from risky, repetitive jobs in the bomb-making process.

Bottlenecks in explosives and other component production, however, meant that the overall increase in output was likely to be between 100% and 200%.

conventional industrial robots in many ways, Xu said. Their mechanical arms, for instance, drew energy from compressed air instead of electric motors to avoid static electricity.

It will create new jobs such as control optimisation, hardware maintenance and technical upgrades. It will give us a stronger, healthier, happier defence workforce,” he said.

China has turned to robots for ammunition factories because of the difficulty of attracting human workers. “However

“One spark could lead to a huge explosion and reduce the plant to a crater,” he said. “The risk of fire was our biggest challenge. It hung

China has recently increased efforts to rejuvenate the country’s military forces, and the introduction of new, more effective

high the salary offered, young people are simply not interested in working in an army ammunition plant nowadays,” Xu said.

over my head like a sword.”

According to South China Morning Post,

Besides reducing the risk of death or injuries, robot bomb makers had other advantages over humans. They could, for example, weigh

ammunition, missiles, and other equipment is an important part of this process.

Unsophisticated traditional bombs and shells will increasingly be replaced by guided bombs, equipped with computer chips and

this is in part because of the danger

a mixture of explosives precisely and press

sensors that can carry out precision strikes.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

News Extra

Image - Nexen

7

Nexen is scheduled to appear in court to answer the charges on February 14.

The company said on July 12 it would cut 350 jobs after deciding not to repair the oil sands upgrader at Long Lake following the January explosion. The facility, which processes bitumen into light synthetic crude oil, cannot be feasibly repaired in the short term, company executives told reporters.

Workers will lose their jobs at Long Lake and at the company’s Calgary headquarters.

Nexen Energy charged over fatal 2016 oil sands plant explosion in northern Canada O

n December 19, Alberta

days in Nexen’s history,” and apologised

Occupational Health and Safety filed eight charges against Nexen Energy over an incident in January

to the workers’ families. The company is a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned firm CNOOC Ltd.

2016 when two workers were killed in an explosion at Nexen’s Long Lake site south of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta. The facility has been shut

In July 2016, Ron Bailey, head of Canadian operations at Nexen, said that after an extensive investigation the company found

down ever since.

Since the blast, only parts of the upgrader have been running and it has not been producing synthetic crude. Executives said the decision not to repair the upgrader was partly due to extremely tough market conditions since mid-2014.

Nexen also outlined the root cause of a pipeline spill that was discovered on July 15, 2015, which caused five million litres of bitumen, sand and produced water to leak near Long Lake. The clean-up cost was under $50 million, the company said.

Executives said the leak happened after a pipeline incompatible with the ground

the explosion was caused by staff doing work they were not supposed to be doing.

conditions buckled, and the company’s monitoring processes did not immediately detect it. Nexen said it was changing its

hydrocracker, where hydrogen is combined with partially upgraded bitumen to remove sulphur while producing synthetic crude

The eight charges include two counts of failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker, failing to ensure all workers

pipeline planning and operations policies to prevent future incidents.

oil, when the explosion took place. One died at the scene, while the second died a week later in the burns unit of an Edmonton

were familiar with procedure before the work was done — specifically, isolating a single stage of a compressor rather than

hospital.

both stages — and failing to ensure a gas compressor was serviced, maintained, repaired or dismantled according to the manufacturer’s standards.

The company was charged on five counts by the Alberta Energy Regulator for the pipeline leak, the second largest in Alberta’s history. In 2011, a Plains Midstream pipeline leaked millions of litres of crude oil near the First Nation community of Little Buffalo in

The two workers were changing valves on a

After the incident, Nexen CEO Fang Zhi called the explosion “one of the darkest

northwestern Alberta.

8

News Extra

California water company loses case against insurer which refused to

pay full costs after explosion

A

California appellate court ruled on 20 December 2017 in favour of an insurance company in its battle with a wastewater facility that was storing hazardous materials on its site when a major explosion occurred

Santa Clara Waste Water is a private water processing company based in Santa Paula, California. In 2014, a huge explosion at the plant resulted in injuries to several of the plant’s employees and three firefighters, prompting criminal charges and civil

there in 2014. The court affirmed a lower court ruling that held Allied Insurance was within its rights when it withheld $2.5 million from Santa Clara Waste Water.

lawsuits.

Several of the criminal charges related to the company’s storage of barrels and drums of sodium hydroxide, a chemical known as “Petromax,” on its facility site.

Courthousenews.com reported that Allied paid Santa Clara $2.5 million, less than

Santa Clara Waste Water contends the

half of the policy’s limit, because it said the company violated the policy by concealing the fact it was illegally harbouring hazardous materials on site.

chemical is not a hazardous material, particularly in the form it was found on the site. This was rejected in an earlier trial, and company executives, including

misdemeanor charges relating to a failure to inventory hazardous materials.

On 8 January 2018, a former vice president of the company, Dean Poe, was sentenced to four months in jail in connection with the explosion, as well as fines and three years’ probation.

Poe, who was Santa Clara Waste Water’s vice president of oil and gas sales, pled guilty in March 2017 to a felony conspiracy charge of disposing of hazardous waste.

He admitted to five overt acts connected to the charge, including concealing wastewater test results.

A grand jury indicted Poe and eight other defendants, including Santa Clara Waste Water and its parent company, Green Compass.

CEO William Mitzel, pled no contest to

A hearing will take place later in the year in the case against the two corporations and former Santa Clara Waste Water Assistant General Manager Marlene Faltemier and Vice President of Operations Charles Mundy.

News Extra

Lloyds of London rejects claim after hash oil explosion destroys Colorado house V

9

The lawsuit says Lloyd’s contract made it clear the company does not cover fraud or bodily injuries arising out of criminal acts or the manufacture of controlled substances, including marijuana.

Hash oil is an oleoresin obtained by the extraction of marijuana or hashish

enerable insurer Lloyds of London once covered actress Betty Grable’s legs for $1 million each, but a lawsuit in a US federal court makes it clear its practice of unusual policies does not include secret hash oil production or

they were growing pot and manufacturing hash oil, the lawsuit says. Members of the Woody family including Zachary Woody were growing 300 marijuana plants inside the house and were producing hash oil with equipment that included tanks containing

and contains a high concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. It is consumed by smoking, ingestion or vaporisation.

any resulting explosions.

butane gas.

According to a report on DenverPost.com, Lloyd’s underwriters filed a lawsuit in a US District Court in Denver on December 19 seeking a judicial declaration that the

On March 10, hash oil exploded and caused a fire that injured Zachary Woody and two of his friends, Jerome Howard Jr. and Tamika Howard. The three suffered severe burns, the lawsuit says.

In the USA, production is often carried out illegally in homes. Hashish or marijuana is mixed with a solvent to extract the oil. When the solvent evaporates, the sticky resinous oil remains.

insurance company does not owe a family based in Bailey, Colorado, any money on a $1.2 million policy after their home exploded.

Typically butane is used as the solvent.

Butane is extremely flammable and

The lawsuit accuses Patricia Woody of

When a claims adjuster inspected the property on March 27, Scott Woody, Zachary’s father, said he bought the property

combustible and if ignited, will explode. An early result of the Bailey house investigation indicates that the explosion and fire was

failing to reveal that family members ran a business in their home — specifically that

in December with the intention that his son would use it as a grow house business.

caused by a hash oil extraction process using butane.

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10 News Extra per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated from the site until 2030, a price Bloomberg estimates is almost 40% higher than the standard cost of solar in Europe.

Other than the generous feed-in-tariff, the Ukrainian government has also dropped its rents on state property surrounding Chernobyl by as much as 85%, and has made the leasing process easier.

Other energy companies have also expressed interest. France’s Engie is conducting a pre-feasibility study on a

Ukraine to develop Chernobyl exclusion zone as massive solar park

T

he first solar project at Chernobyl

potential gigawatt-sized project. Chinese companies GCL System Integration Technology and China National Complete Engineering Corp. also said they are interested in building a solar park in the zone.

Group and German green energy company

Ukraine’s minister of ecology, Ostap

is expected to be commissioned in February 2018, an initial move in ambitious plans by the developers to

Enerparc AG, started construction in December of a €1 million / 1 megawatt solar farm close to the wrecked reactor,

Semerak, announced a plan in July 2016 to revitalise the 2,600 square kilometre zone, officially called the ‘Zone of Alienation’,

invest €100 million ($119 million) in solar energy-gathering infrastructure in the radioactive exclusion zone, abandoned since the meltdown of the

now covered by a massive containment structure, the New Safe Confinement building.

where radioactive contamination from the 1986 meltdown makes farming and forestry inherently dangerous.

No.4 reactor at the Ukrainian nuclear power station in 1986.

This will be the first step by the companies to invest €100 million in solar infrastructure in the exclusion zone, which follows

Renewable energy was seen as a good fit because electricity transmission lines from the nuclear power plant already connect the

According to a Bloomberg report the developers, Ukrainian firm Rodina Energy

agreement on a contract in 2016 whereby the Ukrainian government will pay €0.15

site to the country’s national grid.

China Three Gorges New Energy Co. started building the 150-megawatt project

biggest commissioned floating solar project was a 40-megawatt farm by Sungrow

in July and part of the plant has connected to the grid, according to a December 10 statement from the company reported by Bloomberg. The project features panels

Power Supply Co. in Anhui province, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

fixed to floats on the surface of a lake that formed after a coal mine collapsed. The entire facility is expected to come online by May 2018.

Floating solar is also taking off in Japan.

Because of the steep topography in much of the country there is relatively little flat land for solar development, but there are many reservoirs for farming irrigation. It is estimated that there are over 190,000 reservoirs throughout Japan.

World’s biggest floating solar project in China connects to grid

Floating solar is increasingly popular in China, where ground-mounted projects tend not to be used to full capacity because

A

of grid congestion. About 5.6% of solar power generation was idled in the first three quarters, according to data from the National Energy Administration.

These can provide an ideal situation for floating solar farms. In August, one such system opened on a reservoir above Fukuoka City on the island of Kyushu, and another is under development in Chiba

province of Anhui.

Before construction this facility, China’s

prefecture near Tokyo.

unit of China Three Gorges Corp. is building a 1 billion yuan ($151 million) floating solar power plant, the world’s biggest, in the nation’s eastern

www.hazardexonthenet.net

News Extra 11

According to Dutchnews.nl, since the quakes began, some 75,000 complaints have been made about damage and the bill for research, shoring up property and damage claims against NAM has reached an estimated €1.3bn so far.

In 2015, a report by the Dutch Safety Board concluded that all the organisations involved ignored the danger of earthquakes caused by gas extraction at the Groningen gas field for decades.

The correlation between gas extraction and earthquakes was clear in 1993, but “the risks to residents were not recognised” until 2013, the report said.

Netherlands earthquake could lead to further gas production

cuts at Groningen field

The board’s year-long inquiry concluded that the Economy Ministry, State Supervision of Mines and NAM, the Shell-Exxon Mobil joint venture which operates the gas field, worked collectively to maximise production.

“The parties concerned considered the safety risk to the population to be negligible and thus disregarded the uncertainties surrounding this risk assessment,” it said.

They “failed to act with due care for citizen

n January 8, a 3.4-magnitude Richter-scale earthquake was recorded in the northern Dutch province

O

by shutting down some of the field’s production clusters.

of Groningen, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) said in a statement. No casualties were

Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Eric Wiebes said that because of the damage caused by these incidents, output at

safety in Groningen.”

reported, but some damage to homes and buildings was reported. KNMI classified the earthquake as “induced”,

Groningen should be reduced “by as much as possible” during the current government term through 2021.

the gas reservoir and causes compaction in the reservoir sandstone, which causes earthquakes. As more gas was extracted

The Dutch government has lowered gas production several times in recent years,

– the field is about two-thirds empty now – pressure changes deep underground become more severe and unpredictable.

as decades of gas extraction have led to dozens of earthquakes every year in the region, causing damage to thousands of buildings and homes.

Nearly 1,000 man-made earthquakes, ranging from 0.1 to 3.6 on the Richter scale, have occurred in Groningen since the early 1990s.

The new coalition government under Prime Minister Mark Rutte has already agreed to reduce output to around 20 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2021, from a current 21.6 bcm and down from 39.4 bcm in production year 2015-16.

A 3.4 magnitude earthquake is not usually a major event, but because the earthquakes take place at the shallow depth of 3km, and many Groningen buildings are built on soft clay, the damage caused is greater than their small Richter-scale magnitudes suggest.

On January 10, a NAM spokesman said that in the light of the earthquake, the company

Wiebes is responsible for natural gas extraction within the government. After lobbying from green groups and residents, he was given one year to come up with solid reasons why output should remain at this

The total cost of damage repairs, structural improvements to buildings, and compensation for home value decreases was estimated at €6.5bn in 2015. Around 35,000 homes were said to be affected,

will propose reducing output at Groningen

high level by the Council of State.

parliament was told.

which means that it was caused by gas extraction.

The epicentre was about 3 km below the village of Zeerijp, north of the provincial capital of Groningen, and was the largest magnitude quake recorded in the province of Groningen since 2012 when a 3.6-magnitude event was recorded in the village of Huizinge.

NAM, a Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil joint venture that operates the Groningen field, has been extracting gas from the site since the 1960s. This process is responsible for virtually all the many earthquakes recorded in the province, according to KNMI.

The extraction of gas reduces pressure in

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Halifax after the explosion Image: Nova Scotia Archives

12 News Extra

Canada remembers Great Halifax Explosion

on 100th anniversary of largest blast of pre-atomic era

O

n December 6th, 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc, having left New York loaded with explosives

The sudden, massive and deafening fireball flattened a 3.5 square-kilometre area. This was the largest man-made explosion before

In the hours that followed, Halifax became the focus of a massive rescue effort.

Thousands of military personnel, merchant

destined for the Allied war effort in Europe, collided with the New Yorkbound Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the harbour at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The

the introduction of nuclear weapons - the equivalent of almost 3,000 tonnes of TNT. Nearly all structures within an 800-metre

sailors, lumbermen and other locals poured into the blast zone. Army nurses, accustomed to the mass casualties in Europe, sprang into action. Surgeons

resulting fire set off an explosion that flattened large parts of the city, killed at least 2,000 and injured a further 9,000.

radius, including the entire community of Richmond, were obliterated. More then 1,600 houses were instantly destroyed

operated non-stop, often with nothing but local anaesthesia. One ophthalmologist removed 79 ruined eyeballs in a

and 12,000 more were damaged. Tens of thousands of windows were blown inward, with shards of glass causing many injuries.

continuous 48-hour session.

The harbour had been crowded with vessels organising for a military convoy

Thirty-seven people were blinded entirely, and more than 250 lost an eye.

from American and British navy ships.

The blast was front-page news around the world and more help arrived within days.

A pressure wave snapped trees, bent iron rails, demolished buildings, grounded vessels, and scattered fragments of the Mont-Blanc for kilometres. Across the

Massachusetts dispatched a trainload of doctors, nurses and medical supplies, and to this day the great Christmas tree on Boston Common is given by Nova Scotia

harbour, in Dartmouth, there was also widespread damage. A tsunami created by the blast wiped out the community of Mi’kmaq First Nations people who had lived in the Tufts Cove area for generations.

as a thank you gesture.

and were hampered in their movements by underwater anti-submarine nets, protection from the increasing threat of German U-boat attacks.

The impact of the two vessels occurred at about 8:45 am. The Mont Blanc ignited, and the fire quickly went out of control.

Sailors on other ships, dock and factory workers, military personnel and residents, including children on the way to school, gathered to watch the blazing ship.

In addition to its full cargo of TNT, the ship’s hull and deck were crammed with barrels of highly flammable benzole (a fuel) and picric acid (an explosive) as well as guncotton (a propellant or low-order explosive). This made the Mont-Blanc a massive bomb, and 20 minutes after the collision it went off.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Foreign assistance came within minutes

Twenty-five thousand were left without shelter. Debris was scattered over a wide

To commemorate the anniversary in December 2017, the Nova Scotia provincial government organised and supported a number of activities in remembrance of those who were killed and injured in the disaster, and the many

area and windows shattered up to 85 kilometres away, blinding many. Yet another cruel blow was to come the next day when a blizzard blanketed the area, hampering relief efforts as snow covered the dead and

who provided assistance. Local and national media also published special reports into the incident, and there were ceremonies, major exhibits and a new time-capsule buried near the Halifax

dying.

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14 2018 Awards

Hazardex 2018 Awards for Excellence - Vote Now!

O

ver the last decade, the Hazardex Awards programme has become a benchmark for those supplying products, services and systems within hazardous areas. Final deliberations on nominations for the Hazardex 2018

A special Delegates Award will be voted on by attendees at the Hazardex International Conference and Exhibition in Runcorn, Cheshire, UK, on February 28, and the winners of all five Awards will be announced after the Gala Dinner at the

Awards for Excellence have now taken place, with twenty nominations accepted

event.

across four categories. The shortlist is now open for voting and the deadline is Friday 2 February, 2018.

Hazardex 2018 Award sponsors are RS Components (Gold) and C&P Engineering (Silver). Check out their websites at: https://

The Award Nominees for 2018 are as follows: • A. Contribution to Safety - A product, system or service which has made a significant

Two of the winners from the Hazardex 2017 Awards ceremony

To vote, please send an email to events@ imlgroup.co.uk. Open the subject line with ‘Awards 2018 Vote’ and give full name, company and contact details in the message.

contribution to safety in hazardous area environments A1. Moore Industries: STZ Functional Safety Dual-Input Smart HART Temperature Transmitter, with Associated IS Option A2. Beijer Electronics: X2 extreme HMIs A3. Scotload: Smartload A4. Ion Science: Cub personal VOC detector A5. Petrotechnics: Proscient • B. Best User Application - An application highlighting the benefits of a product, system or service for use in hazardous areas B1. Cordex: TOUGHPIX DIGITHERM ATEX and IECEx digital and thermal camera B2. Ametek: XP2i Digital Test Gauge with calibration reminder alert feature.

B3. Trolex: TX3706 Falcon 25 Ex Connector B4. SA Equip: SA POWERNETB5. TSG Marine: TSG/Pipe Repair with SPS B5. TSG Marine: TSG/Pipe Repair with SPS • C. Technical Innovation - An innovative product or system for use in hazardous area environments C1. Peli Products: Peli 9455 Zone 0 Area Light

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uk.rs-online.com/web and http://www. cpengineering.co.uk

Choose only one company for each category (e.g. A4 Ion Science, B1 Cordex, C2 Mantracourt, D1 FES-Ex).

C2. Mantracourt: X24 ATEX/IECEX Wireless

Voting rules • The competition is open to all Hazardex

Telemetry Sensor System C3. Getac: EX80 fully rugged 8 inch tablet C4. Gifas Electric: FlashLED EX C5. ExHeat: MFH Bulldog Portable Fan

journal and website readers and users • Voters register their votes by email to the organisers.

• Voters are limited to one vote per category

Heater

• Nominees are not permitted to vote for their own company/organisation • All votes will remain confidential

• D. Best Customer Service - A company or corporate division that has provided excellent customer service in the sector over the last two years D1. FES-Ex D2. Bifold 48-hour Despatch D3. Extronics D4. Exloc Instruments UK D5. Certification Management Limited For more information on each nominated entry, go to http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/ and click on the “Voting now open” article.

Winners in each category will be posted on the Hazardex website after the Hazardex Conference 2018 and Exhibition comes to a close.

Gold sponsor

Silver sponsor

Standards 15

Digitalisation is king! to the business. But why am I giving you such basic information if, like most of the readership, you are familiar with the hazardous

the independent verifier as a “person or organisation, with the appropriate competency in the applied protection methodology,

area business?

responsible for the verification of design calculations, assessment and testing who are separate and distinct by management and other resources including financial, from the person or organisation responsible for all the activities associated with the design,

I mention these facts to highlight a big issue for manufacturers of explosion protected products and systems: they could come into serious conflict with their customers.

manufacture or sales of the equipment.”

Every two months, IECEx Chairman Prof. Dr. Thorsten Arnhold provides an update on developments within his organisation

On the one hand, end users will not accept a situation in which they can establish modern digitalised processes and procedures in the safe areas of their process plants, but cannot apply the same technologies in hazardous areas because of a lack of applicable modern products due to restrictions set by the safety

For EPL (equipment protection level) “a”, the evaluation of the equipment has to be done by three independent verifiers, for EPL “b” by two, and for EPL “c”, one independent verifier is enough.

standards. On the other hand, manufacturers are obliged to fulfill these safety standards, which are defined by the documents

The first two years after the introduction of this new procedure were quite a surprise. No IECEx CB asked for a scope extension and

mentioned above.

as a result, no certificates were published.

During the last year, however, the situation has changed significantly. Now we have more than 10 Ex CBs and Ex TLs with a respective scope

A

This has been a major concern for IECEx. Three years ago, at its annual Management

shows that do not have the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) as the main focus. One of the most important

Committee Meeting in The Hague, the organisation launched a new procedure to adopt the new IEC 60079-33 standard. This

extension and a number of applications.

consequences of this trend are the drastically shrinking value chains and innovation cycles in every sector, and

covers the protection method “s” for “special”, which was introduced to permit the quick adoption of new technologies, new materials

that already more than 20 certificates based on IEC 60079-33 have been published, and I am confident that many others will follow.

especially in the process industries.

etc. This implements a practice which has been field-proven in the ATEX area since 2003.

For IECEx, this development is recognition that its focus on this area has been useful for

t the present time, there are few conferences or technical trade

In process facility safe areas, the speed of adaptation to this trend is restricted by the innovation of the suppliers and the financial and technical capabilities of the operators.

Many process sector companies have to handle hazardous substances, with potentially severe consequences for the life and health of the employees in their plants.

Under the ATEX directive, the fulfillment of the general requirements of appendix II with the basic health and safety requirements is obligatory, and harmonised standards are just one way to do this.

A look in the IECEx online database shows

the industry and high levels of safety will be maintained.

The executive group is preparing a promotion conference during the TC 31 spring session in Split Croatia on 23 April 2018, to be held by IECEx in conjunction with the UN, UNECE and the Croatian Standards Institute. The focus of this conference will be on industry and users of Ex equipment, and, as with all IECEx International Conferences, attendance is free of charge (See: www.iecex.com/meeting-and-

The equipment intended for use in these areas has to fulfill certain safety requirements in order

To enable the IECEx Certification Bodies and Test Labs to issue Test Reports and Certificates based on IEC 60079-33, the IECEx Operational Document OD 233 was developed and published, and the second

to avoid the ignition of potentially explosive atmospheres. These requirements are defined in the international standards IEC 60079 and IEC 80079.

edition has been available since February 2017. The central and critical element of both the standard and the OD is the so-called ‘independent verifier’.

events/iecex).

Interesting, you might say, if you are new

Under paragraph 3.4, the standard defines

this Ex “s” process will also be discussed.

In addition, IECEx will be holding a series of working group meetings in Weimar, Germany, in June where feedback from application of

www.hazardexonthenet.net

One of the Kashagan field’s islands in the frozen Caspian Sea - Image: ENI

16 Robotics

How Ex certified robots are finding a niche in remote and hazardous oil and gas sites I

t is perhaps surprising that although robots have been making cars for

permanently stationed on production islands and can be activated and operated by

Unconventional oil and gas fields may also have hundreds of widely dispersed

decades and are roaming the surface of Mars, we do not see them at onshore oil and gas facilities. Of course tethered,

humans sitting in the comfort of a distant control room. Should the unexpected occur, the robot can immediately respond and

well-pads and facilities. And in the offshore environment, normally unmanned offshore platforms can be expensive and slow to

remotely operated vehicles are widely used by the subsea sector, but they have never made the evolutionary step

might be able to resolve the problem and restart production long before humans arrive on the scene. And even if it cannot restart

reach, especially when the weather is bad, making robots an effective solution here also.

onto land. That is about to change, says Ian Peerless of ExRobotics. The case for using robots to improve financial

production, it can diagnose the situation so that the intervention team is better prepared and aware of any hazards it might face. The

A common response is to ask “why robots?”

Remote instrumentation and controls seem much simpler. However the reality is that it is

performance and safety has never been stronger, and the technology has progressed to the point that credible solutions are ready to be deployed.

team might then use the robot to perform the most hazardous tasks.

often inefficient to install these items where they will seldom be used. It is also difficult to predict everywhere they might be required.

How many normally unmanned installations

There are a number of good reasons to deploy robots in remote and hazardous facilities such as Kashagan in the Kazakhstan zone of the Caspian Sea, which, with its harsh climate and high levels of hydrogen sulphide, is not a welcoming place for humans. Another important factor is that

At the other end of the scale, some companies are operating large numbers of normally unmanned facilities such as NAM’s onshore gas fields in The Netherlands. For operational and/or regulatory reasons, these need to be visited to respond to unplanned events or check for potential issues.

Truly practical robot operators for land In the past, human operators would drive

when humans are deployed in these hostile environments, their productivity is hampered by protective clothing and breathing apparatus.

around the motorway system and visit three or four sites in a day. Now, they can send out a robot from a central control station, significantly improving productivity as well as reducing response times and the risk of road

At Kashagan, robot operators are

accidents.

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do you know that are truly unmanned?

Robots offer mobile instruments and tools that can move from one need to another. In this way they complement the conventional fixed-instrument approach.

and platform applications are a recent phenomenon. The technical challenges are considerable. The most obvious is the need for IECEx, ATEX or similar certification. Others are: • Communication – how does the human at a computer screen control and monitor the robot?

Robotics 17

• Charging – how is the robot kept operable for months or even years without human intervention?

• Robustness – the robot needs to resist the harsh conditions in difficult locations.

• Reliability – it is no use removing humans from a location if the robot’s maintenance engineer has to visit every week.

• Working Environment – for the moment at least, these robots need to operate in facilities designed for humans. They need to be scaled accordingly and must be able to negotiate steps and sharp corners.

In 2010, these were the challenges faced by a project team funded by the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) and led by Shell’s Frontier Automation Team. Over the last seven years, and three generations of robot, the challenges have

Sensabot Mark 2 attracting attention. In 2017 the development team was awarded Shell’s Excellence Award for Technology and Innovation.

been progressively overcome to the point that a commercially available robot operator

The over-pressure approach (Ex “p”) worked, but was unsuitable for use without regular human intervention. The pressure regulation system was complex, the over-pressured compartment leaked, and topping up the

is about to hit the market.

pressure tank was impractical.

Three generations of Ex robot operators

Sensabot Mark 2 (above) tackled this

stemmed from its extensive functionality: • 4 stereo cameras and 1 pan tilt zoom camera

The first generation robot (below) was called Sensabot. It was developed by the National Robotics Engineering Centre

challenge head-on. Instead of over-pressure it used a wide range of protection methods especially Ex “d”, Ex “e”, and Ex “i”. This resulted in a hugely complex certification

• Multiple warning and safety devices • An arm for accessing hidden spots.

• 6 cameras mounted on the arm and robot body.

(NREC) at Carnegie Mellon University and was amazingly successful for a first attempt.

It was still being driven years later and has

programme for Shell, which had taken over the project from NREC. UL LLC, the certification body, ultimately issued 13 new

• 14 lights • 1 thermal imaging camera • 1 hydrocarbon and hydrogen sulphide gas

the honour of being signed by US President Obama, UK Prime Minister Cameron, and Kazakh President Nazarbayov. However

IECEx certificates for the robot, which in 2016 became the first remotely operated resident robot certified for use in potentially

detector.

• 1 microphone • 1 vibration detector with 2 positioning

it also demonstrated the challenges of certifying such a complex electrical machine for use in potentially explosive environments.

explosive environments. Sensabot Mark 2 is now with the customer, NCOC, in Kazakhstan. It has continued the tradition of

lasers.

• Cogs for using vertical racks to access different module levels.

Part of Sensabot Mark 2’s complexity

In 2017, some of the companies with experience of Sensabot Mark 2 formed a new company, ExRobotics B.V. This company accepted a different challenge from NAM: “We need a much cheaper, simpler robot operator to deploy in 2018 on our unmanned locations in The Netherlands”.

The result is ExR-1 (next page) which is a commercially-available robot and whose field trials will be completed by the end of 2017.

This robot comes with three cameras and a

Sensabot

microphone as standard, with the option to add lights and a gas detector. It has added two more protection methods (Ex “q” and Ex “m”) and more ‘off-the-shelf’ Ex components to reduce cost. The results have been impressive.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

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Robotics 19

Some quotes…

“With the ExR-1 robots, the industry will have a new alternative way to do plant supervision and inspection; the remote control and visualisation eliminates the need for travelling to locations, greatly reducing safety exposure and costs. The

ExR-1 Whereas a Sensabot Mark 2 would cost almost €1 million, ExR-1 costs between €50,000 and €100,000 depending on functionality and the

• Strong, highly dextrous robotic arms have been in existence for decades.

The remaining challenges are to add Ex

quantity ordered. When compared to the cost of mobilising a conventional operator, this makes the use of a robot operator financially attractive, even in relevantly benign deployments.

So what’s in store for the future? ExR-1 perhaps

certification, reliability, and robustness in harsh environments to the mix.

However ExRobotics will not be pursuing these developments in isolation. The successes to date have been achieved through intimate collaboration between robot developers,

indicates that future robot operators will focus on specific tasks rather than being multi-

strategic suppliers, certifying authorities like UL LLC, and end-users such as NCOC, NAM

functional brutes. Each type of robot may build on and add to the assemblies and learnings that are encapsulated in ExR-1. ExRobotics has an ambitious development roadmap for

and Shell. Sharing financial and technical risks has ensured that the next generation of robot is targeted at a real business case and has optimised the robot’s capabilities. Future robots

these future robots. It adds increasing levels of autonomy and manipulation.

will be developed in partnership with similar thought-leaders and the roadmap will evolve based on tangible market needs.

Both of these development paths are within reach: • Robots already exist that can play football

digitalisation, in which autonomous robots will permanently monitor assets.”

Berry Mulder, Head of the Robotics Centre of Expertise in Shell.

“In the past 12 months, every single business leader—including our executive committee—has digitalisation on his or her agenda. The technology of using robotics, remote monitoring, and advanced analytics to drive efficiency in our manufacturing and production is key to our core business.”

Alisa Choong, EVP digitalisation in Shell.

About the author

Will the use of the robot operators be constrained to upstream and downstream

or chess autonomously. Compared to this, navigating a pre-determined route and triggering an alarm if gas is detected seems

oil and gas? This seems unlikely. Although the hazards are different, industries such as nuclear, chemicals and mining would surely

rather simple. More sophisticated autonomy such as pre-programmed missions, automatic sensor reading with data transfer, and collaborating robots will inevitably follow once robot operators are being used.

benefit from deploying more robots. The robust independence of robots such as the ExR series is likely to evolve to meet the challenges of these different environments.

ExRobotics development roadmap

low cost and ATEX Zone 1 certification of the ExR-1 platform will allow for easy enhancement with additional sensors and tools, increasing the value by executing more complex tasks. The ExR-1 helps the industry to make a big step in

Ian Peerless has degrees in Civil and Petroleum Engineering and started his career as an engineer on Shell’s North Sea oil platforms, later specialising in subsea facilities. After leaving Shell, he spent 15 years in the steel industry in a range of senior positions.

In 2006 he returned to Shell as Executive Consultant, leading to a technology role within a Kashagan project team where his involvement with robot operators began. Since 2010 he has been the customer representative for the Sensabot Mark 1 project and has been the project manager during much of the development of Sensabot Mark 2 and ExR-1. During this time he has built up a wealth of experience in Ex certification and the challenges facing robot operators.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

20 Robotics

Case Study: The experiences of two Robot Pilots

A typical desert facility and unmanned offshore platform (Shell Media Library)

Iwan’s daily beat was a drive around widely spaced wellheads and production facilities in a desert field.

Most days there was nothing to report and with daytime temperatures touching 45˚C, getting out of the truck was an ordeal. Sometimes, if he did need to fix something, he didn’t have the right tools or parts with him.

The deployment of an ExR-1 robot operator at each facility gave a major boost to productivity and his enjoyment of the job.

he could navigate as well as the trainer.

would enter it into the work plan noting the tools and

because most of the trips were spurious, and after a

The next step was to visit each of his sites with the robot

parts that would be needed.

If not he docked the robot in its charger, and took a break

quick check by an operator, production could be restarted from the control panel on the

engineer. During the visit they refined the risk management plan that had been prepared

before connecting to the robot on the next site for inspection.

Working like this he could

platform’s middle deck.

as part of the HAZOP assessment and decided on the best route for the robot.

Occasionally they ordered ramps to navigate awkward obstacles or a mirror to view a particularly awkward location.

inspect eight sites in a day, rather than the two or three he visited before.

that. It had a high definition zoom camera and manipulator on an arm, as well as microphones, a hydrocarbon gas detector, and a thermal imaging camera mounted on its body. In the event of a production trip, Rosemary would move to the Robot

Iwan’s day as a Robot Pilot

His first experience of

started out with him driving to the company’s office and connecting to the robot at the first site he was due to inspect.

the ExR-1 was a short familiarisation course during which he learned to drive it and to operate its cameras.

The joystick controls were intuitive and within 60 minutes

He then drove around the pre-arranged circuit inspecting the site using the robot’s cameras and microphone.

If he discovered an issue he

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Rosemary was an operator for an offshore field that included 10 normally unmanned platforms.

The ExR-2 robot changed all

Throughout its life, at least one of the unmanned platforms tripped every week. By the time an intervention vessel

Pilot’s chair, activate the robot, and inspect the platform to identify the reason for the trip.

Most of the time she would then drive the robot to the

had been mobilised - the platforms had no helidecks this might lead to two days’ deferred production, or worse if the sea-state was poor. This was particularly frustrating

control panel (sometimes up or down the stairs between levels) and use the special tool on its manipulator to restart production. This seldom took longer than two hours.

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22 Robotics

Developing a control system for a m for use in hostile and hazardous en F

robot that can sense, navigate, and monitor its surroundings and conduct repairs and assembly tasks in inhospitable

ounded in 1969, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) in

Finland is a pioneering institution that brings together the fields of science and business. The LUT international community includes approximately 6,000 students and experts engaged in scientific research and academic education.

The Intelligent Machines group at LUT carries out research on mechatronic machine design, especially using virtual technologies and simulators, and demanding industrial robotics.

The group has developed a special mobile

www.hazardexonthenet.net

areas and dangerous environments where humans cannot operate.

This article, adapted from a piece by National Instruments, provides an overview of the control system solutions adopted by the group in the design and development of the robot, named TIERA.

Engineering solutions to international challenges Fukushima nuclear power plant after the tsunami

In 2011, an earthquake off the Pacific coast of Japan triggered a powerful tsunami that caused a major disaster at the Fukushima

Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) in Finland

Robotics 23 Introducing TIERA TIERA is a versatile, mobile robot that can conduct repair and assembly operations in hazardous areas. The functionality and composition of the robot are defined by the tasks it is expected to perform and the harsh environments it will work in. Environmental factors in the design includes radiation, TIERA Concept Model

corrosion, toxicity, explosion, biohazard, high voltage, and extreme temperatures.

The Intelligent Machines group felt inspired by the Fukushima 50, but, while admiring their bravery, felt that modern mechatronic

High mobility was another key design feature to enable effective travel across hazardous environments. This contrasts with most

systems could remove the need for humans having to perform menial repair work in such hazardous environments. This became the inspiration for the design and development of a mobile assembly robot.

industrial robots, which are usually stationary and consist of a jointed arm attached to a fixed surface. A major consideration was how to make it possible for an expert operator to remotely control the robot from

mobile robot nvironments nuclear power plant. The tsunami disabled the emergency power to the reactor

Graphical Overview of the Robotic Systems

cooling systems, which led to three nuclear meltdowns, chemical explosions, and the release of radioactive material.

To prevent further catastrophe, 50 volunteer technicians ventured into the exclusion zone surrounding the power plant to stabilise the reactors. These brave individuals, known as the ‘Fukushima 50’, had to perform simple repair work, including closing valves, in one of the most hazardous environments on Earth. The exposure to extreme radiation could have had serious ramifications for their long-term health.

A complete list of TIERA’s motion, sensory, and control systems

www.hazardexonthenet.net

24 Robotics

Schematic of CompactRIO in connection with sensors, actuators, and ROS system

a safe location, and the design of sensory, communication (WiFi and 4G), virtual reality, and haptic feedback systems required for intuitive teleoperation was key to achieving this.

Additional key features of TIERA include: • Fanless embedded computer controlling most of the robot’s hardware • Robotic manipulators and tools to perform various repair tasks • Vision system allowing operator to receive video feedback from robot’s cameras • Sensors to gain information about the surrounding environment

The case for using robots to improve financial performance and safety has never been stronger, and the technology has progressed to the point that credible solutions are ready to be deployed

The team eliminated the need for separate subsystems by connecting to sensors, displays, cameras, motors, databases directly to the CompactRIO controller. The LabVIEW graphical environment was used to define how the CompactRIO handled all this data, and LabVIEW was also used to program the embedded and FPGA processors within the CompactRIO. The team used built-in LabVIEW functions to intuitively manage timing and memory, and simplified the development of signal processing, analysis, control, and mathematical routines.

Strengthening the Initial Control System

the industrial controller alone was not enough to satisfy the needs of the project, and decided to use CompactRIO as the

Built-in drivers and APIs to move data between components enabled the team to focus on robot development. Furthermore,

In the beginning of the project, the control system of the whole robot was a Linux-based distribution of the Robot Operating System (ROS), running on an Advantech industrial computer.

main control system based on NI Linux Real-Time in communication with ROS. This new control architecture provided a powerful system which increased robot controllability to very high accuracy with

the extensible LabVIEW architecture ensures that the system can be easily customised and reconfigured through software—even after deployment.

Project engineers quickly learned that

very low latency.

The main feature of TIERA’s central control

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Robotics 25

system is integration of NI Linux Real-Time and CompactRIO with the flexibility and features of ROS, which generated many novel features for the robot.

[Insert LUT6 and caption:] Schematic of CompactRIO in connection with sensors, actuators, and ROS system

local net. Tufts University developed this library, which is freely available on the LabVIEW Tools Network.

The ROS and LabVIEW collaboration enabled the use of different types of devices and controllers connected to the one network.

Digital communication plays a vital role in any advanced robot. It can include communication between an operator and a robot, between a robot’s control devices and its peripheral hardware, between

The Future of TIERA

different programmatic nodes being executed by a robot’s processor, and much more.

being planned.

A local net allows the transmission of control messages for movement of robot sections, which are published into ROS topics by the main station. Then an onboard computer subscribes to topics and reads messages. From the computer installed on the robot, a signal spreads to each device according to instructions.

Signals from a remote control reach the main station, and then they are processed in ROS and sent to the Advantech by WiFi.

The team is making rapid progress with the TIERA robot. All of its systems are fully operational, and the first full system tests are in progress with further upgrades

explosives, providing vision and monitoring in dangerous areas • Mining: exploration of the mines, operation in hazardous areas • Shipyards: performing welding and cutting • Research: volcanic research, Antarctica and Arctic research TIERA team co-leader Prof. Hamid Roozbahani told Hazardex that the team aimed to continue testing up to the end of March 2018, and to apply for IECEx or similar certification to use the robot in potentially explosive atmospheres soon after.

The versatility and modularity of the TIERA and its CompactRIO controller means that it is not limited to assembly and repair in hazardous environments. The robot

TIERA is already capable of performing to a certain level in difficult environments.

During design, development and parts

can quickly be repurposed for multiple industries and other spheres of human

selection the team aimed to satisfy quite a long list of standards. For instance all

activity, including: • Hospitals: drug delivery, transportation of food and medicine • Cleaning: automatic cleaning of large

the electronics used in the robot have IP67 and mechanical parts have IP42051, Roozbahani said.

areas, such as supermarkets, airports, industrial sites • Warehouses, Distribution, and Logistics:

His colleague Prof. Heikki Handroos said the technology was likely to see early use in nuclear reactor remote

The CompactRIO controller can be integrated into the whole robotic system

efficient relocation of materials from stocking shelves to order fulfillment zones

using the LabVIEW library to publish information into ROS topics in the same

• Industry: assembly, materials delivery • Military and Security: diffusion of

maintenance systems research. The group is participating in the EUROFUSION DEMO project and is collaborating closely with China’s Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP), he said.

TIERA taking shape

www.hazardexonthenet.net

26 Security

The open and shut case for enhancing security in hazardous environments A

round the world continued security risks are prompting governments, business owners and systems managers

Where companies are the victims, managers face a stark choice, either to pay a ransom or to sit it out and hope

Time to act

to focus on how to best protect crucial infrastructure, assets and personnel from attack. Threats experienced today range

that the criminals, pirates or insurgents will eventually release their hostages and/ or their hold on assets. And hope that the

being pro-active with safety and security measures now is the obvious way forward given the risks, but what are

from simple criminal attacks, focused on extortion or the theft of goods or assets, to the extremes of destructive terrorist

damage to infrastructure and lost profits will not prove too great.

the options?

attacks on-shore, piracy off-shore, civil unrest and even politically motivated cyber attacks by rogue nations.

It is surely only a matter of time before such unwanted attention is applied to high-value, high-visibility critical

In this article, Doug Woodbridge of SecurEx looks at security risk in safety

infrastructure targets, and specialist companies now exist to measure and mitigate this risk.

infrastructure are all potentially high-risk targets. Such facilities pose some very unique protection challenges; requiring as they do specialist solutions specifically

Security solutions in hazardous areas depend on knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements, an understanding of what can actually be installed where, how it should be installed, and knowledge of what technology and products are available to provide the best solution.

designed to operate safely in potentially explosive Ex Zones 1, 2, 21 and 22.

From site survey and system specification to product or solution supply, installation and commissioning, clients need to be confident that a customised solution can be provided to cover both safe and

evacuation of personnel in an emergency, remains the number one priority.

ATEX certified locking and security technologies are available that have been specially engineered to address this

hazardous areas within a plant or facility.

requirement.

critical and hazardous environments where acts of this kind can have very major impacts on personnel, infrastructure and the environment.

Cyber attacks have recently brought parts of the NHS and other organisations to a standstill, and piracy, including the hijacking of vessels and crews off the West Coast of Africa, and acts of terrorist insurgency in other parts of the world fill the headlines. In every case, the consequences of these events are dramatic, harrowing for the individuals affected and their families and very expensive and disruptive too for the organisations involved.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Prevention is always going to be cheaper and less damaging than the cure; so

Physical security and personnel safety Critical national infrastructure (CNI) oil, gas and petrochemical installations

Physically restricting and controlling access to site and installing high security lockdown capabilities in areas where only ATEX certified systems can be used, whilst still allowing safe passage for the

Security 27

Historically, the layers of security and personnel safety protection tended to operate wholly independently. Today the traditional distinctions between safety, security, process and business systems are becoming increasingly blurred. In high-risk environments this has created unique challenges and led to demands for more integrated solutions, where physical security, access control, intrusion detection, personnel location awareness, safety systems, process control and business systems work together to protect and enhance the safety and security of personnel and the installation.

Process and cyber security Cyber security for business computer networks is often a priority for companies, but the equally vulnerable control systems environment can often be overlooked.

Many PLC and control systems vendors (including the likes of Rockwell & Siemens) have now introduced at least some cyber security measures. However only a very few notable products fully comply with

It is worth knowing that there are certified

act as a deterrent helping prevent an attack

cyber secure products that can also provide independently TĂœV certified Sil 3 capability in Ultra High Availability system configurations with up to quad processors (3oo4D), quad inputs (3oo4D) and triplicated control elements (3oo3D), and all this in geographically separated locations

in the first place. Soft targets will always be preferred over hardened assets.

with systems availability up to 99.9999%.

system assets where possible (to avoid single or multi-point failures in an attack or catastrophic event) will help protect assets and personnel. Such precautions will also ensure that only authorised personnel who possess an appropriate

Where companies are the victims, managers face a stark choice, either to pay a ransom or to sit it out and hope that the criminals, pirates or insurgents will eventually release their hostages and/or their hold on assets

independently tested and accredited standards, such as ISASecure Embedded Device Security Assurance EDSA-330.

Such configurations make the process control layer not only very reliable and safe, but also resilient to loss of key control

As such it is worth seeking these out and reviewing these products before making investment decisions.

nodes in a physical attack, as well as being cyber secure.

High availability systems (Sil 2 / Sil 3)

Conclusions

We are all aware of the need to select

With a growing threat environment, taking a holistic approach to safety and security is the

appropriate safety-rated solutions to enhance functional safety. Compliance to IEC61508 & IEC 61131, being able to comply with given

obvious way forward for organisations that value their assets, whether they are human, physical or intellectual.

Sil levels 1 - 3 AND to achieve a stated high product or solution ‘availability level’ are often quoted as the minimum standards for particular tasks.

Physical security, access control and intrusion detection are all measures that can not only slow down physical attacks, but will

Similarly, hardening cyber security measures, using appropriately protected redundant technologies, networks, servers and by geographically separating control

valid electronic permit to work can access critical functionality.

The conclusion is clear: Organisations working in hazardous environments have a duty of care to employees, all stakeholders and the environment. By acting proactively now, reviewing and updating existing physical and cyber security, plugging weaknesses and managing security, functionality and safety technology as part of the overall business strategy, the risk of attack is reduced and the security and safety of personnel and assets significantly improved.

About the author Doug Woodbridge is a director of SecurEx Technology Ltd, a specialist security business based in South Yorkshire. He has more than 25 years experience working with industry and in hazardous environments, in particular with the Oil & Gas sector.

During this time he has been involved with supplying specialist automation, business, safety and security solutions around the globe.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

28 Mining

Does the mining industry have the

most workplace hazards?

F

rom hazardous materials and unstable structures, to dangerous

Generated through mining, processing, transportation operations and “fracking”,

fuel is burned and can be produced by home appliances, but is most prevalent in

chemical gases and dust, when it comes to environmental hazards, those working in mining and quarrying

it is fine enough to get into your lungs and too hard to see with normal lighting. In its crystalline form, known as Respirable

mining operations that are poorly ventilated or have confined spaces. In the UK, carbon monoxide poisoning accounts for

operations are regularly exposed to potentially fatal hazards.

Crystalline Silica (RCS), prolonged exposure can cause lung cancer and other respiratoryrelated diseases.

50 recorded deaths per year and as many as 4,000 medical visits, according to the Department of Health.

In the US alone, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that more than 2.3 million workers are potentially exposed to dust containing RCS, with 90% of those workers employed in the construction industry.

Dust

Carbon monoxide

of dust in mining operations can be difficult.

Breathing in fine dust particles can lead to various health hazards. In some instances, the effects of long-term exposure to dust may not be noticeable for years or decades,

While modern safety solutions have improved safety, any misstep, equipment failure, or change in atmosphere could be disastrous.

In this article, Glyn Jones of Trolex Group looks at some of the major hazards in this sector and what can be done to reduce risks.

The natural substance found in most rocks, sand and clay, as well as common construction materials, this is the biggest

Referred to as ‘white damp’ or the ‘silent killer’, carbon monoxide is a colourless, tasteless gas produced by appliances, where there is not sufficient air for them to work correctly, or by the combustion of

risk to construction workers after asbestos.

coal. Carbon monoxide is present wherever

Silica dust

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Large amounts of dust can be generated during drilling operations and explosive operations in dry conditions. Mining operations are generally the largest generator of dust, due to drilling and crushing – and as a consequence, managing the volume

but it can cause considerable damage to the body.

Mining 29 Fibrous minerals – asbestos, asbestiform and nonasbestiform mineral fibres Asbestos – or fibrous minerals – is the commercial term for six types of naturally occurring silicate mineral fibres; and one of the most dangerous hazards miners and construction workers face. Despite the inhalation of these minerals presenting significant risks, it is still one of the most common materials used in the construction trade and can be found in any industrial or residential building built or refurbished before the year 2000. According to the Health and Safety Executive, Asbestos kills around 5,000 workers each year – more than the number of people killed on UK roads.

Methane and oxygen deficiency

Figure 1. Dust health effects - Source: Queensland Government

are not exceeded. The latest technology provides real-time, accurate dust detection and monitoring, providing operators with continuous information regarding the surrounding environment and alerting them when dust exceeds PEL levels.

Gas detection technology

Methane, or ‘firedamp’ (a collective term given to a number of flammable gases)

Comprehensive gas detection and recovery technologies should be rapidly deployable

is produced through the extraction of fossil fuels from the earth, whether natural gas, coal or petroleum. Methane has an

and fully flexible, able to detect a range of toxic and combustible gases.

unpleasant ‘rotten egg’ smell – and is flammable over a range of concentrations (5.4 – 17%) in air at standard pressure. It has caused a number of disastrous mining

Mine ventilation monitoring systems

and oil rig explosions – and as it explodes, it produces deadly carbon gases, rapidly consuming oxygen in the process.

using intelligent and energy efficient systems to track, monitor and remove hazardous particles in the operational

How can these problems be avoided?

environment. The latest ventilation on demand (VOD) systems provide sensor information to optimise the usage

With the right technology, all these risks can be mitigated and readily identified before operations begin.

Dust detection technology Dust detection and filtration technology helps protect from hazardous and fine dust emitted into the atmosphere – and ensure that Permitted Exposure Levels (PELs)

About the author

Mine ventilation monitoring systems protect assets, machinery and personnel,

of ventilation fans, improving energy efficiency, airflows and overall air quality.

By using the above solutions, safety across operations, whether in mining or quarrying, can be increased significantly – and operators have the tools and protection they need to conduct their activities in the most hazardous environments with confidence.

Glyn Jones is Group CEO at Trolex Group. Subsidiaries include Trolex Ltd, a global supplier of gas and dust detection, connector solutions and strata monitoring to the mining and hazardous industry markets, and Trolex Aporta Holdings Limited, supplying infotainment systems to the global transportation markets.

Trolex Group works with some of the world’s leading corporations including Caterpillar, Joy Mining, Rio Tinto, Greyhound Buses and many more.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

30 Oil & gas

Increasing operational success by harnessing the power of Ex Equipment D

the oil and gas market globally. Technology

Equipment selection

hesitancy throughout the oil and gas industry, there has always been one aspect of companies’ operations

enables companies to regulate costs and increase the performance of operations.

Companies operating in the oil and gas

One of the most difficult subjects to tackle in the oil and gas field in potentially explosive atmospheres is safety. The

that cannot afford to waive - safety.

During the past three years pressure has mounted throughout the industry to

industry are often exposed to extreme conditions including corrosion, salt and chemical products that require stringent safety

process taken for selecting equipment for use in hazardous areas can be a daunting responsibility, and it is crucial that many

complete maintenance and operational work at a faster rate and at a lower financial cost. The technical and

regulations and certification of equipment.

Personnel regularly work in hazardous environments that pose many health and

factors are addressed when making these important decisions.

financial performance of companies has had a taxing effect on the operational success of ventures as talented people have been let go, exploration investment

safety risks and if they are utilising the wrong equipment it can be life threatening.

The following key factors are fundamental in the decision-making process taken before purchasing equipment: • The relevant zone or ATEX category

uring a period of uncertainty and

has been reduced and price reductions have increased at an exponential rate.

Against this background, Louise Green of SA Equip gives an overview of European regulation and certification of equipment for use in hazardous areas, and highlights how its correct usage and regular maintenance can increase efficiency, reduce costs, minimise risks and improve safety.

Innovative advanced technologies are crucial to the redevelopment and maintenance of

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Directive 2014/34/EU, defines ‘explosive atmosphere’ as a mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture. Hazardous areas are classified into different zones depending on the degree of probability and length of time for which a hazard exists. Increasingly rigorous health and safety requirements throughout the oil and gas industry continually create demand for advanced innovations designed for use in hazardous environments.

• • • •

or EPL (for international use) for the equipment type selection Gas and Dust equipment Group Temperature Classification Ambient temperatures Ingress protection (IP) requirement for the area

In addition to the above factors, there are specific standards which are important when it comes to electrical equipment and all Ex components for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Oil & gas 31

Standard

Type of Protection

Protection Marking

EN 60079-0:2012

General Requirements

-

EN 60079-11:2012

Intrinsic safety

iD

EN 60079-18:2015

Encapsulation

mD

EN 60079-31:2014

Protection by enclosure

tD

EN 60079-2:2015

Pressurization

pD

EN 60079-14:2014

Design, selection, erection

-

EN 60079-17:2014

Inspection, maintenance

-

EN 60079-19:2011

Repair, overhaul, reclamation

-

For equipment to work safely in a potentially explosive atmosphere it will usually require additional modification or redesign to achieve specific safety requirements which in Europe is covered by the ATEX directive 2014/34/EU. This type of equipment is highly specialised and enables efficient and safe protection in explosive atmospheres, however, and is

The table above details some of these factors relevant to a combustible dust atmosphere:

their employees’ wellbeing and operations against the risk of explosions.

dependent on the equipment being installed and maintained to the correct standards.

Generally, in countries across the world, Ex certified equipment is not only a want, it is a legal requirement.

Keeping everything running Industrial environments can be extremely harsh on equipment and many applications across locations such as the North Sea pose additional challenges when it comes to the reliability and performance of equipment.

Product safety is a critical factor in the selection of the correct Ex Equipment for industry applications. The ATEX Equipment Directive (2014/34/EU) establishes an international standard for high safety across the European member states. This legislation

Two key factors in defining the classification of hazardous zones are the level of severity and potential frequency of occurrence of explosive substances. The zones are classified as follows: Zone 0: Explosive atmospheres are present

Deterioration of equipment can be caused by factors including susceptibility to corrosion,

applies to equipment that operates within, or could create its own potentially flammable

continuously, for long periods or frequently.

Zone 1: Explosive atmospheres are likely to

exposure to undue vibration, training and experience of personnel and likelihood of wrong maintenance.

atmosphere. Equipment designed to operate in flammable atmospheres must meet stringent essential health and safety requirements (EHSR) of the directive.

occur occasionally under normal operation.

Zone 2: Explosive atmospheres may occur under abnormal operation and persist for a short period only.

Installing equipment is an easy fix, right?

Wrong. Personnel involved in the selection, installation and maintenance of equipment

Standardised legislation enables the sale of ATEX accredited equipment across the

Both ATEX and IECEx use these zones to set levels of safety for equipment and personnel

in hazardous areas must have a clear understanding of the protection concepts, installation practices and regulations of

EU, without individual manufacturers having to satisfy different requirements for each national market. Compliance with the ATEX

who work in these explosive atmospheres, whether in Europe or the rest of the world.

area classifications. The inspection and maintenance of equipment can prolong the life of products, so experienced personnel

equipment directive means reinforced safety aspects – safer design, more demanding testing procedures and specific quality

A growing demand

should be responsible for conducting these important jobs. The crucial knowledge they possess on the types of protection and installation practices will ensure the inspections are completed properly to safeguard operations and equipment users

assurance measures throughout the manufacturing process.

has led to stricter safety requirements within the Ex market. Across industries today, the

An increase in the awareness of both potentially explosive gas and dust atmospheres

from harm.

Directive 2014/34/EU known as ‘the ATEX Equipment Directive’ was introduced to remove barriers to trade by ensuring the quality of the equipment, wherever manufactured in the EU. Additionally, the Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) Regulation identifies the equipment which can be installed in specific zones, setting the link between the zones and equipment categories. The regulation defines the Prevention and Protection Principles companies must comply with to safeguard

www.hazardexonthenet.net

32 Oil & gas level of knowledge and understanding of Ex Equipment has vastly increased – with a

Optimising safety and efficiency

maintaining the morale of your personnel, which in turn can increase productivity.

wide range of personnel having an increased interest in learning about the application and capabilities of this equipment.

Lower profit margins across a range of industries means more efficient operations and processes are critical to aid not only success, but survival. Costs incurred from operational slowdowns or product downtime caused by equipment failure or repairs is

Portable Ex Equipment can be transported easily and efficiently around work environments wherever they are required. The ability to position them in inaccessible and hard to reach areas means companies can

The Ex market is forward thinking in nature: in recent years we have seen developments in portable, movable equipment with increased usage of LED lighting, as well as use of Equipment Protection Levels (EPLs) as an International protection and marking system.

These key developments have led to more details being applied to the Ex product labels

unaffordable in the oil industry today.

and requirements for more understanding.

Industries are evolving the way they are working: technology is advancing operations and capabilities globally. In the oil and gas

for hazardous and hostile environments calls for experienced suppliers and a passion for safety. Compatible Ex equipment throughout the oil & gas industry can help reduce supply chain inefficiencies and operational downtime. Another benefit that is achieved

tribulations faced throughout the global energy industry, operators focus should never stray from the most important asset of their entire operations, the people behind the scenes. Utilising reliable Ex equipment that meets the highest legal requirements for use

industry, whatever the development of confined space entries, platform turnarounds,

through compatible products is the enhanced performance of existing equipment resulting in

in the intended hazardous area will not only minimise risks, it will increase efficiency whilst

tank cleaning and inspection jobs, there will always be a requirement for Ex Certified equipment.

less maintenance costs and increased safety.

reducing costs.

A research project conducted in the oil and gas industry found that: “about 85% of productivity

References

The fast-paced nature of the global oil and gas industry calls for action, not just ideas.

This is where a popular buzz word comes into

slowdown is caused by the work environment.”

Time spent on maintaining and improving the work conditions throughout a project can

• http://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/sragtech/ techmeasareaclas.htm • Directive 1999/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16

play: innovation. What really is innovation? To the Ex Market it is about new ideas, new ways of thinking and ultimately about new ways of

have a dramatic impact on the productivity of organisations’ operations. Implementation of Ex certified products can reduce the requirements

December 1999 • JESPEN, T. (2016). ATEX -- explosive atmospheres. Springer.

increasing safety. The design of Ex equipment is extremely important in establishing the integrity for the manufacture and supply

for hot work permits as individual products are fully certified to the highest safety standards and therefore reduce both safety and costs

• BAHADORI, A. (2014). Hazardous Area Classification in Petroleum and Chemical Plants: A Guide to Mitigating Risks. Taylor

of valued safety equipment for use in a hazardous area.

risks of projects. Enabling a more controlled work environment is key to improving and

Thinking outside the box

Designing and building Ex products that provide additional functionality to existing products can increase efficiency and value.

Providing reliable and robust Ex Equipment

begin operational work straight away, which minimises the waste of your resources.

Conclusion Safety is paramount; however, efficiency is critical too. Irrespective of the trials and

and Francis Group.

About the author

Louise Green is Marketing Manager at SA Equip, based in Broxburn, Scotland. The company has a complete range of ATEX & IECEx certified portable lighting, heating, power distribution and ventilation products.

www.hazardexonthenet.net

Event preview 33

Kuwait International HSE Conference & Exhibition Date: 15 February 2018 Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait Following COP 21 and in a low oil price economy; Oil & Gas leaders from across the region have outlined their commitment to improving HSE standards. KIHSE is their platform to meet their partners and

suppliers in ensuring their goals are met.

KIHSE will address the key issues around Health Safety & Environmental and associated activities which are important to the whole region’s energy sectors and also relevant to the global industry.

Website: www.gep-events.com/ event/3rd-kuwait-international-hseconference-exhibition

OTC Asia Date: 20 to 23 March 2018 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The biennial OTC (Offshore Technology Conference) Asia is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters.

OTC Asia provides the ideal platform

to reflect on the achievements and aspirations of the region and the industry, and what it takes for Asia to remain resilient and responsive to a growing energy market.

OTC events are brought to you by organisations that cover all aspects of the

Founded in 1969, OTC’s flagship conference is held annually in Houston,

offshore energy industry.

OTC has expanded technically and globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil and OTC Asia.

Website: 2018.otcasia.org

CIPPE 2018 Date: 27 to 29 March 2018 Location: Beijing, China We are pleased to announce CIPPE 2018 (the 18th China International Petroleum and Petrochemical Equipment and Technology Exhibition), the International trade show and conference primarily focusing on oil and gas, on 2729, March 2018 in Beijing, China.

Concurrent theme shows: • China International Offshore Oil & Gas Exhibition • International Offshore Engineering Technology & Equipment Exhibition • China International Natural Gas Technology and Equipment Exhibition

• China International Exhibition on Equipment of Pipeline and Oil & Gas Storage and Transportation The closing session of the 2017 conference focused on “Current Trends of China’s Oil & Gas Exploitation and Development Proposal” and “Discussion on LNG Station Security Technology”.

A government representative presented how the Chinese directive on security in Oil and Gas operations has been put into effect in China.

In the last 17 years, we have received support from the world’s leading oil companies, including Sinopec, CNOOC, Exxon Mobil, Transneft, Gazprom, Rosneft, BP, Total, Saudi Aramco, Qatar

Petroleum, Statoil, Shell and Petrobras, and all will be present at this year’s event.

CIPPE 2018 is expecting • 1,800 Exhibitors from 65 Countries and Regions • • • •

46 Exhibitors from Fortune Global 500 18 National Pavilions 90,000m2 Exhibition Space 110,000 Professional Visitors

Website: www.cippe.com.cn/en

www.hazardexonthenet.net

34 Product Datafiles

Leading the Customer Service Experience in the Certification Industry Providing exceptional customer service is a key aspect of the work we do at CSA Group. Over the last 18 months CSA Group has made significant improvements to the way we provide our service to our customers.

Our customers have scored us 90% in overall customer satisfaction, with 4 out of 5 clients saying they would recommend CSA Group to a colleague.

Interested in learning how we do it? Please contact us to arrange a no obligation project planning meeting.

T: +44 (0) 1244 670 900 E: ukinfo@csagroup.org W: www.csagroupuk.org

Connecting you to Global Markets CSA Group is a global organization dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. We provide testing, inspection and certification services for products in industrial and hazardous locations.

We realise our customers need access to global markets and they need it quickly.

As such, we’ve evolved our processes to respond even better to the pressures our customers face, while offering the marks needed to access markets around the world.

Our large team of certification engineers are focused on completing projects within agreed-to timelines and we consistently start and finish projects with some of the best lead-times within the industry.

T: +44 (0) 1244 670900 E: ukinfo@csagroup.org

W: www.csagroup.org

EEMUA EEMUA’s Hazardous Areas seminar on 15 February 2018 in Chester aims to provide updates on current issues. Areas covered will include: • Where next on competency? Competency schemes for work in explosive atmospheres developed since the Piper Alpha disaster have followed the principles outlined in IEC 60079. But how best to meet those requirements is currently under discussion.

• Vapour cloud hazards. Mists of high flashpoint fluids can be capable of ignition and explosion at far lower temperatures than their flashpoints. When might dangerous conditions arise, and what might the user do to prevent them?

• Portable devices in hazardous areas. EEMUA and the Energy Institute have worked together to evaluate the risks of increased energy personal portable devices so that site operators may be given appropriate guidance.

• Estimation of hazardous areas. Since the revised IEC 60079-10-1 was published two years ago, serious concerns have existed due to deficiencies in

the calculation methods for size of hazardous areas. The standard is being reappraised and changes are likely but what should sites do in the meantime?

• Assemblies in hazardous areas.

Though it sounds simple to have a whole assembly certified as a single entity there are some pitfalls to be aware of. How does it work in practice?

• “When is a cable not a cable? When it’s a barrier gland!” When IEC 6007914:2013 was published, EEMUA tests showed that IEC criteria for use of a barrier gland were flawed. Hear the background to this. https://www.eemua.org/tni/Calendar/Events/EEMUA-Hazardous-Areas.aspx Web: http://www.eemua.co.uk Tel: 020 7488 0801

Dixon Petrochemical Products Fluid transfer products for upstream, downstream and refining Products: • API certified products • Zero emission valves • No-spill couplings • Safety breakaway fittings • Blow Out Prevention Couplings • Hydrocarbon Hoses and Hose Assemblies • Vent lock Safety Cam & Groove • Petroleum tanker overfill systems • Hydraulic Fracturing: Low Pressure System

Services: • Global Inventory and Locations • Sales and technical support worldwide • ISO9001 accredited • Pressure Equipment Directive (PED97/25/EC) Through innovation and application expertise, Dixon is committed to improve end user productivity and reduce environmental and safety related incidents within the Petrochemical industry

For further information please contact us now on: +44 (0)1772 323 529 sales@dixoneurope.co.uk www.dixoneurope.co.uk

Buyers Guide 35

For a complete range of hazardous area solutions Intrinsic Safety Isolators • Zener Barriers • Zone 1&2 Remote I/O • Fieldbus Exe Enclosures • Exd Control Panels • Ex Lighting • Purge Solutions • Zone 1 & 2 HMI’s PC’s

www.pepperl-fuchs.co.uk Cable Glands

Tel.: 0161 6336431

Explosion Proof Cranes

sales@gb.pepperl-fuchs.com

Training

Consultancy

10% OFF all CompEX Courses • Foundation • EX01 to EX04 • EX01 to EX04 Refresher

• Dust EX05 to EX06 • Mechanical EX11

Quote Code: HAZ10

+44 (0) 1642 770310

www.tte.co.uk/accredited

Training

Control Panels

Heaters

J.B. SYSTEMS LTD

To advertise in the Product Datafiles or Buyers Guide

EExd & EExe enclosures Custom built panels, terminal boxes & control stations

contact Kathryn Startin

Tel: 01296 489967 Fax: 01296 393515 Email: sales@jbsystems.co.uk Website: www.jbsystems.co.uk Control Panels

on +44 (0)1732 359990 or kathryn.startin@imlgroup.co.uk HMI

Your total solutions provider

t-s-e.co.uk

Specialist in design and custom build of a wide range of high-quality, hazardous area enclosures, terminal boxes & control stations

Trant System Electrical Southampton SO40 9AH 023 8042 8700 HAZARDOUS AREA PRODUCTS info@t-s-e.co.uk

APPROVED OEM INSTALLER FOR CORTEM EXD ENCLOSURES

MCC

CONTROL PANELS

PLC

SCADA

—

Lets write the future together with safe, reliable, efficient operations.

More demanding legislation and public scrutiny is increasing the need for operators to demonstrably improve the safety of their operations. ABB provides an expert independent view on where improvements should be made and on how best to implement them for the global process industries. Our services include: alarm management, hazardous area management, COMAH assessments, human factors, pressure relief, Process Hazard Reviews (PHR), HAZOPs, SIL studies and technical training to ensure safer operations. www.abb.com/consulting

CLASSROOM TRAINING

HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS (HAZLOC), ATEX, IECEX, DSEAR, AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE TRAINING COURSES

CSA Group® is a leading provider of training courses covering HazLoc, ATEX, IECEx, DSEAR and environmental compliance.

We offer a wide range of training courses to help organisations achieve their objectives including compliance with legislative safety standards, risk reduction, and certification best practices.

Certification Training Courses An in-depth understanding on how to effectively implement relevant codes and standards enhances your knowledge and skills, while helping to make your organisation safer and more productive. CSA Group offers a wide range of standards-based training programmes that can help organisations achieve a variety of objectives. Our training programmes are developed and delivered by expert instructors who have worked in the field and/or certify equipment, adding a ‘real-world’ perspective to our content.

Our programmes can help you and your organisation: • Reduce risk

CSA Group offers an extensive programme of comprehensive training courses including: • Perform classification of hazardous areas • Hazardous area training for dusts • Design electrical installations in explosive atmospheres • Inspect and maintain electrical installations, equipment, instrumentation and wiring systems in explosive stmospheres • Installation and test of electrical equipment, instrumentation and wiring systems in explosive atmospheres • MCERTS awareness

• Comply with legislated standards

• Hazard identification and risk assessment relating to stack emission monitoring (MCERTS)

• Gain insight into best practices

• Functional safety

• Achieve your key goals and objectives

Use promo code ‘CONTINUOUSLEARNING’ to receive a 10% reduction on published course prices when you book.* * Terms and conditions apply.

Not be used in conjunction with any other offers.

csagroup.org

HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS (HAZLOC), ATEX, IECEX, DSEAR, AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE TRAINING COURSES

Hazardous Areas Basic Principles Our 3 day course provides manufacturers and end-users of Ex equipment with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of working in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Course content includes: • Product certification (IECEx, ATEX and North America) • Safety of personnel in hazardous areas • Properties of flammable materials • Area classification • Equipment protection concepts including flameproof, intrinsic safety, increased safety, encapsulation and pressurised • Equipment marking • Cable glanding • Inspection and maintenance • Practical exercises with opportunity for questions with our experts Training Schedule for 2018 • 6 – 8 February • 10 – 12 April • 12 – 14 June • 25 – 28 September • 6 – 8 November • 11 – 13 December Course Duration - 3 days Course Price - £990 plus VAT

Ex Product Certification for Manufacturers

DSEAR Compliance & Risk Assessment This course provides the basic knowledge for personnel working in hazardous areas and an appreciation of DSEAR regulations including guidance on how to identify hazards and conduct DSEAR risk assessments on-site.

Training Schedule for 2018 • 1 February • 7 June • 6 September • 6 December Course Duration - 1 day Course Price - £450 plus VAT

Hazardous Area Training for Non-Electrical Equipment

This course looks at the main principles of the ATEX product Directive and other Ex product certification schemes and guides participants through the requirements and responsibilities involved.

This course is aimed at mechanical engineers working in explosive atmospheres and provides delegates with the basic principles of hazardous areas and an overview of legislative & technical requirements in line with ISO 80079-36 & 80079-37.

Training Schedule for 2018 • 31 January

Training Schedule for 2018 • 7 – 8 March

• 6 June • 30 August • 22 November

• 10 – 11 October Course Duration -2 days Course Price - £750 plus VAT

Course Duration - 1 day Course Price - £450 plus VAT

Contact Us Put CSA Group’s industry-leading knowledge and experience to work for you. +44 1244 670 900 uktraining@csagroup.org csagroupuk.org

© 2017 CSA Group Management Corp. All Rights Reserved 10/2017

csagroup.org

SGS BASEEFA FOR ALL OF YOUR EX CERTIFICATION, TESTING AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS WE OFFER EX CERTIFICATION REVIEWS FOR FASTER CERTIFICATION • Support from helpful & knowledgeable engineers • Leading ATEX & IECEx Certification provider • US & Canada Ex Approvals, & facilitation of Global Ex Marks

WE CAN CONDUCT ALL OF YOUR INGRESS PROTECTION AND EX TESTING • Experienced and Responsive Lab Staff • Extensive Testing Facilities • Fast Turnaround

WE CAN HELP WITH ALL OF YOUR EX TRAINING NEEDS • Comprehensive Training provider • Courses to cover all aspects of Design, Manufacture, Installation, Inspection & Maintenance • Bespoke and Onsite Training options available

Our expertise and services also include Quality Assurance, Service Facility Certification, ATEX 137 and DSEAR Compliance and Personnel Competence Certification

Telephone Email: Website:

+44 (0)1298 766600 baseefa@sgs.com www.sgs.co.uk/sgsbaseefa

SGS CONSUMER TESTING SERVICES

COURSE CALENDAR

LAST UPDATED:

OCTOBER 2018

HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE TRAINING SERVICES CALENDAR

TS01: HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE TRAINING SERVICES CALENDAR HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE TRAINING

© SGS United Kingdom Ltd - 2018 – All rights reserved – SGS is a registered trademark of SGS Group Management SA 5745/0118

COURSE TITLE

DURATION

COURSE COST

DATE OF COURSE

ATEX/DSEAR

1 Day

£425 + VAT

22 January 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

2 Days

£795 + VAT

23 & 24 January 2018

Risk Assessment & Hazardous Area Classification

2 Days

£795 + VAT

25 & 26 January 2018

Introduction to Hazardous Areas

1 Day

£425 + VAT

14 February 2018

Hazardous Area Products – QA System Planning

1 Day

£425 + VAT

15 February 2018

Safe Use of Electricity in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres & IS Awareness

4 Days

£1450 + VAT

19 - 22 February 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

1 Day

£425 + VAT

12 March 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

2 Days

£795 + VAT

13 & 14 March 2018

Risk Assessment & Hazardous Area Classification

2 Days

£795 + VAT

15 & 16 March 2018

Safe Use of Electricity in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres & IS Awareness

4 Days

£1450 + VAT

16 - 19 April 2018

Introduction to Hazardous Areas

1 Day

£425 + VAT

25 April 2018

Hazardous Area Products – QA System Planning

1 Day

£425 + VAT

26 April 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

1 Day

£425 + VAT

14 May 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

2 Days

£795 + VAT

15 & 16 May 2018

Risk Assessment & Hazardous Area Classification

2 Days

£795 + VAT

17 & 18 May 2018

Safe Use of Electricity in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres & IS Awareness

4 Days

£1450 + VAT

18 - 21 June 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

1 Day

£425 + VAT

18 June 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

2 Days

£795 + VAT

19 & 20 June 2018

Risk Assessment & Hazardous Area Classification

2 Days

£795 + VAT

21 & 22 June 2018

Introduction to Hazardous Areas

1 Day

£425 + VAT

12 September 2018

Hazardous Area Products – QA System Planning

1 Day

£425 + VAT

13 September 2018

ATEX/DSEAR Overview

1 Day

£425 + VAT

24 September 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

2 Days

£795 + VAT

25 & 26 September 2018

Risk Assessment & Hazardous Area Classification

2 Days

£795 + VAT

27 & 28 September 2018

Safe Use of Electricity in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres & IS Awareness

4 Days

£1450 + VAT

17 - 20 September 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

1 Day

£425 + VAT

12 November 2018

ATEX/DSEAR

2 Days

TITLE Risk Assessment & COURSE Hazardous Area Classification Safe Use of Electricity in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres & IS Awareness

2DURATION Days

£795 + VAT

13 & 14 November 2018

COURSE COST £795 + VAT

OF COURSE2018 15 DATE & 16 November

4 Days

£1450 + VAT

19 - 22 November 2018

Introduction to Hazardous Areas

1 Day

£425 + VAT

21 November 2018

Hazardous Area Products – QA System Planning

1 Day

£425 + VAT

22 November 2018

SGS Baseefa also specialises in providing bespoke and onsite training to suit your individual training needs. Please contact us for more information and to discuss your training requirements further.

SGS IS THE WORLD’S LEADING INSPECTION, VERIFICATION, TESTING AND CERTIFICATION COMPANY. To register for a training course, please complete our application form at the bottom of this web page: www.sgs.co.uk/hazardousatmospheretraining For more information:

SGS BASEEFA LTD.

JAYNE LINGARD

Rockhead Business Park, Staden Lane, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9RZ

Competence and Training Administrator

Telephone +44 (0) 1298 766600 Fax +44 (0) 1298 766601 Email: baseefa@sgs.com Website: www.sgs.co.uk/ hazardousatmospheretraining