hEX_21_09

Venting

Under pressure: the benefits of explosion venting panels

Renewables

Safety in the renewables sector

The UK government announced its longawaited hydrogen strategy (pg.10) on August 17, saying the plans to create a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector over the next decade and beyond would unlock tens of thousands of jobs, billions of pounds in investment, and new export opportunities. As part of the strategy, the Government outlined a ‘twin track’ approach to supporting multiple technologies including ‘green’ electrolytic and ‘blue’ carbon capture-enabled hydrogen production.

The decision to take a twin approach to hydrogen has drawn criticism from some who say blue hydrogen, which is made by converting methane to hydrogen and carbon dioxide by using heat, steam and pressure, could mean a continued reliance on fossil fuel use, infrastructure, and exploration. One such critic is Chris Jackson who stepped down as Chair of the UK Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (UKHFCA) due to his belief that blue hydrogen could mean a failure to meet decarbonisation goals.

Jackson’s resignation came days after a new study by Cornell and Stanford University researchers, published on August 12, which says the uncaptured carbon dioxide and the large emissions of unburned, so-called “fugitive” methane emissions inherent in using natural gas, means that blue hydrogen’s carbon footprint is more than 20% greater than burning either natural gas or coal directly for heat, or about 60% greater than using diesel oil for heat.

The researchers write that blue hydrogen is anything but emissions free and only works as a strategy to the extent that it is possible to store carbon dioxide long-term indefinitely into the future without leakage back to the atmosphere. “Political forces may not have caught up with the science yet. Even progressive politicians may not understand for what they’re voting. Blue hydrogen sounds good, sounds modern and sounds like a path to our energy future. It is not,” one of the leading researchers says.

…Alistair Hookway, Editor, Hazardex alistair.hookway@imlgroup.co.uk

This article considers the role of venting wall panels in protecting the workforce as well as ensuring a building’s structure is not compromised.

Whilst there is an urgency around Net Zero targets, there is also a developing sense of urgency regarding another topic within renewables: safety.

• Chemical park explosion kills seven people in Germany, injures 31

• US OSHA issues $1 million in fines, says six deaths were preventable in 2021 poultry plant chemical leak

• UK government launches first ever Hydrogen Strategy

• South Africa’s largest coal-fired power plant suffers explosion just one week after coming online

• Hackers demand $50m from Saudi Aramco following 1 terabyte data leak

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As the process of AD produces hazardous gases and operates under the absence of oxygen there are risks for those maintaining these systems.

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When selecting lighting for an offshore wind farm, a number of important factors should be considered, including maintenance, energy costs and quality of light.

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Anexplosion at an industrial park in Leverkusen, Germany killed seven people and injured 31 others on July 27. The incident happened at a chemical disposal centre at Chempark, an industrial park for several chemical companies including Bayer and Lanxess.

The owner of Chempark Leverkusen, Currenta, said in a statement that the blast occurred at around 09:40 local time. The incident happened at Chempark’s Bürrig disposal centre where chemical waste is incinerated. The explosion caused an extensive fire to break out at a tank farm containing several chemicals in the disposal centre.

Local police, who are yet to determine the exact cause behind the explosion, closed several roads and motorways in the surrounding area as a cloud of dark smoke rose into the air above the chemical park. A significant number of emergency service personnel attended the scene after Germany’s Civil Protection Agency warned Leverkusen residents of “extreme danger.”

In further statements, Currenta said rescue workers had discovered the bodies of two missing employees. Five further employees remained missing for several days before their bodies were found. Announcing the discovery of the last missing employee’s body on August 13, Currenta Managing Director Frank Hyldmar said: “This is another sad day for all of us. Because it brings with it the certainty that

seven people lost their lives in this misfortune. Our thoughts are with the families and friends who now have to say goodbye to loved ones. I would like to thank all the emergency services and rescue workers who continue to tirelessly secure the scene of the accident. Your careful action was also of crucial importance during the rescue.”

In total, 31 employees were injured by the blast, including two seriously. One of the seriously injured was described as being in a critical condition. All the injured received medical treatment with some taken to a local hospital.

Following the incident, Currenta asked local residents to go to closed rooms, close windows and doors, and to turn off air conditioning units as a precaution. A large number of local residents reported an “odour” spreading across the local area. Currenta said that detailed air monitoring was being conducted to ensure that no hazardous substances had entered the environment. On August 5, the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection NRW (LANUV NRW) announced that an analysis of plant and soil samples after the fire did not reveal any questionable residues of chemicals in the local environment.

At the same time, Currenta said it had carried out its own testing programme for chemicals containing phosphorus and sulphur and reached the same result as LANUV NRW.

The city of Leverkusen cancelled several precautionary measures as a result of the tests. The results indicated that the contents of the tank system had been dissolved by the fire and that it could therefore be assumed that there was no pollution outside the factory premises.

In a statement posted on August 11, Currenta published the names of the substances and the composition of the liquids that were stored in the nine tanks of the tank farm at the Bürrig disposal centre at the time of the accident. The residues in the tanks were waste products from chemical production, which Currenta had intended to properly dispose of in the Bürrig hazardous waste incineration plant.

During the incident, Currenta said there was an explosion of storage tank 3 with a subsequent fire. In addition to tank 3, another seven storage tanks belonging to the tank group were destroyed. The hazardous waste incineration plant itself was also severely damaged.

At the time of the fire, sulphur- and phosphorus-containing residues, such as those produced in the production of pesticides, were stored in tank 3. The residual materials were intended for disposal in the Currenta facility approved for this purpose on behalf of a customer from outside the Chempark. The substances in the other tank containers were solvent-based production residues that contained different concentrations of halogens, alcohols and sulphur.

Since the incident, Currenta has continued to provide support in the cleaning of public and private areas and helped with the cleaning of motor vehicles, even if samples reveal no apparent any hazardous substance concentrations.

In order to provide a better overview of the incident, Currenta has published a new website which provides detailed data, facts, and images of the incident for all interested parties. The information page is divided into three areas: what happened, what Currenta is doing, and how to proceed. The information provided is continuously checked and updated by Currenta. You can view the website at: www.currenta-info-buerrig.de

Chemical park explosion kills seven people in Germany, injures 31

US chemical plant leak kills two, injures 30

Achemical leak at a plant in La Porte, Texas left two people dead and another 30 injured on July 27. Around 45,000kg of acetic acid was released during the incident, which happened at a plant belonging to plastics and chemicals company LyondellBasell.

Local officials said the incident occurred at around 19:30 local time and that two people

died at the scene. Of the 30 who were injured, five were treated at the scene and released while many others were treated in hospital for respiratory issues.

According to officials, the leak occurred after a chemical explosion although the incident remains under investigation. Chemicals including methyl iodide, hydrogen iodide, and methyl acetate have so far bee

identified as leaking during the incident.

In a statement, LyondellBasell said the acetic acid leak happened in the plant’s acetyls unit area which had been closed earlier in the day for planned maintenance. Its on-site incident response team responded quickly to the leak and managed to stop it. Four of the injured individuals sustained burns. The company said that air monitoring demonstrated no levels of harmful substances in the local environment and that there was no concern for the community.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chemical Safety Board were all notified of the incident and a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident is underway, LyondellBasell added.

On August 3, the CSB said it had sent an investigation team to the site and that it had signed an Evidence and Site Control Agreement, along with OSHA and LyndondellBassell, in order to begin preserving evidence. The CSB added that the immediate area of the release was not initially accessible due the presence of hazardous materials released as result of the incident. The CSB investigation team remains on site conducting witness interviews, documenting the incident scene, and obtaining records to assist in

LyondellBasell’s La Porte Complex - Image: LyondellBasell

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US OSHA issues $1 million in fines, says six deaths were preventable in 2021 poultry plant chemical leak

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a total of $1 million in fines to four companies following a fatal liquid nitrogen leak at a poultry plant in Georgia, US that killed six people in January 2021. The incident, which also injured 12 people, occurred at a Foundation Food Group plant where a freezer malfunctioned and caused colourless, odourless liquid nitrogen to displace oxygen.

In a statement announcing the fines, OSHA said that on January 28, a freezer malfunction occurred at the plant in Gainesville, around 60 miles (97km) north of Atlanta. Three of the plant’s maintenance workers entered the freezer room without precautions – never trained on the deadly effects of nitrogen exposure – and were overcome immediately. Other workers entered the room and were also overcome. The three maintenance workers and two other workers

died immediately, a sixth died on the way to the hospital. At least a dozen other injured workers required hospital care.

“Six people’s deaths, and injuries suffered by at least a dozen others, were entirely avoidable,” said US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.

OSHA found that Foundation Food Group Inc. and Messer LLC failed to implement any of the safety procedures necessary to prevent the nitrogen leak, or to equip workers responding to it with the knowledge and equipment that could have saved their lives. OSHA cited Foundation Food Group, Messer LLC, Packers Sanitation Services Inc. Ltd., and FS Group Inc. – all responsible for operations at the Gainesville facility – for a total of 59 violations and proposed $998,637 in penalties.

“This horrible tragedy could have been prevented had the employers taken the time to use – and teach their workers the importance of – safety

precautions,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta. “Instead, six workers died as a result of their employers’ failure to follow necessary procedures and to comply with required safety and health standards. We hope other industry employers learn from this terrible incident and comply with safety and health requirements to prevent similar incidents.”

OSHA cited Foundation Food Group Inc. for 26 violations, including six willful violations for exposing workers to thermal injuries and suffocation hazards resulting from the uncontrolled release of liquid nitrogen; failing to develop, document and use lockout procedures; not informing employees that liquid nitrogen, an asphyxiate, was used in the onsite freezer; not training employees on the methods and observations used to detect the presence or release of nitrogen; failing to train workers on the hazards of liquid nitrogen, and not training employees on the emergency procedures they can take to protect themselves.

The Superior Refining Company has reached a settlement of around $1 million in relation to the 2018 explosion at its oil refinery in Superior, northwestern Wisconsin which injured 36 people and caused a mass evacuation of 21,000 people. The settlement reached on June 24 could mean those who were

evacuated are eligible to receive $150 in compensation each.

The refinery was shutting down in preparation for a five-week turnaround when an explosion occurred on April 26, likely due to a faulty valve, sending several people to local hospitals with injuries. The resulting fire was extinguished after two hours but

covered the surrounding area in noxious smoke, and local authorities only gave the all-clear for residents to return to their homes the following morning – 18 hours after locals were first evacuated.

The $1 million settlement was reached in a federal lawsuit that was brought forward by three local residents who claimed they had suffered economic losses and other damages as a result of the incident and evacuation. As part of the settlement, the Superior Refining Company – which was owned by Husky Energy at the time and now owned by Cenovus Energy – will not admit any wrongdoing.

According to reports, total damages as a result of the evacuation are estimated to be almost $10 million, however the three residents settled due to the chance that prolonged litigation could result in a delay in compensation. Any adults living in the evacuation zone at the time of the incident are eligible to make a claim with payments limited to $300 per household. The three resident who brought the lawsuit forward will receive $2,000 each.

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Refinery reaches $1 million settlement, admits no wrongdoing in 2018 explosion that injured 36

Image: US Chemical Safety Board

UK government launches first ever Hydrogen Strategy

TheUK’s Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced the country’s first ever Hydrogen Strategy on August 17. Making the announcement, the government said the plans to create a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector over the next decade and beyond would unlock tens of thousands of jobs, billions of pounds in investment, and new export opportunities.

The plans build on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ’10 Point Plan’ for a green industrial revolution by setting the foundation for how the UK government will work with industry to meet its ambition for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 – which could replace natural gas in powering around 3 million UK homes each year as well as powering transport and businesses, particularly heavy industry.

According to the government, a UK-wide hydrogen economy could be worth £900 million and create over 9,000 high-quality jobs by 2030, potentially rising to 100,000 jobs and worth up to £13 billion by 2050. By 2030, hydrogen could play an important role in decarbonising polluting, energy-intensive industries like chemicals, oil refineries, power and heavy transport like shipping, HGV lorries and trains, by helping these sectors move away from fossil fuels, it added.

Business & Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Today marks the start of the UK’s hydrogen revolution. This home-grown clean energy source has the potential to

transform the way we power our lives and will be essential to tackling climate change and reaching Net Zero. With the potential to provide a third of the UK’s energy in the future, our strategy positions the UK as first in the global race to ramp up hydrogen technology and seize the thousands of jobs and private investment that come with it.”

The government has said that its approach to hydrogen is based on the UK’s previous success with offshore wind, where early government action coupled with strong private sector backing has earned the UK a world leading status. One of the main tools used by government to support the establishment of offshore wind in the UK was the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, which incentivises investment in renewable energy by providing developers with direct protection from volatile wholesale prices and protects consumers from paying increased support costs when electricity prices are high.

As such, the government also launched a public consultation on a preferred hydrogen business model which, built on a similar premise to the offshore wind CfDs, is designed to overcome the cost gap between low carbon hydrogen and fossil fuels, helping the costs of low-carbon alternatives to fall quickly, as hydrogen comes to play an increasing role in our lives.

Other measures included in the UK’s firstever Hydrogen Strategy include:

• Outlining a ‘twin track’ approach to supporting multiple technologies including

‘green’ electrolytic and ‘blue’ carbon capture-enabled hydrogen production, and committing to providing further detail in 2022 on the government’s production strategy.

• Collaborating with industry to develop a UK standard for low carbon hydrogen giving certainty to producers and users that the hydrogen the UK produces is consistent with net zero while supporting the deployment of hydrogen across the country.

• Undertaking a review to support the development of the necessary network and storage infrastructure to underpin a thriving hydrogen sector.

• Working with industry to assess the safety, technical feasibility, and cost effectiveness of mixing 20% hydrogen into the existing gas supply. Doing so could deliver a 7% emissions reduction on natural gas.

The government also said that hydrogen can be made as safe as natural gas. As the hydrogen economy develops, all necessary assessments will be carried out and measures put in place to ensure that hydrogen is stored, distributed and used in a safe way.

The UK government is already working with the Health and Safety Executive and energy regulator Ofgem to support industry to conduct first-of-a-kind hydrogen heating trials. These trials along with the results of a wider research and development testing programme will inform a UK government decision in 2026 on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising heat.

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Energy majors submit bids for Scottish offshore wind leasing

Severalenergy majors have submitted bids to build offshore wind projects off the coast of Scotland, the first round of seabed leasing in Scottish waters for over a decade. BP, Equinor, Orsted, Shell, and RWE are among those which submitted bids as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind Leasing that will grant property rights for new large-scale offshore wind project development, including floating wind for the first time.

The application window for developers to apply for the rights to build Scotland’s next generation of offshore wind farms officially closed on July 16. The leasing round is aimed at supporting the development of around 10 gigawatts of offshore capacity. Crown Estate Scotland will now begin the process of examining each application with the results of this round expected in early 2022.

BP submitted a joint bid with Germany’s

EnBW which could support wind projects with 2.9 gigawatts of capacity, the company said. The plans represent a potential £10 billion ($14 billion) investment into Scottish offshore wind projects and supporting infrastructure.

Shell and ScottishPower have joined forces to submit multiple proposals to develop the world’s first large-scale floating offshore windfarms in the north-east of Scotland. The companies said floating offshore wind – a technology that is poised to scale up – is suitable for use in deeper water zones, where fixed foundations aren’t feasible, making it ideal for Scottish waters. It will become an increasingly important part of the energy mix in the UK as more and more offshore wind power is brought on to the grid to meet Net Zero targets.

Equinor announced its own bid by saying the leasing round is a good strategic fit with its ambitions to continue to develop its North

Sea offshore wind cluster and further deepen its presence across the UK. The company said that it has more than a decade of operating experience from floating offshore wind turbines having already deployed and produced electricity at Hywind, located off the northeast coast of Scotland.

Ørsted announced a bid in partnership with Falck Renewables and floating wind expert BlueFloat Energy. The consortium has applied for seabed leases in sites which lend themselves to the deployment of large-scale floating wind technology.

RWE announced its own bid by outlining its track record of successfully developing, building and operating offshore wind projects globally, including Scotland. RWE already has over 480 megawatts (MW) of installed renewable energy capacity across onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro sites in Scotland, with a current development pipeline of more than 350 MW.

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Russian chemical plant fire kills seven

Afire at a chemical plant in southern Russia killed seven people on July 29. The seven people were initially taken to hospital but later died of their

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injuries. The incident happened at the Kamenski chemical factory in the Rostov region of Russia.

Local news outlets report that the fire was brought under control shortly after emergency services arrived at the scene. The seven employees were rushed to the Kamensk-Chakhtinski city hospital, however all of them died of burn-related injuries sustained as a result of the fire.

According to the Interfax news agency, the workers are said to have been insufficiently trained and had accidentally broken safety rules while processing chemicals. According to its website, the Kamenski plant produces special-purpose chemicals for the Russian army as well as chemicals for civilian use.

On August 3, the Russian Investigative Committee began a criminal investigation into the incident to see whether industrial safety rules were breached. The criminal case is reported to have been launched to find out whether the violation of safety rules for explosive facilities had lead to the deaths of the seven workers.

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South Africa’s largest coal-fired power plant suffers explosion just one week after coming online

The Medupi Power Station under construction – Image: Wikimedia

An explosion caused extensive damage at South Africa’s newest and largest coal-fuelled power plant on August 8, just one week after the plant had come fully online. No injuries were reported in the incident at the Medupi Power Station near Lephalale in the northeast of the country.

In a statement, state-owned Eskom said that Unit 4 of the Medupi plant, which was on a short-term outage since August 6, experienced an explosion at approximately 22:50 local time which caused extensive damage to the generator.

Eskom said the incident occurred during an activity to displace hydrogen with carbon dioxide and air respectively, for the purposes of finding an external leak. Following a preliminary investigation, Eskom said it appears that while performing this activity, air was introduced into the generator at a point where hydrogen was still present

at sufficient quantities to create an explosive mixture, which ignited and resulted in the explosion. It also appears that there was a deviation from the procedure for carrying out this activity.

As such Eskom has undertaken to place those employees who were responsible to manage and execute this work under precautionary suspension pending the conclusion of the Major Event Investigation. Further investigations are also underway into the cause of the incident and Eskom said it would provide updates on any developments, as well as to what extent the incident would impact the national electricity grid.

An energy expert from South Africa, Chris Yelland, tweeted photos of the damage at the Medupi plant and said the ends of the generator in Unit 4 had been blown off and destroyed the generator completely which would need to be replaced as a result.

Eskom announced the completion of the Medupi coal plant on August 2, saying that the last of the power station’s six generation units had attained commercial operation status. The company said the milestone marked the completion of all building activities on the 4,764MW project, which commenced in May 2007, and that the planned operational life of the station is 50 years.

The Medupi Power Station uses direct dry-cooling systems due to the water scarcity in the nearby area and is the fourth largest coal-fired plant and the largest dry-cooled power station in the world, Eskom says. The power plant incorporates super critical technology, which is able to operate at higher temperatures than Eskom’s earlier generation of boilers and turbines, the company added. The capital cost of the project is R122 billion (£5.9bn) so far, and Eskom expects to spend in total under R135 billion (£6.6bn) on completion of balance of plant.

Hackers demand $50m from Saudi Aramco following 1 terabyte data leak

Saudi Aramco has confirmed that company data has been leaked after cyber criminals demanded $50 million (£36.5m) in cryptocurrency from the oil major. Aramco said in a statement that there was an indirect release of a limited amount of data which was held by thirdparty contractors. The company’s own systems were not breached, and the leak has had no impact on operations, it said.

According to reports, around 1 terabyte of data is being held ransom with Saudi Aramco being offered the chance to have it all deleted if it pays the $50 million ransom. The group behind the attack has been identified as “ZeroX”, a cyber criminal group. It is not known when the data breach occurred, with some reports suggesting the hack may have happened sometime during 2020 with Aramco only discovering the incident at a much later date.

News reports have said that the data that ZeroX is attempting to sell includes sensitive information relating to over 14,000 Saudi Aramco employees, details about ongoing projects, IP addresses, and more. The ZeroX group released a sample of the stolen data which included information dating as far back as 1993.

The incident has again raised concerns about the global oil and gas industry’s attitude towards cyber security. In May, US pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline was hit by a cyber attack which led to the shut down of its entire network. The pipeline network transports around 2.5 million barrels of gasoline per day – around 45% of the US East Coast’s gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Colonial paid a $4.4 million ransom fee in the hours following the attack, before the US Department of Justice recovered around $2 million in June.

Saudi Aramco has not said whether the third-party contractor was affected by the data leak or what method the hackers used to gain access to it.

Aramco has been targeted before by cyber attack. In 2012, the oil major was hit by a virus that destroyed around 30,000 computers in the space of a few hours. Government officials did not say who conducted the attack, but did say it originated from “several foreign countries”.

Ras Tanura Port – Image: Saudi Aramco

Working group says world’s ageing FPSO fleet poses evolving safety challenges

TheAmerican Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has brought together leading companies in the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) sector to address the safety challenges produced by a fleet where more than half of the ship type vessels are over 30-years-old and a quarter are over 40-years-old.

The working group, consisting of Chevron, Shell Trading, Petrobras, MODEC and SBM as well as The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry, and the U.S Coast Guard 8th District, led by ABS has already seen the creation of five Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) aimed at using technology to tackle a range of FPSO safety issues.

JIPs will tackle composite materials repairs for offshore structures, life extension of wire ropes, gauging management software, applications of photogrammetry and 3D Lidar Laser Scanning, and the role of artificial intelligence in corrosion analysis.

Several FPSO-related process safety incidents in recent years have led to calls for improved safety and action in order to prevent environmental disasters and fatalities. One such incident involved a cracked hull on the Brazilian FPSO Cidade do Rio de Janeiro in August 2019 which caused an oil spill around 130km (81 miles) off the coast of Brazil in the Espadarte oil field in the Campos Basin.

“The offshore industry is faced with an evolving risk profile, with opportunities to enhance protocols and systems to address these risks. With almost 60 percent of the global operating fleet of FPSOs classed by ABS, we are committed to addressing these issues and ensuring the ABS-classed fleet remains the safest and best performing fleet in the world. The challenges surrounding

maintenance and structural fitness of aging FPSOs is not just a Class concern; rather, it is an industry challenge that requires the involvement and cooperation of all of the industry players,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Structural Integrity is one of our main Process Safety Barriers and we all face the same challenges on ageing units. It is of utmost importance and in everybody’s interest to share experience, knowledge, ideas and that we agree on a best way forward to maintain structural integrity in a safe and efficient manner. Therefore, we are fully committed to support and participate in this initiative,” said Ivar Houthuysen, SBM Assets Integrity Director.

ABS has also developed its rules, with a significant number of changes applicable to FPSOs, both for existing units and for new facilities. These Rule changes are intended to address many of the risks related to ageing FPSOs from both a design and a maintenance perspective.

A total of 55 FPSO units in the global fleet are reaching the end of their design life in the next five years, a further five already have life extension in place, with a further 19 currently being evaluated for life extension. The efforts of this working group will produce outcomes that assist with the evaluation and potential acceptance of life extension.

FPSO Cidade do Rio de Janeiro - Image: MODEC

US CSB releases safety video on fatal 2019 hydrogen sulphide release

TheUS Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a safety video into the October 26, 2019, hydrogen sulfide release at the Aghorn Operating waterflood station in Odessa, Texas. The release fatally injured an Aghorn employee who was working at the facility that evening, as well as his spouse who attempted to locate him at the facility after he did not return home.

During the incident, the waterflood station’s control system activated an oil level alarm on a pump. An Aghorn pumper was notified, drove to the waterflood station, and attempted to isolate the pump from the process by closing two valves. The CSB found, however, that the pumper failed to isolate the pump from energy sources before performing the work. At some point while the

pumper was in the vicinity of the pump, the pump automatically turned on, and water containing hydrogen sulphide escaped into the pump house. The pumper was overcome and fatally injured by the toxic gas. After the incident, the CSB found that a plunger on the pump had shattered, which had allowed the release to occur.

The CSB’s safety video includes a new animation of the events leading up to the incident, and interviews with both the CSB’s Chairperson and the Supervisory Investigator for this investigation. In the video CSB Chairperson and CEO, Dr. Katherine Lemos says: “We urge companies operating oil and gas facilities to understand the findings from this investigation and implement appropriate safeguards and training. We need to work together to ensure that our workers and community members

return home safely each and every day.”

Supervisory Investigator Lauren Grim reviews facts of the event, the six serious safety issues identified in the investigation, and the resulting recommendations. The CSB made seven recommendations to Aghorn Operating, Inc. for safety improvements at all waterflood stations where the potential exposure to dangerous levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas exists.

The CSB also made two recommendations to federal and state regulators, OSHA and the Railroad Commission of Texas, addressing the requirements for protecting workers from hazardous air contaminants and from hazardous energy.

Chairman Lemos concludes by saying: “This tragic accident did not need to happen. This is a call to action for all companies, large and small, to step up to the plate to prioritize the safety of your workers and your community.”

You can watch the full safety video here: https://youtu.be/jh2HWT8gPeY

FOR ALL OF YOUR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Wekeep receiving questions that suggest the introduction of the new UK post-Brexit certification scheme for Ex Equipment causes confusion, primarily because many people are not yet familiar with the new terminology. For completeness I am including here most of the terminology related to all directives, regulations and Ex-related certification schemes.

ATEX, etc.

The European ATEX Directive has been around since its first publication in 1994. The current version is 2014/34/EU. The directive is not, itself, law but requires adoption in each individual country within the European Economic Area (EEA). The UK adopted the 2014 ATEX Directive in 2016 as The Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016, UKSI 2016:1107. For most people, the UK Regulations did not figure in any specific documentation.

UKEX

In preparation for Brexit, the UK Government issued a very large amending Statutory Instrument, applying to a whole raft of legislation: UKSI 2019:696. This included several pages converting the existing ATEX SI to be fit for purpose after Brexit. There have been several other amending SIs since then, so the correct reference for the UK law, as now applicable, is UKSI 2016:1107 (as amended)

De-mystifying the new terminology

Because the full statutory instrument title is a mouthful, the UK based certification bodies agreed to use the term “UKEX” as the nearest parallel to the European term “ATEX”. Therefore, UKEX replaces ATEX as part of the certificate number, as well as being a generic reference in the UK as a substitute for ATEX.

All the UK bodies that had previously been EU Notified Bodies became UK Approved Bodies. However, because of the Northern Ireland Protocol, they also became Notified to the European Commission, solely for issuing certificates that would be valid in Northern Ireland. None of the UK Approved Bodies believe this will be of much use to manufacturers, as all such bodies in the Ex field are partnered with a continuing EU Notified Body who can issue ATEX certificates valid in the whole of the EEA as well as Northern Ireland.

Certification

Where the legislation requires the issue of a Notified Body EU-Type Examination Certificate for ATEX, the same requirements apply requiring the issue of an Approved Body UK-Type Examination Certificate for UKEX. For both schemes, the bodies can continue to offer voluntary Type Examination Certificates in their role as an accredited Certification Body, rather than as a Notified Body or an Approved Body. Such certificates, suppled to satisfy the demands of the final purchasers of equipment, have no legal status and normally only apply to non-electrical Category 2 equipment or any Category 3 equipment.

Everyone is familiar with the stylised Ex within a hexagon. This symbol is given in the standards that support both ATEX and UKEX, so does not change. The single coding on a label (familiar from ATEX) applies equally to ATEX and UKEX equipment.

Standards

All the standards that were on the EU Commission list of Harmonised Standards for ATEX were transposed and became Designated Standards for the UK

legislation. Use of such a standard gives a presumption of conformity with the Directive/ Statutory Instrument for those requirements covered by the standards. The Designated Standards list continues to refer to standards by their EN number, rather than their BS number. The coverage of each standard, in respect of the directive/SI requirements, is given in a specific European Annex to the standard.

CE and UKCA marking

The required EU CE Marking is supported by ATEX documentation; UKCA marking is supported by UKEX documentation. The UKEX Certificate number and UKCA marking can be applied either additionally to the ATEX marking, or as an alternative. Most manufacturers seem to have elected to show both sets of marking at the same time. The relevant number of the Notified Body and Approved Body, responsible for supervision of manufacture, must be marked adjacent to the CE and UKCA marking. For components, where the CE and UKCA marking are not applied, both numbers should still be shown, if relevant.

IECEx

Alongside the legal certification schemes, IECEx is a voluntary certification system that can support both ATEX and UKEX, as well as providing a direct passport to many markets. The IECEx Report can form the technical basis of both ATEX and UKEX certification, and is transferrable between certification bodies in the system.

Fimko, their partner EU Notified Body, now that the UK bodies are excluded. He is Chair of the IECEx Service Facility Certification Committee and a member of the IECEx Executive. He is chair of the UK Standards Committee operating in this area for electrical equipment, and recently retired as chair of the European committee.

Every two months, SGS Baseefa Technical Manager Ron Sinclair MBE gives his perspective on the latest developments in the world of standards.

SGS Baseefa’s Technical Manager Ron Sinclair MBE will continue to attend the European Notified Bodies Group for ATEX (ExNBG), although representing SGS

About the author

Welcome to the Hazardex 2021 Conference & Exhibition

Majestic Hotel,

Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

October 6 & 7

Following a hugely successful 2020 Hazardex Conference & Exhibition, the eagerly anticipated 2021 edition will be taking place on October 6 and 7 at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK. After the tumultuous past 18 months, the 2021 Hazardex Conference & Exhibition will provide the perfect platform for the high hazard industries to once again come together for a two-day event consisting of a quality conference programme, an array of hazardous industry exhibitors, and the widely reputable Hazardex Awards for Excellence hosted during a Gala Dinner.

The annual Hazardex International Conference & Exhibition is widely recognised as the most important global event specific to hazardous area operations across all major industries. The event brings together the international process safety community on an annual basis to review best practice and the latest research in those areas key to managing process safety effectively.

The 2020 edition of the event marked a return to the event’s original home of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. The Majestic Hotel, now a Double Tree by Hilton establishment, offers impressive facilities and accommodation which were praised by visitors, exhibitors, and speakers alike.

The main focus of the two-day event is the Conference with contributions from regulators, high hazard industry association leaders, top industry executives and process safety experts providing topical discussion and insights into a range of process safety-related topics. As always, the 2021 Conference will be made up of eminent speakers including senior figures from the UK Health & Safety Executive, UK Petroleum Industry Association, Chemical Business Association (CBA), Tank Storage

Association (TSA), IECEx, plus many more.

The free-to-attend Exhibition is another important element of the event with leading hazardous area sector companies displaying the latest products and services to the assembled professional audience.

As always, the first night of the two-day event will play host to a drinks reception, Gala Dinner, and the prestigious 2021 Hazardex Awards for Excellence. These provide an ideal opportunity for networking with both speakers and exhibitors, as well as event attendees such as senior engineers and safety managers from the high hazard and process industries and those from government agencies, regulators and certification bodies.

The Hazardex awards programme has long been a benchmark for those supplying products, services and systems within hazardous areas. This year, 20 companies have been nominated across four categories with an additional category, the Delegates’ Award, set to be voted on by delegates and attendees at the Hazardex 2021 event to identify which of the nominees provides the overall best hazardous area sector product, system or service.

The Majestic Hotel is just a 10 minutes walk from Harrogate railway station, 30 minutes (12 miles) by road from Leeds Bradford Airport, and just over an hour by road from most of north-east and north-west England, Humberside and the Midlands.

The Hazardex teams is very pleased to invite you to the 2021 Hazardex Conference & Exhibition in Harrogate, and are convinced that the event will provide a perfect opportunity for the industry to once again come together to learn important industry intelligence, network and do significant business in these turbulent times.

Book Delegate places and register for the Exhibition now by visiting www.hazardex-event.co.uk

Stream 1

Main conference room (Delegates only)

HAZARDEX 2021 – PROTECTING PLANT, PROCESS & PERSONNEL

Running order subject to change

Check www.hazardex-event.co.uk for the latest updates

HAZARDEX CONFERENCE 2021 – DAY 1

08:00 – 09:20: Registration & Refreshments

Day 1, Morning – Keynotes

09:20 – 09:30: Chair’s introduction

09:30 – 10:10: Simon Wood, Environment, Health & Safety Specialist – UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA)

An enabling regulatory framework to deliver Net Zero

10:10 – 10:50: Tim Doggett, CEO & Douglas Leech, Technical Director – Chemical Business Association (CBA)

Chemical safety, storage, regulations, and warehousing

10:50 – 11:30: Refreshments, Networking, & Exhibition Viewing

11:30 – 12:10: Dil Wetherill, Managing Director – Method Functional Safety

What’s coming in IEC 61511 Edition 3

12:10 – 12:50: Colin Cameron, Managing Director – Mutech Limited

New edition of IEC 60079-11 Intrinsically Safe

Equipment Standard

12:50 – 13:55: Lunch, networking & exhibition viewing

Day 1, Afternoon

14:00 – 14:40: Mark Walker, Vice President –DEKRA UK

Creating a culture of care

14:40 – 15:20: Martin Jones, Operations Manager – CompEx

Competency – lessons from the pandemic

15:20 – 16:00: Refreshments, Networking, & Exhibition Viewing

16:00 – 16:40: Neil Smith, Head of Workforce Development – Cogent Skills

What is the ‘golden thread’ that links human factors, competence, and compliance problems and solutions?

16:40 – 17:20: Andrew Vincent, Associate Partner – Instinctif Partners

Crisis communications: from fire to front page

Stream 2

Seminar room (access open to all registered attendees)

08:00 – 11:20: Registration, Refreshments, & Exhibition Viewing

Day 1, Morning

11:20 – 11:30: Chair’s introduction

11:30 – 12:10: : Karl Metcalfe, Technical

Advisor & Ex Trainer – Association of Electrical & Mechanical Trades (AEMT)

Taking responsibility for repairs to Ex rated machinery

12:10 – 12:50: Robert Magraw, Operations Manager – BakerRisk

Design and operation of effective toxic shelters

12:50 – 13.55: Lunch, Networking & Exhibition Viewing

Day 1, Afternoon

14:00 – 14:40: Glynn Warren, Product Specialist – Exloc Instruments

What’s involved in achieving UKCA ‘Ex’

14:40 – 15:20: Steve Pearson, Executive Chairman – Phusion IM

Improving inspections with advanced use of hazardous area data and mobile devices

15:20 – 16:00: Refreshments, Networking, & Exhibition Viewing

16:00 – 16:40: Rolf Kinck, Senior Instructor & Morten Aasen, Chief Commercial Manager –Trainor

Digitalisation and the advantages of e-learning

16:40 – 17:20: Steve Williams, Sales Director –Hazardous Lighting Solutions

Intelligent lighting control for explosion proof areas

18:00: Exhibition closes

18:30: Drinks

19:30: Gala Dinner, Awards, and Entertainment

22:30: Drinks

Harrogate, UK October 6th & 7th

HAZARDEX 2021 – PROTECTING PLANT, PROCESS & PERSONNEL

Running order subject to change

Check www.hazardex-event.co.uk for the latest updates

HAZARDEX CONFERENCE 2021 - DAY 2

Stream 1

Main conference room (Delegates only)

08:30 – 09:30: Registration & coffee

Day 2, Morning

09:30 – 09:40: Chair’s introduction

09:40 – 10:20: Peter Davidson, Executive Director – Tank Storage Association (TSA)

Cyber security for senior managers

10:20 – 11:00: Sarabjit Purewal, Principal Specialist

Inspector – UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

The use of artificial intelligence in safety related applications

11:00 – 11:30: Refreshments, Networking, & Exhibition Viewing

11:30 – 12:10: Randall Williams, Project

Engineer – Proeon Systems

Ensuring compliance for fire & gas detection

12:10 – 12:50: Paul McLaughlin, Consultancy

Team Lead – Kiwa Gastec

Application of DSEAR to manage the safe operation of hydrogen installations

12:50 – 14:00: Lunch, Networking, & Exhibition Viewing

Day 2, Afternoon

14:00 – 14:40: James Steven, Development & Innovation Manager – DNV

Ignition prevention is only for electrical equipment?

14:40 – 15:20: Ewan Povall, Senior Consultant & Chris Heath, Graduate Consultant – RPS Group

The importance of considering the role of the user in the assessment and design process

Stream 2

Seminar room (access open to all registered attendees)

08:30 – 09:30: Registration & Refreshments

Day 2, Morning

09:30 – 09:40: Chair’s introduction

09:40 – 10:20: Andrew Derbyshire, Principal Safety Engineer & Chris Bell, Consultant, Asset & Management Systems – DNV

Changing an unknown known into a known known in Functional Safety

10:20 – 11:00: James Jordan, Technical Control & Safety System Lead – Arete Project Delivery

Safe delivery of integrated control and safety systems

11:00 – 11:30: Refreshments, Networking, & Exhibition

Viewing

11:30 – 12:10: Dr. Alexander Zalogin, General Director – Russian Certification Centre of Ex and Mine Equipment (NANIO CCVE)

Explosion hazard occurrence on the surface of thermocatalytic sensing elements

12:10 – 12:50: Carolyn Nicholls, Director – RAS Ltd

Flange guards - their use and applicability in managing hazardous area zoning

12:50 – 14:00: Lunch, Networking, & Exhibition Viewing

Day 2, Afternoon

14:00 – 14:40: Kevin Boyd, Director – 2Value Solutions

Proactive risk management using IIoT and wearables

14:40 – 15:20: Bassey Okon Bassey, PhD Researcher – Cranfield University

Operations-maintenance synergy at petroleum process facilities

15:30: Exhibition closes

Harrogate, UK October 6th & 7th

Harrogate, UK October 6th & 7th

2021 CONFERENCE PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS

HAZARDEX CONFERENCE 2021 – DAY ONE – 06/10/2021

1. An enabling regulatory framework to deliver Net Zero

Simon Wood, Environment, Health & Safety Specialist – UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA)

Simon Wood will be speaking about the importance of a responsive and flexible role for regulators to enable the transition towards a Net-Zero UK. The changing face of the energy and fuels sector is likely to see the emergence of a suite of new processes, feedstocks and business models that will in turn come with new safety challenges and methods to manage the risks of their use. Regulators will have a central role in enabling deployment of new technologies to deliver Net-Zero. As companies may deliver fundamentally new ways of producing and supplying their products, consistency, capability and agility is required from regulators.

Hydrogen offers one such example, with the expectation that it will be one of the key energy vectors for uses as widespread as domestic heating, to industry to transport in Net-Zero scenarios. Hydrogen offers particular challenges as a highly reactive element that may move out of the highly specialist applications into transmissions systems that were not designed for it. Each application may need its own form of regulation to enable safe deployment that can be a positive contributor to carbon reductions. There will be a challenge for industry and regulators to work together to manage such challenges.

As Environment, Health and Safety Specialist, Simon Wood provides UKPIA members with expert advice on regulatory developments for environmental, process safety and occupational health and safety topics across the downstream oil sector. Simon Joined UKPIA in January 2020 having previously gained experience with EDF Energy and the British Standards Institution developing and deploying strategies to deliver consensus through improved stakeholder understanding during negotiations

2. Chemical safety, storage, regulations and warehousing

Tim Doggett, CEO & Douglas Leech, Technical Director – Chemical Business Association (CBA)

The changes in UK Legislation after Brexit have had an impact on the way companies handle, import, distribute and export chemicals. This presentation is geared to those that have an interest in all things Chemical safety and would suit the novice and expert alike.

Tim Doggett is the Chief Executive of the Chemical Business Association. He has worked primarily in global supply chain and logistics and has held senior positions in various countries. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and a qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA).

Douglas Leech is the Technical Director of the Chemical Business Association based in Crewe. He joined the association in 2003 following over twenty years in the product formulation sector in both health & safety and R & D roles. He is responsible for providing advice and assistance to member companies on legal, regulatory and compliance issues. He was involved in major hazards in both operational, training and advocacy roles in the UK and Europe. He participated in the expert group where the harmonisation of Seveso with the CLP regulations was debated over a number of years to provide advice to the European Commission prior to the formulation of the new Seveso III directive

3. What’s coming in IEC 61511 Edition 3

Dil Wetherill, Managing Director – Method Functional Safety

IEC 61511-1: Edition 3 is targeted for release in 2023, with the first Committee Draft due for release in early 2021. The presentation will describe the areas of focus for the development of the new edition and the background to the proposed changes. Of course it is possible that the proposals will not be approved by the National Committees when they vote on the changes in later in 2021, but the direction that the developments are taking is clear. This presentation will look at the main changes which are, to some extent, still being debated.

Dil Wetherill is a functional safety consultant and trainer with Method Functional Safety. Dil is a Fellow of the Institute of Measurement and Control, a Chartered Engineer and Functional Safety Expert. He is working as part of the international committee to develop IEC 61511 Edition 3 and sits on the equivalent BSI committee, is vice chair of the 61508 Association and is a member of the InstMC special interest group on Functional Safety. Dil has been working on functional safety for more than 20 years as a product manager, trainer and consultant.

4. New edition of IEC 60079-11 Intrinsically Safe Equipment Standard

Colin Cameron, Managing Director – Mutech

Colin Cameron’s presentation is on the new edition of IEC 60079-11 Intrinsically Safe Equipment Standard. Edition 6 of IEC 60079-11 was published in 2011. A review of the standard was started by the maintenance team in 2014. After significant re-organisation, several thousand suggestions for changes, 11 full committee meetings spanning 34 days, 14 full committee Zoom meetings, 22 specific task groups, and thousands of man hours,

the long-awaited 7th edition is into its final stages before publication. Publication is expected in 2022, although the final draft stage (FDIS) against which certification is normally accepted, is expected Q3 2021.

This paper presents the significant changes from the 6th Edition, of which there are many. Some are classed as “major technical” changes which essentially mean a tightening of the rules which can have a significant impact on existing equipment, and are usually the changes that are considered when considering the impact on existing equipment of changes to standards. However, there are also a large number of clarifications which define how Edition 6 should have been interpreted, but for many manufacturers this will be different to the way that their equipment was assessed and therefore these could also have a significant impact on existing equipment.

Colin Cameron is a founder and Managing Director of Mutech Limited, an electronics product design and manufacturing service company in the UK specialising in intrinsic safety and functional safety. Mutech was established in 1985 and has been designing and manufacturing intrinsically safe equipment for their clients since 1992. Colin is Convenor of TC31 maintenance team for IEC 60079-11 Intrinsically Safe Equipment standard, member of the maintenance team for IEC 60079-25 Intrinsically Safe Systems, Chairman of the UK National Committee for IECEx, member of UK national mirror committees for IEC/T31 and IEC/T31/SC31G Intrinsic Safety, Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Association of British Mining Equipment Companies..

5. Creating a culture of care

Mark Walker, Vice President – DEKRA

Organisations can improve their safety efforts and build resilience against catastrophic events by increasing the level of care demonstrated by people in their decision making and behaviour. The three elements of the Culture of Care are (1) people, (2) processes and procedures, and (3) plant and equipment. In a Culture of Care, those working within it are collectively motivated to show interest in, and concern for, what’s important. This mindset is evident through the decision making, behaviour, and language of leaders – the owners of the culture. And it is felt by everyone who comes in contact with it: employees, contractors, and visitors, alike. Discretionary effort flourishes, procedures are understood and functionally applied, and people protect each other from harm.

When care is demonstrated, organisations can also gain greater productivity, predictability, and efficiency in how things and people work. This drives the resiliency necessary to prevent, control, and respond to upset conditions. This care is built around a principle that safety is not the absence of incidents but the presence of barriers and that our people are viewed as the solution and not the problem.

Mark Walker, Vice President of Dekra, is an experienced consultant specialising in cultural change and leadership coaching. His wide range of hands-on experience working with organisations both on and offshore worldwide have made him a soughtafter trainer and change leader. Mark is committed to help each of his clients improve decision-making and achieve reliable performance. He has worked with various companies, globally across diverse conditions to transform the behaviours of leaders and workers so that projects are delivered on time and safely. He has helped create cultures based on caring for the systems and processes, plants and people, thereby increasing not only safety but also productivity and engagement—even in the midst of trying economic times.

6. Competency – lessons from the pandemic

Martin Jones, Operations Manager – CompEx

This presentation will look at how competency requirements have been addressed during the pandemic from both a UK & international perspective.

Martin Jones manages the global operations and strategic development of the CompEx Core Competency Scheme for Electrical and Mechanical practitioners and professional Application Design Engineers who work in Explosive Atmospheres. His 20 years’ experience as a qualified electrical craftsman and electrical engineer in British Coal Corporation in the UK, where he was legally / statutorily responsible for the safe installation, testing and maintenance of all electrical equipment at the coal mine, both surface and underground, together with 7 years managing the production of chipboard and MDF board at Europe’s largest board panel manufacturer has provided vast experience towards working safely in Gas & Dust Atmospheres.

7. What is the ‘golden thread’ that links Human Factors, Competence and Compliance problems and solutions?

Neil Smith, Head of Workforce Development – Cogent Skills

The presentation will discuss core issues that are highly interdependent and critical to help equip your future workforce with compliance skills and competence requirements. We will explore how these topics make a significant contribution to maintaining effective process safety and competence management, as well as enhancing safety and wellbeing – a part of Human Factors regulatory compliance.

Neil Smith is the Head of Workforce Development at Cogent Skills and is a founder member of the Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board and took a leading role in the development of the UK’s PSM Skills Strategy. Neil continues to provide ongoing support to the PSM Competence Programme Board and Expert Panel. Working in partnership with Cogent Skills consultancy subject matter experts and approved trainers, Neil also leads the development of tailored and bespoke PSM training solutions for employers both within the UK and internationally. Neil leads the Cogent Skills consultancy team that supports businesses to evaluate and improve their approach to workforce competence management and human factors and supporting their development of resilient and sustainable competence management systems.

8. Crisis communications: from fire to front page

Andrew Vincent, Associate Partner – Instinctif Partners

The pace of information sharing is now so fast that as quick as a fire can spread through a plant, so too can the footage of it reach your stakeholders and the media. As engineering businesses, designing risk mitigation strategies and rigorous health and safety is part of your DNA, but crisis communications is also something that affects everyone, not just your communications team.

How prepared are you for the communications challenges you would face when something goes wrong? How quickly could you publish a statement? Do you know already what it would say? And who you would tell? Using real crises as examples, this session will set out the principles of best practice crisis communications and give you the key actions to take back to your business.

Business resilience specialist Andrew Vincent has over 30 years’ media experience as a journalist and consultant. He’s skilled in helping organisations improve reputational outcomes from complex, technical challenges and crisis situations—especially those involving multiple stakeholders and regulatory oversight. Andrew has worked in many industry sectors: food, IT, logistics, materials science, consumer technology and more. He’s an experienced facilitator and trainer, at home delivering immersive workshops as well as chairing high-level events and discussions involving diverse audiences. He is particularly interested in helping companies develop and implement successful strategies in areas such as issues management, crisis preparedness and live incident response.

9. Taking Responsibility for Repairs to Ex rated machinery

Karl Metcalfe, Technical Advisor & Ex Trainer - Association of Electrical & Mechanical Trades (AEMT)

Operating equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres comes with a certain amount of responsibility. Not least using components with the correct equipment protection concepts for the working environment. When maintenance and repairs are required, it is important that owners/operators understand what is expected of them to ensure continued safety and reliability.

Following the guidelines and taking on the responsibilities of operating ex-rated equipment goes a long way to minimizing the risks associated with zoned areas, keeping both employees and equipment safe. In the event of an incident involving equipment in a zoned area, the investigation into the cause will start with the information dossier for all the equipment in the affected area.

Karl Metcalfe, Technical Support for the AEMT, has worked within the rewind industry since 1987 developing a broad and deep knowledge of the sector. Starting his apprenticeship at York based service centre Eclipse Engineering, Karl trained as a time served electrical rewinder and fitter, where he worked extensively with low voltage machines, pumps and gearboxes. In 2011, he left Eclipse to move into sales then moved on to Featherston as workshop manager, where he gained experience in handling medium to high voltage equipment. He later became works manager of Kirkby Lindsey in 2015 where he was also the responsible person for signing off all Ex hazardous area equipment.

10. Design and operation of effective toxic shelters

Robert Magraw, Operations Manager – BakerRisk

Toxic gas hazards are common at refining, chemical processing, and related industrial sites and often contribute significantly to the overall on-site risk posed by site operations. The risks associated with an accidental release of toxic material are normally addressed by sheltering-in-place and/or evacuating as part of the overall risk management strategy. A shelter-in-place (SIP) enclosure, or toxic refuge, is intended to protect facility personnel in the event of a toxic (or flammable) gas release, whether they are already inside the SIP enclosure or they take shelter in response to a release.

The presentation will examine the characteristics of an effective toxic sheltering strategy, including shelter design, emergency planning, and culture. Aspects of design will include layout, leak tightness, gas detection, and ventilation isolation. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of ensuring the capabilities and limitations of the SIP form part of the emergency plan and that a clearly defined fallback plan exists should the SIP be compromised. The effectiveness hinges on the development of a culture that ‘buys-in’ to the strategy

Robert Magraw is the Operations Manager of BakerRisk Europe Ltd. He has an extensive career of over thirty years in safety and risk management, including twelve years in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors and over eighteen years in the nuclear industry. His main areas of technical practice currently include PHA, SIS/SIL, QRA, audit, insurance risk engineering, and management system development. He was previously head of environment, health, safety, and quality for an international nuclear services company. He also managed the corporate HSE management system and assurance program for a major international nuclear business with a global portfolio of nuclear and non-nuclear operations

11. What’s involved in achieving UKCA ‘Ex’ Glynn Warren, Product Specialist – Exloc

As a result of the UK leaving the European Union (Brexit), the UKCA mark (UK Conformity Assessed) will be phased in to replace the CE mark (European Conformity) for applicable goods to be placed in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). For Products traditionally sold with ATEX marking, UKCA ‘Ex’ (or UKEX) will be required in Great Britain. From 1st January 2022, only the UKCA mark will be acceptable for goods placed in Great Britain and the CE mark will no longer be accepted.

In order for a product to receive UKCA ‘Ex’ marking, it should be approved to the latest version(s) of the EN 60079 standard(s). So, for example, an Exd product should be to EN 60079-1 2014, not 2007. This may lead some manufacturers, particularly those from overseas, or with only a small presence in the UK market, to consider the work required too costly and thus decide to withdraw product.

In this presentation, we will look in detail at what is actually involved in achieving the UKCA ‘Ex’ mark and the associated QAN (Quality Assurance Notification). We will consider the likely costs and an example of how even an older product can be successfully approved in an affordable manner.

Glynn Warren studied for his BSC (Hons) degree in Leicester and has worked in the Hazardous Area equipment sector since the late 1990s, either in Sales or Product Management. He is currently working part time for Exloc Instruments as a Product Specialist.

12. Advanced use of hazardous area data and documents, combined with mobile devices

Steve Pearson, Executive Chairman – Phusion IM

Advanced use of hazardous area related data and documents, combined with mobile devices to substantially improve inspections and reduce time and cost. The inspection of equipment rated for hazardous areas are subject to repeat mandatory inspections with the completion of IEC 60079-17 check sheets. Minimising the time inspections take without compromising safety is a goal of many prudent organisations.

This presentation will show you how inspections can be tackled differently to reduce time on site, increase the long term effectiveness of inspections and improve management of change. Evidence shows the advanced use of related data and documents combined with mobile devices will substantially reduce the time spent carrying out inspections without cutting any corners. Halving your costs is achievable if you adopt the techniques explained.

Steve Pearson is a Chartered Engineer with a practical engineering knowledge of all phases of major projects. Prior to forming Phusion, Steve worked for BP as a Senior Engineer, specialising in Instrumentation, Control and IT issues.

13. Digitalization and advantages of e-learning

Rolf Kinck, Senior Instructor & Morten Aasen, Chief Commercial ManagerTrainor

With so many poorly designed and written courses, no wonder e-learning often has a bad reputation. However, designed right, e-learning is a highly pedagogic, entertaining, and effective training method and can be used as stand-alone training or blended learning together with classroom and practical training. It’s all about increasing knowledge and do training as efficient as possible. The key to success lays in the quality, and creative use of new technology that makes e-learning a preferred choice of training on specific subjects.

For most workers, training is purely a necessity. To change this attitude, we need to make high quality courses, engaging and inspiring every worker to learn, develop and remember. Trainor will discuss the processes needed to ensure content quality and the best learning outcome for the targeted audience, how to improve engagement and the highest learning retention and use of e-learning in combination with classroom and practical training to reduce knowledge fatigue and improve learning experience.

Rolf Kinck is responsible for customers within sectors such as oil & gas, industry, engineering and electrical installation companies. His extensive experience from electro and automation work in the Norwegian Navy and as sales manager for IKM Instrutek, accompanies several years as a Trainor course instructor before joining the sales team. Morten Aasen is responsible for customer interactions and the internalization of Trainor. His career contains of decades within the maritime sector, the latest 7 years in a leading maritime education company. Morten has a vast experience from companies developing digital training solutions and competence management solutions for the oil and gas sector.

14. Intelligent lighting control for explosion proof areas

Steve Williams, Sales Director – Hazardous Lighting Solutions

This paper aims to explain the operational and Technical merits of using intelligent lighting control within explosion proof areas designated Zone 1, 21, Zone 2, 22 under ATEX and IECEx certification. We are all aware of the need for more energy efficient systems, cost efficient products and carbon reduced solutions. These requirements are increasing on a day-to-day basis and we believe that using intelligent control options will help toward meeting these daily requests. Our solution to this was to look at the possibility of adapting intelligent lighting controls for explosion proof applications, we therefore decided on the following.

The equipment has been designed to ensure that the required illumination is delivered and controlled at the appropriate location and that no centralised control device is required, we ensure that with the components used each lighting fixture becomes its own intelligent controlled device without the need for any onsite additional wiring.

Steve Williams is Sales Director of Hazardous Lighting Solutions, a specialist lighting company based in the Northwest of England.

2021 CONFERENCE PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS

HAZARDEX CONFERENCE 2021 – DAY TWO – 07/10/2021

15. Cyber Security for Senior Managers

Peter Davidson, Executive Director - Tank Storage Association (TSA)

This presentation from Peter Davidson, Executive Director of the Tank Storage Association, will provide advice for senior managers to ensure that risks are being managed and minimised. In managing cyber security risks, businesses will also reduce risk to commercial activities and protect their reputation.

The presentation will cover governance, staff competencies, management system documentation, audit of management systems and technical aspects, and monitoring of key performance indicators, and managing supply chain risk. The presentation will align closely with the soon to be published “Chemical and Downstream Oil Industries Forum Guidance on Cyber Security for Senior Managers”.

Peter Davidson is Executive Director of the Tank Storage Association (TSA) which represents the interests of over 45 companies who operate around 300 terminals in the UK or provide equipment and services to the sector. Peter joined TSA following 10 years as the director of Safety, Commercial & Projects at the UK Petroleum Industry Association. Previous to this, Peter managed the Safety Automation Group for ABB in the UK. Peter has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the association, leading on lobbying & advocacy activities and working with the Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA).

16. The use of artificial intelligence in safety related applications

Sarabjit Purewal, Principal Specialist Inspector – UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

There are applications emerging in many sectors that are using some aspects of machine learning that can directly or indirectly affect safety. This presentation will describe the range of applications emerging, the opportunities that this technology brings and the associated risks. It will describe the work that the HSE is doing in developing guidance, describe the issues, and developing an industry agnostic approach to dealing with such issues.

Sarabjit Purewal OBE BSc PGDip CEng MIET is a Principal Specialist Inspector and the portfolio lead for cybersecurity and emerging technologies in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Sarabjit started his career with the CEGB in the electricity supply industry working on automation of conventional and nuclear power plant. He was awarded an OBE for services to health and safety and cybersecurity in 2020. Sarabjit sits on a number of technical committees in the IET, RITICS and BSI GEL/065.

17. Ensuring compliance for fire & gas detection

Randall Williams, Project Engineer – Proeon Systems

Unpacking the new British Standard 60080 for Auditors, Local Authorities (Inspectors / Fire Authorities) and responsible person (company and managers). The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires that any gas detector location design be undertaken by a competent person with sufficient training and experience or knowledge. These are the legal obligations of the ‘Responsible Person.’

The recent publication of BS60080 provides some guidance on to the challenging activity of designing flame & gas detection systems by deciding the quantity and location of the field detection. In many cases the Responsible Person (the person who is in control of the facility) will not have the training, skills or experience to design or review the Gas Detection Locations as required by HSE. So, the question remains, how can an external inspector or fire safety auditor review the safety at a site and determine that the responsible person (company and managers) have done all that is reasonably practicable to protect any operatives at risk?

As part of the committee that drafted BS60080, Randall Williams will unpack the practical application of the standard and how to demonstrate compliance to enforcement authorities and support the Responsible Person.

Randall Williams (BSc, GIFireE) has been working in the fire safety industry since 1988 as a Fire Alarm Engineer and Fire Risk Assessor. Randall was a member of the BSI Committee which drafted BS 60080 and he leads the Fire & Gas Team at Proeon Systems Limited in Norwich, (UK). Randall is an experienced Fire Risk Assessor specialising in Industrial Fire and Gas Risk Management. He is a Graduate of the Institute of Fire Engineers (GIFireE) in 2013 and graduated with BSc Fire Protection Management & Technology from California State University, Los Angeles, California in 1986.

18. Application of DSEAR to manage the safe operation of hydrogen installations Paul McLaughlin, Consultancy Team Lead – Kiwa Gastec

There is growing interest in the use of hydrogen as part of a decarbonised energy system, with the UK government recently publishing its hydrogen strategy. As a result, more organisations are starting to carry out product and service development for hydrogen applications. Whilst the use of any flammable gas requires compliance with DSEAR, hydrogen’s reputation as a particularly energetic substance is of prime safety concern in many users’ minds. Areas of commonality and difference between hydrogen and natural gas will be discussed, along with upcoming guidance to help ensure safe operations.

Paul McLaughlin is the Consultancy Team Lead at Kiwa Gastec. Kiwa Gastec provides energy consultancy services including feasibility studies, research and development, verification of greenhouse gas emissions, operative certification and product testing services for a wide range of commercial customers. A chartered engineer with 18 years of consultancy, design and operations experience in the chemical industry, Paul concentrates on innovative research and development issues, and technical support to clients focussing on hydrogen gas applications. His industry experience in hydrogen production and chemical plants is particularly valuable for projects supporting hydrogen production, handling and use.

19. Ignition prevention is only for electrical equipment?

James Steven, Development & Innovation Manager – DNV

The application of ignition risk management for electrical equipment/apparatus, is handled relatively well by the industry. However, there is still much confusion on how to identify, manage and document non-electrical risks. With the introduction of ISO/IEC 80079 -36, -37, -38 and the subsequent harmonisation under ATEX Directive (2014/34/EU), clarity on the requirements has led to many issues being highlighted when assessing equipment. This is not through the introduction of new sources of ignition but rather that the identification and understanding of the hazards from non-electrical equipment/apparatus more widely visible.

For example, now that IEC TS 60079-46 has become mandatory (since 1st Jan 2020) it is highlighting issues with “assemblies” as this expects non-electrical equipment/apparatus to be certified. We will look briefly into the history and how potential ignition risks have “traditionally” been understood with respect to equipment/systems currently/commonly in use. We will also investigate the main non-electrical ignition risks and some common applications or considerations we see causing confusion with products going to market.

James Steven is an electrical and electronic engineer with over 20 years’ experience of dealing with hazardous environments and applications. Having worked across the consumer, maritime, oil & gas and nuclear industries has provided a wide range of experience being able to draw upon the best practices across these sectors. He now holds the role of Development & Innovation Manager Product Assurance at DNV GL UK where he leads the Business Development and New Service/Application Development for the oil & gas supply chain markets. He has been key in extending DNV GL’s Hazardous area Services to the UK.

20. The importance of considering the role of the user early in the assessment and design process

Ewan Povall, Senior Consultant & Chris Heath, Graduate Consultant – RPS Group We’ve all experienced bad design in the everyday products and systems we use, often these lead to frustration rather than impact on your health or safety. Poor designs are typically caused by not designing the task or equipment with full consideration of the range of users, its context of use or environment. Human Factors (HF) as a discipline plays an integral role within many industries and early involvement can be vital to ensuring a good ending – a well-designed piece of equipment, system or process. Human Factors is concerned with the understanding of how humans interact with all elements of a system. When the role of the operator is considered holistically with all other aspects of the system the final design becomes more usable and error tolerant. Within high-hazard environments effectively integrating Human Factors becomes crucial for ensuring the reduction of risk and improving overall system and operator performance.

This presentation illustrates the impact HF involvement has, as well as the importance on the timing of its inclusion, in increasing usability, safety and error tolerance within a system. Early and effective HF input is necessary to influence design throughout a project’s lifecycle, in doing so many benefits will be seen beyond the immediate operational improvements. Early engagement of HF personnel can support the identification of any potential risks or issues that should be resolved as early as possible whilst changes are quicker, easier and cheaper to make.

Ewan Povall is a Human Factors Specialist with experience in supporting the development of designs, safety assessments and operational arrangements to ensure that Human Factors relevant good practice is incorporated in a pragmatic and proportionate manner to help provide suitably safe, efficient and operable equipment, systems and facilities. Ewan’s background in Psychology and Applied Behavioural Analysis have given him an interest in human performance and the physical and psychological drivers behind human behaviour. During his time in the nuclear industry Ewan has gained experience of applying and writing ergonomic guidance to support designs for a wide range of users as well as reviewing existing designs/systems to identify potential deficiencies that could lead to safety consequences or operator error.

Chris Heath is a Graduate Human Factors Consultant in his first year at RPS, after graduating from a MSc in Human Factors with Inclusive Design at Loughborough University. Chris is developing and applying his knowledge of Human Factors methods within High-Hazard Industries while working towards becoming a Chartered Ergonomist and completing the National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

Harrogate, UK October 6th & 7th

21. Changing an unknown known into a known known in Functional Safety

Andrew Derbyshire, Principal Safety Engineer & Chris Bell, Consultant, Asset & Management Systems – DNV

The introduction of edition 2 IEC 61511 has brought with it a set of new challenges to the process industry. The standard now calls for mandatory stage 4 functional safety assessments (FSA) to be performed periodically in service and to monitor the actual behaviour of the safety system.

In this paper, we present a computational method for analysing a large number of maintenance records using a variety of data mining techniques. Currently many technical authorities (TAs) and asset operators are aware of problems on their plant but struggle to demonstrate the cause, for example “repeat offenders”, or even that a problem exists at all, due to the way data is recorded in plain text. The processes detailed in this paper can easily be applied other systems and assessment criteria’s such as IECEx, ATEX where classifying data into distinct categories for trending and analysis purposes can be deemed useful.

Andrew Derbyshire is a Principal Safety Engineer at DNV specialising in Functional Safety consultancy and independent conformity assessment activities throughout the lifecycle. Andrew is an Incorporated Engineer and a Registered Functional Safety Engineer (RFSE) with the InstMC and a member of several institutions such as the IET, InstMC and SaRS where he provides voluntary services in professional review interviews for prospective IEng/CEng/RFSE candidates and review of candidates CPD record for maintaining their RFSE. Andrew is a registered Chairperson and Assessor for several clients such as Shell, ConocoPhillips and Bluewater providing full lifecycle support from Identification of Hazard and Determination of Risks through to Independent Safety Assessments.

Chris Bell is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with experience in both technical safety and industrial research and development. He holds a PhD in Physics. Currently Chris works with DNV, where he works on the development of new technologies and digital tools for use in the oil & gas sector with a focus on technical safety and asset integrity. More recently Chris has been involved with data mining and the use of machine learning to improve current engineering practices with regards to FSA’s, EX management and Asset Integrity.

22. Safe delivery of integrated control and safety systems

James Jordan, Technical Control & Safety System Lead – Arete Project Delivery

The digital transformation of Manufacturing 4.0 and IoT is one of the major driving forces for the uptake of more advanced automation with these systems delivering greater efficiencies but becoming more complex and more integrated. Even without using integrated control and safety systems the Basic Process Control System and the Safety Instrumented System are becoming highly interconnected.

So how do we ensure that we can safely deliver these complex automation projects? This is subject of the proposed talk to outline a delivery methodology to ensure not only safety and compliance but also to ensure that these projects are delivered effectively. The talk will outline a robust project execution methodology along with the execution structure and scope of a typical safety instrumented system / automation project from the FEED phase through to completions and acceptance. The model will provide information on the primary execution processes and the relationships between the internal execution processes of the customer, the Main Automation Contractor, System Integrator, and the EPC contractors, and how these processes interact and integrate to achieve a common approach for project execution. The talk will focus on the safety aspects of the automation delivery and cover the control and safety system designed, CHAZOP, alarm management, graphics/HMI, and cybersecurity and how these activities need to integrate, the process and procedure which should be followed, and the do’s and don’ts learnt from past projects.

James Jordan has led the technical control and safety system delivery on some of the world’s largest automation projects for both greenfield and brownfield scope. Managing the technical delivery of these projects using remotely located teams and with expertise in project delivery within the oil & gas, nuclear, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors.

23. Explosion hazard occurrence on the surface of thermocatalytic sensing elements

Dr. Alexander Zalogin, General Director – NANIO CCVE (Russian Certification Centre of Ex and Mine Equipment)

This paper relates to the safe use of thermocatalytic sensors (TSE) in explosive atmospheres. Thermocatalytic sensors with a platinum sensing element and with the protective grid removed from the sensing element have been shown to ignite a mixture of 21.0% v/v hydrogen and air flowing across the sensing element after the sensing element was exposed to a flowing mixture of 35.0% v/v hydrogen and air.

This phenomenon is due to the development of autocatalysis reaction, even without any power supply. Four stages of tests have been performed to verify this thesis. It has been shown that the behaviour of a thermocatalytic sensor in the presence of high concentrations of hydrogen, both in the presence and in the absence of a power supply, is identical due to the development of an autocatalytic reaction, i.e. under certain conditions a thermocatalytic sensor with a damaged protective metal flame arrester, even in the absence of a power supply, is a potential source of ignition and, therefore, the absence of a flame arrester of a sufficiently reliable design evaluated as an element of explosion protection, for example, as a flameproof enclosure of the “d?” type, is unacceptable.

Dr. Alexander Zalogin is the General Director of NANIO CCVE – Certification Centre of Explosion-proof and Mine Equipment, Chairman of the Interstate Technical Committee for Standardization MTC 42 “Explosion-proof and Mining equipment”,

Chairman of the National Technical Committee for Standardization of the Russian Federation TC 403 “ Equipment for explosive atmospheres (Ex-equipment)”, and Deputy Head of the Russian National Body (RNO) of the IEC System for certification to standards relating to equipment for use in explosive atmospheres (IECEx System).

24. Flange guards - their use and applicability in managing hazardous area zoning

Carolyn Nicholls, Director - RAS Ltd

Flange guards help to prevent or reduce the extent of flammable mists but there is limited information available on their use and applicability, especially for managing hazardous area zoning and zone classification. There is also limited evidence of their functionality i.e. testing to ensure that they perform sufficiently. The impact of flange guards on hazardous zoning requirements is also unclear within industry guidance, nor is there an internationally recognised standard for such equipment.

There has been some attempt to develop guidance on the use of flange guards, however at present there is a lack of international recognition. Evidence points to flange guards becoming more prevalent in the future, and certainly, under the right specification, a useful measure for controlling flammable mists. But before hazardous area zones can be managed and classified differently on the basis of flange guard installation, time needs to be spent developing a suitable standard and more guidance on their applicability and functionality needs to be available. Until then, using flange guards to remove hazardous zones should be treated with caution and robust management systems should be in place to identify where their installation is appropriate onsite.

A Director of RAS Limited, Carolyn Nicholls leads a team of risk and hazard management consultants and has been instrumental in creating the company’s assessment methodologies. Carolyn has experience of working with a large number of UK COMAH sites to develop safety reports and to provide support in all aspects of risk management.

25. Proactive risk management using IIoT and wearables

Kevin Boyd, Director – 2Value Solutions

Too often safety professionals may feel as if they’re holding the parcel when the music stops. Despite best efforts, things still go wrong and the HSE team are left to manage the consequences as best they can. But what if it didn’t need to be this way? What if HSE teams had early warning of the changing risk picture, allowing them to take action before the incident happens?

What if you knew when a worker was first exposed to a high noise level or sniff of Benzene, where and for how long? Having this real-time visibility at your fingertips would allow you to quickly identify an issue you weren’t previously aware of, put the necessary mitigations in place, and automatically monitor these mitigations to ensure they are working. As digital technologies in the form of IOT sensors and wearable devices come to the market, this vision is increasingly becoming a reality.

This paper will suggest that new ways of collecting data related to the worker and the environment they work in (or travel through) are needed to help the industry transform from traditional reactive/preventive ways of working to more proactive/predictive ways. This approach isn’t new - we’ve seen this transformation happen in Maintenance & Reliability, so why not in HSE too?

For the past 3 years, Kevin Boyd has been providing consultancy services in the Connected Worker space for HSSE, helping leading edge IIOT and wearables start-up companies deliver viable solutions to industry problems, specifically for use in hazardous areas on offshore platforms, onshore gas terminals, refineries and chemical plants. Focus areas have included using digital technologies to improve worker health & safety, process safety and reduce emissions. Prior to 2Value, Kevin’s roles focused on maximising the business value delivered from Connected Worker digital technologies applied to Operations, Maintenance and Logistics.

26. Operations-maintenance synergy at petroleum

process facilities

Bassey Okon Bassey, PhD Researcher – Cranfield University

As oil prices plummet, operators are under increasing pressure to ‘’sweat the asset’’. While industrial organizations expand and optimize operations to meet energy demand, they must commit to consistently optimize asset integrity. Operations personnel are typically concerned with meeting production targets while maintenance teams primarily focus on minimizing breakdowns. Striking a balance between both goals has remained a major root of occupational conflicts in many process facilities, thereby threatening both process and human safety.

This paper elaborates these areas of conflicting interests and consequences using petroleum transportation and storage facilities in the Gulf of Guinea as case study, discusses how conflicts were progressively addressed and highlights the significant outcomes. A key strategy in fostering operations-maintenance synergy (OMS) was appointing an interface coordinator from each department; existing field personnel with working knowledge of the equipment functionalities and typical malfunctions.

Bassey Okon Bassey is a PhD Researcher in Energy (Oil and Gas) at Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK. He is currently an ERASMUS+ Scholar at TOTAL Energies Centre for Science and Technology Research at Pau, France, where he works on flow assurance optimisation in multiphase petroleum pipelines. Bassey has been a research consultant, technical marketer and career development coach in private practice for 16 years and counting. He was previously an Hourly Paid Lecturer at Coventry University, UK, upon graduation there with an MSc in Petroleum and Environmental Technology. He had worked as an Operations Engineer for Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company Limited for five years; during which he was the maiden research and modification team lead, operations-maintenance synergy coordinator (operations), flow assurance team deputy lead and onboarding lead for his department.

The 2021 Hazardex Awards for Excellence

Majestic Hotel,

A total of 20 nominees have been shortlisted across four categories for the 2021 Hazardex Awards, designed to recognise excellence in the hazardous area sector. As always, this year’s winners will be announced during a Gala Dinner at the end of the event’s first day on October 6 at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate.

The Hazardex awards programme has long been a benchmark for those supplying products, services and systems within hazardous areas. The awards offer Hazardex readers the ability to play their part in raising awareness and standards across the sector by nominating a company, product or service, entering their vote, and encouraging colleagues to do likewise.

The Awards will be presented following the informal, very well attended Gala Dinner where delegates, speakers, and exhibitors

network over a three-course meal and drinks. The annual Hazardex International Conference and Exhibition is widely recognised as the most important global event specific to hazardous area operations across all major industries. Together with the Conference and Exhibition, the Gala Dinner and Awards for Excellence aim to strengthen and expand the community that looks to the Hazardex website and journal for industry intelligence and information.

This year, 20 companies have been nominated across four categories with an additional category, the Delegates’ Award, being voted on by delegates and attendees at the Hazardex 2021 Conference and Exhibition, to identify which of the nominated entries provides the overall best hazardous area sector product, system or service.

The nominees for the 2021 Hazardex Awards for Excellence are:

Category 1: Technical Innovation – An innovative product or system for use in hazardous area environments.

d. ION Science

Product: Cub 11.7 eV

e. PULS Power

Luminaire

Personal VOC Gas Monitor

Product: DIN-Rail power supply model CP20.245-R2

Category 2: PPTex Innovation – The best innovation in Personnel Protection Technologies (PPT) equipment incorporating electronic and technological systems that the user can wear, hold or use to improve safety within the process and high hazard industries.

a. Extronics Product: iTAG X30 (RTLS safety tag)

b. i.safe Mobile Product: IS-TH1 (Androidbased handheld barcode scanner)

c. Mobexx Product: XCZ1-iPhone

d. Salunda Product: Crew Hawk

e. SeSys

Product: Hazardous area Ex-rated cameras

Category 3: Best Customer Service – A company or corporate division that has provided excellent customer service in the sector over the last two years.

a. Dron & Dickson

b. Exloc Instruments

c. Mutech

d. Thorne & Derrick

e. Yokogawa RAP

Category 4: Contribution to Safety – A product, system or service which has made a significant contribution to safety in hazardous area environments.

a. ANT Telecom Product: Lone worker devices

b. Bosch Rexroth Product: SVA R2 (Compact Subsea Electric Actuator)

c. Dynaco Product: ATEX high speed roll up door

d. Hawke International Product: Rapid Connection Gland (RCG)

e. Sella Controls Service: Functional Safety Management

Further details about each category and nominee can be found on the Hazardex Event website: www.hazardex-event.co.uk

a. Beamex Product: MC6-Ex Calibrator

b. Blayds Group Product: T-Sure label

c. Hazardous Lighting Solutions Product: I-PYROS

Your Hazardous Area Electrical Supplier

R&M stock a vast range of Ex electrical products including lighting, enclosures, power and distribution and cable accessories. With this stock and our in depth knowledge of hazardous areas we support clients throughout the globe.

We are able to advise on the best use of modern technology incorporating the supply of energy saving products particularly in the field of lighting as well as providing maintenance friendly equipment. In terms of value added services we provide site specific cataloguing and can assist in carrying out site survey’s providing product standardisation across your plant or site whilst assisting with the replacement of obsolete electrical equipment

Our in house Assembly division also designs, populates, drills and assemble Ex junction boxes, enclosures and control stations under license from several leading manufacturers including Eaton Crouse-Hinds, Hawke and Weidmuller. This allows us to offer excellent lead times for our clients’ bespoke Ex d and Ex e junction box, control station and distribution requirements.

Our Lighting Division offers a “one stop” resource for all of your hazardous area and heavy industrial lighting projects. From large complex lighting systems through to smaller lighting contracts.

R&M Electrical offers a holistic service covering consultancy, lighting scheme design, product specification and procurement to meet the requirements of any new construction, refurbishment or maintenance project.

For more information on how R&M can help with your Hazardous Area product needs please conatct us on Tel: 023 8068 6620 Fax: 023 8068 5673 Email: sales@rm-electrical.com

Exhibiting Partners

ANT Telecommunications Ltd - Unit 5, The Courtyard, Meadowbank, Furlong Road, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, SL8 5AU, United Kingdom

Stand 25 Tel: +44 (0) 1494 833100

ANT Telecom enables organisations to better protect their employees and business through integrated communication solutions for telephony, lone worker safety and critical alarm management.

Our range of communication handsets and smart phone applications enable you to protect and monitor employees whilst they work, travel or meet with clients alone or in remote locations. ANT Telecom has over 30 years’ experience designing mobile

Email: info@anttelecom.co.uk Web: www.anttelecom.co.uk

communication and lone worker solutions to suit individual business needs. With customers throughout the UK and across many industries, ANT Telecom gives you affordable peace of mind and helps you deliver increased productivity and profitability.

With our lone worker monitoring, alerting and communication systems, you can protect lone workers and critical equipment with emergency alarms available using the broadest range of dedicated handsets and

smartphones. Alerts can be delivered to both mobile and static responders within seconds, far faster and far more cost effectively than other solutions. Whether outdoors or indoors our solutions can position and locate your people when an emergency occurs - even in ATEX areas.

Our key strengths are our well-chosen technology partners and our workforce who combine technical know-how with a strong focus to deliver an excellent service.

C&P Engineering Services - Gorseinon Road, Gorseinon, Swansea, SA4 9GE, United Kingdom

Stand 20 Tel: +44 (0)1792 897002 Email: info@cpengineering.co.uk Web: www.cpengineering.co.uk

C&P Engineering Services, through its integrated electrical, control and instrumentation disciplines, design, construct and deliver complete projects and provide maintenance services to companies throughout the UK and internationally. For over 47 years, C&P has been supporting customers and delivering performance-driven solutions to local, national and global industry within the oil & gas, chemical, nuclear, pharmaceutical, steel, process manufacturing, renewable energy and industrial markets.

The company’s EC&I engineering services

deliver complex, high profile and critical solutions. They offer ‘cradle to grave’ services across project life-cycles, from assisting with conceptual FEED studies and providing detailed design, through to installation, construction, commissioning, testing, documentation and supporting activities.

C&P is looking forward to exhibiting at HazardEx 2021 and the team will be on hand to discuss the company’s services, which can be combined to provide the total EC&I engineering solution, or divided into the following design,

CCG UK Ltd - Unit B Metcalfe Road, Skippers Lane Industrial Estate,

Stand 22 Tel: +44 (0) 1642

CCG’s patented Captive Component Gland® is recognised within the hazardous petrochemical, oil and gas industries, as having significant safety advantages over other cable gland designs, which all have loose components.

The simplicity of the “Captive Component Gland®” design means that no matter where in the world CCG products are being installed, the simplest of instructions will ensure that all the parts have been correctly fitted. This concept is very important for installations on projects in developing countries where unskilled labour is very often used.

EEHA Inspections have shown that the all too common incorrect fitting of cable glands can have dire consequences with regards to equipment failure which results in rework, lost production and threatens the safety of personnel.

CCG’s cable gland range is extensive and

build, operation and maintenance, consultancy, CompEx electrical and industrial training services.

As an official Schneider Electric Partner, C&P Engineering Services offer process instrumentation products and engineering solutions for Pressure, Temperature, Flow, Level, Process Analytical, PH & ORP Measurement, Valve Positioners and Wireless Technology, all of which are supported through the company’s design & engineering solutions to complement the Schneider Electric Process Instrumentation product range.

t.murray@ccgcablegland.co.uk Web: www.ccgcablegland.co.uk

covers the vast majority of cable types and installation applications meeting the demands of the power generation, railway, oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, military, marine, industrial, construction and mining industries.

In addition to the well-known Captive Component Gland® design, CCG has received numerous awards and acclaim for their other innovative glands such as its Corrosion Guard®, Posi Grip®, UNITEx™, QuickStop-Ex and VORTEx Inspectable Injection Resin® barrier glands.

CCG’s range of Handi-Fit®, Posi-Fit®, ScrewFit® and Utility® Junction Boxes have become a standard throughout the industrial, mining and petrochemical industries and incorporate the same design philosophy of ease of use and “Built in Safety™” as the glands.

CCG also has an extensive range of accessories, thread converters, breathers and stopper plugs covering the same wide range of applications as those of its Cable Glands and Junction Boxes. The company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 listed with DQS Germany and UL USA and the range of products are certified to UKEX, ATEX, Australian, Brazilian, IECEx, Korean, NEC, Russian and South African standards and have marine approvals with ABS, Class NK and DNV/GL.

CCG has a global network of offices and warehouses in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom and are thus able to give an unprecedented level of service, delivery, technical advice and product training.

Compliance with Occupational Exposure Limits for Electro-Magnetic Exposure

product manufacturers and suppliers to plan and instigate effective and efficient approvals.

SGS provides measurements of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the work place to assist employers in assessing the risk opposed to occupational workers including those at particular risk.

Engineers will attend and perform detailed measurements against the limits specified in the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016, thereby assisting manufacturers in meeting their legal obligations.

If you require EMF assistance we can offer you a costeffective solution with total peace of mind. Why not get in touch and call us on +44 (0)191 377 2000, quoting 5571.

SGS United Kingdom Ltd is a UKAS Approved Test House accredited to EN ISO 17025 and a Notified Body under the Electro-Magnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/EU. The company specialises in a single in-house Electro-Magnetic Compatibility testing in combination with RED, Machinery and Electrical Safety requirements and is also able to provide full consultancy services and training, enabling

For further information on EMC/EMF Testing and Approvals, email: gb.durham.enquiry@sgs.com

Exhibiting Partners

Cogent Skills - 5 Mandarin Court, Warrington, WA1 1GG, United Kingdom

Tabletop – Tel: +44 (0)1925 515200 Email: info@cogentskills.com Web: www.cogentskills.com

Cogent Skills is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status, working with companies from across the science industries embracing Life Sciences, Industrial Sciences and Nuclear.

Cogent Skills is the UK’s strategic skills body, working alongside the leadership of sector employers to raise skills levels and operates through the following group structure:

• Cogent Skills

• Cogent Skills Services

• Cogent Skills Training

• Nuclear Skills Academy (NSAN)

• Science Industries Apprenticeships Standards (SIAS)

Collectively these companies’ purpose is entirely focused on skills - supporting the skills needs and ambitions of individual employers and their employees.

Developed by industry leadership, Cogent Skills is the publisher and owner of the Guidelines for Competency Management Systems for

COMAH sites. Also the custodian of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) COMAH / Seveso III recognised, Process Safety Management industry training standards. With a responsibility to develop, design, promote, deliver and evaluate specialist skills solutions throughout multi-sector industries, we produce high quality, competency assurance, culture change and process safety programmes which meet regulatory requirements and make a positive impact within organisations.

CompEx Certification Ltd - 3rd Floor Redwither Tower, Redwither Business Park, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9XT, United Kingdom

Stand 32 Tel: +44 (0) 800 0852308

CompEx is the international scheme for competency validation and certification of personnel who work in explosive atmospheres. Through a network of independent training and assessment centres, the CompEx Scheme supports practitioners in a range of industrial sectors including oil and gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing and utilities.

The Scheme was developed over 25 years ago to provide the UK oil and gas sector with credible assurance of the transferable skills and competency of electrical and mechanical technicians and engineers operating in hazardous areas. Since that time CompEx has continued to develop, incorporating a range of competency

Email: info@compex.org.uk Web: www.compex.org.uk

qualifications to embrace a diverse range of roles and industrial settings.

The current modules for Gas & Vapours (Ex01-04); Dust (Ex05 & 06); Fuel Forecourts (Ex07 & 08); Water Utilities (Ex09 & 10); NonElectrical/Mechanical (Ex11); Application Design Engineers (Ex 12A & 12B) & Responsible Persons (Ex 14) meet the requirements for all the roles identified in the IEC Standards 60079 Parts 14 (Annex A) & Part 17 (Annex B).

New modules continue to be developed and include a Functional Safety Foundation Course and Technician Course, which will expand the CompEx Scheme into a related specialist subject area of Process Safety, as set out in the IEC

Tabletop – Media partner Tel: +44 (0) 1732 359990

Connectivity, the leading Industry 4.0/IoT online information resource, is sponsoring the 2021 Hazardex International Conference and Exhibition as a Media Partner. The global COVID-19 crisis has impacted manufacturing operations significantly and the majority of manufacturers have had to re-

engineer the way they operate. Old and outdated equipment limits the capabilities of manufacturers and now, more than ever, the move to digital integration needs to be explored, understood and implemented.

Connectivity is designed to offer insight and

Standard 61511.

In response to the challenges and disruption of Covid-19, CompEx is working to develop new blended and on-line routes for learning and assessment with its stakeholders to ensure that competency and safety continue to be supported. As part of this plan, CompEx and its centre network will provide an ongoing programme of professional development to support practitioners throughout their careers.

Quality and impartiality are essential, and CompEx is the only Ex competency scheme to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17024:2012 – Conformity Assessment – General Requirements of bodies offering Certification of Persons.

knowledge from key companies from across the industry and provides the latest news and knowledge regarding Industry 4.0. Comprising a weekly e-newsletter and website, Connectivity highlights the practical benefits of Industry 4.0/IIoT and takes readers through how best to implement them.

Dialight - Leaf C, Level 36, Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HQ, United Kingdom

Stand 27 – Tel: +44 (0) 203 058 3540 Email: sales-europe@dialight.com Web: www.dialight.com

Dialight is the world leader in industrial LED lighting technology with millions of fixtures installed worldwide. We specialise in lighting products designed for the world’s harshest industrial environments – enabling customers to reduce their energy costs, maintenance costs,

and carbon footprint while maximising the safety and productivity of their facilities.

From our signature High Bay line to our versatile Linear fixtures, Dialight offers intricately designed products with cutting-edge lighting technology and controls to meet our customers’

unique needs. We focus on every detail to provide our customers with superior products built to last. Learn why more companies install Dialight than any other industrial LED lighting fixtures in the world.

Exhibiting Partners

Dynaco - Waverstraat 21, Moorsel, B-9310, Belgium

Stand 11 – Tel: +32 (0) 53 72 98 98

Dynaco is a brand of the Entrematic Group, offering an extensive product range of industrial and high performance doors, docking, residential garage doors, pedestrian door automation, operators, gate automation and automatic barriers. Each Entrematic product brand contributes its own speciality and expertise, making Entrematic a powerful partner present in over 25 countries with about 2200 employees.

Dynaco aims at giving the customers a greater choice of superior products, at the most competitive prices. Dynaco has specific products and numerous field experiences to answer specific needs such as freezer, cleanroom, large highly-exposed outside openings, and the needs of industries such as food, pharmaceutical, health, automotive, high technology, agricultural, waste, steel, retail and

EXHEAT

Stand

EXHEAT Industrial offers fast-track solutions suited to the diverse requirements of the industrial sector, providing a wide range of preengineered electrical heating systems for use in hazardous locations.

Drawing upon over 30 years of experience, we have engineered a comprehensive range of standard design hazardous area heaters and temperature controllers that have been carefully analysed and manufactured in our facility in the UK. We are committed to ensuring our customers’ requirements are met and backed up by a level of service and safety standards necessary to operate in a global market.

Key product categories:

· Space Heaters: Radiator, convector and fan-type heaters designed for smaller enclosures/

department stores.

Recently, Dynaco has added a new and exceptional type of high-speed doors to its product range. The Dynaco S-5 Atex doors are especially suitable for use in zones with a high risk of explosions. According to the official Atex classification, these doors can be used in zones 1 and 2 for gases and in zones 21 and 22 for dust, depending on the chosen door type. Or to express it in technical terms: the doors are suitable for zones Ex II 2GD IIC T4, IIIB 135 ° C and Ex II 3GD IIC T4, IIIB 135 ° C.

What makes these doors so unique is the fact that each door is individually tested and certified by a European Notified Body. Upon delivery, the customer receives an official certificate of conformity, linked to the serial number, which gives him the certainty that the entire door meets the specified Atex conditions.

In the design of the ultra-performing Dynaco Atex doors, nothing was left to chance. All metal parts are made of stainless steel, while the door curtain and other non-metal parts are made of antistatic or guiding material. This prevents the door from generating sparks that could trigger explosions during operation.

At the same time these doors offer the typical advantages of the standard Dynaco range: a short cycle of opening and closing, a very high degree of sealing around the entire perimeter of the door and a so-called selfreintroducing door curtain. All this results in a considerable saving in the short term. The energy consumption decreases and the working environment becomes more pleasant, while the flow of the production process continues unhindered and just as smoothly.

katrina.parrott@exheat.com Web: www.exheat.com

cabinets or larger room/containers. Our range of industrial and hazardous area air warmers are designed to provide stable convection heating for use in smaller enclosures/cabinets, containers, as well as mid-sized rooms or spaces.

Our portable and fixed fan heaters provide an efficient air heating solution and are certified for use in hazardous environments. Engineered to offer high capacity heating that can be felt even at a distance, our fan heaters are suitable for use in spacious areas and also for temporary heating solutions.

· Immersion Heaters: Stab-in heaters for direct immersion into process fluids, manufactured with low-watt density rod/hairpin, ceramic core or cartridge-type heating element options

· Line Heaters: A comprehensive range of

line heaters providing clean, safe and efficient heating for bulk liquid (corrosive/non-corrosive) flow applications

· Temperature Sensors / Controls: Weatherproof and flameproof industrial sensors/ controls that can be provided as standalone components or integrated with our heaters

Industries and applications:

· Chemicals

· Fuel oil

· Frost protection

· Hot water heating system

· Machinery and plant construction

· Motor enclosures

· Natural gas

· Offshore containers

· Power engineering

· Tank heating

Exloc Instruments UK - Unit 7, Riverside Court, Delph, Oldham, OL3 5FZ, United Kingdom

Stand 9 Tel: +44 (0)1457 239301 Email: atither@exloc.co.uk Web: www.exloc.co.uk

Exloc Instruments UK Ltd and our staff have many years’ experience in the process industry and in hazardous area protection. We lead the way in supplying hazardous area products which enable manufacturing facilities and processing plants to operate more efficiently with the use of forward thinking technology and solutions.

We pride ourselves on being able to offer the widest range of ATEX mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, as well as more advanced devices like the HMT-1Z1 ATEX head-mounted tablet. Having a wide range puts Exloc in the unique position of being able to offer the ideal device and solution, no matter the

challenge. In addition to these devices, we also offer a range of thermal imaging digital cameras, lighting and more hand portable devices specifically designed for use in hazardous and rugged environments.

As a sole agent for GMI International within the UK, Exloc continues to supply the highest quality intrinsically safe interfaces, SIL relays and power supplies which have been leading the market for the last quarter of a century.

We are continuously enhancing our range of products and services to meet the most rigorous and demanding of industry environments both technologically and environmentally. To support

this, we offer TUV (Rheinland) Functional Safety Engineer training courses throughout the UK several times a year to support the increasing demand for meeting site safety requirements to IEC61508/61511 standards. We also retain strong business relationships with major Ex suppliers of ATEX rated plant equipment such as hazardous area display instrumentation and high performance audible and visual signals. No matter the challenge, Exloc has the technical expertise to advise the best solution and the customer service to make the procurement process as easy as possible.

We are passionate about what we do and our business is delivering EC&I projects. Our objectives are to deliver the highest quality innovative and dynamic solutions.

Exhibiting Partners

Ex-Machinery Explosion Proof Equipment - Tinstraat 33, 2984 AN Ridderkerk, Netherlands

Stand 15 Tel: + 31 180 472880 Email: info@ex-machinery.com Web: www.ex-machinery.com

Ensuring Explosion Safety; ATEX modification of State of the Art industrial equipment. HVAC, Wi-Fi, digital Camera and custom machinery. Ex-Machinery, specialized in manufacturing explosion proof HVAC equipment and Wi-Fi systems, recently added the Armadex ATEX zone 2 camera to its product line.

Compliance to ATEX standards and working with State of the Art equipment is what Ex-Machinery brings to the market of

explosion proof equipment. We deliver ATEX certified devices with full functionality as one expects today. Ex-Machinery is looking forward to exhibiting at HazardEx 2021, presenting our standard equipment and a selection of our custom explosion proof solutions. View our products here and explore the real products in our HazardEx 2021 stand.

- ATEX air conditioners, conversion of premium brands

- ATEX Wi-Fi access point, plug and play model, long range

- ATEX Wi-Fi antenna, omni-directional, high gain

- ATEX digital Camera, optical zoom for crystal clear pictures

Ex-Machinery keeps your gas and/or dust Ex-areas cool, warm, or connected to the world and safe for your employees, infrastructure, and assets!

F.E.S. (EX) provides a range of tailored, specialist services for industries that operate within potentially hazardous and explosive atmospheres. Our team of experienced, competent personnel have proven skills within the areas of design, process safety, Health & Safety, operations, maintenance, inspections and installations within potentially explosive atmospheres.

With the requirements of ATEX (Atmospheres Explosibles) Directives within the member states of Europe and DSEAR 2002 (The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002) in the UK, F.E.S. (EX) can provide hazardous area compliance, inspections, risk assessment and project management for companies of all sizes.

F.E.S. (EX) Limited can offer a comprehensive service with our own experienced Electrical/ Instrument & Mechanical CompEx trained personnel to carry out the following services:

• Hazardous Area Systems Process and

Classification.

• Audit, Inspection and Assessment of Equipment, Plant and Processes.

• Installation of Equipment in Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Areas.

• Health, Safety and Environmental Solutions.

• Training.

• Project Management and Solutions.

Some brief points with regards to our company are:

• 0% accident record to date.

• 1SO9001, ISO14001 & OHSAS 18001.

• Energy Institute Co., EI Electrical committee member & EI Humber committee member.

• CompEx supporter, Energy Institute member, IOSH Members, Expert Witness, FPAL, Achilles, NICEIC Hazardous Areas accredited.

• Contributions to EI Model codes of safe practice.

• Areas of Work: Worldwide

• Client list (part): ABP, Akzo, Alstom, BAE, BP, Burlington, BG, Calor, Conoco, Corus, EPR, GE, Greenergy, GSK, INEOS, Nippon Gohsei, Novartis, Pall, Reckitt, RWE, Siemens, SITA, SSE, SSL, Trinidad & Tobago Commission, Tata, Total, Tyco ETC…

In addition to the services provided by F.E.S. (EX) Limited, our sister company Roxby Training Solutions Limited are a leading provider of technical training and assessment, committed to quality, as evidenced by their ISO 9001 and ISI Educational Oversight Certification.

Roxby offers accredited and bespoke training solutions in their first class training facilities based in Teesside and Lincolnshire and where required training can be carried out onsite. Courses include; CompEx Units Ex01 – Ex06, Ex11, Ex12 and the NEW Responsible Person Unit Ex14, Electrical, Instrumentation, Mechanical, Health & Safety and Gas Turbines. Accreditation for training and assessments are awarded by JTL, City & Guilds, ECITB and EAL

Link Instruments - The Courtyard, Steepmarsh, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 2BJ, United Kingdom

Stand 8 Tel: +44 (0)1730 897 115 Email:

Link Instruments will be presenting and demonstrating their ULLC IS liquid level indicator for fire extinguishers at HazardEx 2021. The intrinsically safe ultrasonic device enables the levels in banks of extinguishers in hazardous areas to be easily checked without interrupting normal operation. Avoiding the need for shutdowns leads to substantial time and cost savings.

ATEX certified to II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb, the unit uses ultrasound to locate the boundary between the liquified and gaseous gas. In operation, the transducer is placed against the cylinder body slightly below the expected fill level and gradually

Web: www.linkinst.com

raised until the reading jumps sharply. This happens due to the greatly enhanced propagation of ultrasonic surface acoustic waves when the transducer reaches the liquid / gas interface.

The ULLC IS is suitable for fire extinguisher cylinders using liquid CO2, Halon, FM200, NOVEC etc, and is supplied with a transducer and an extension pole for accessing bulk system installations on ships etc. It is particularly useful in industries such as oil, gas and marine - especially LPG carriers.

“The ULLC IS is the only intrinsically safe, ATEX approved model in the world for checking

fire extinguisher fill levels,” says Link Instruments’ Dominique Christie.

Designed and manufactured in the UK by Link Instruments, it comes with a five year warranty on the instrument and a one year warranty on the transducer. Hampshire based Link Instruments manufactures and supplies precision measuring equipment for the fire safety, marine, oil, gas and other industries worldwide. Established in 1996, it also offers comprehensive repair, recalibration and spares services, including for products from other suppliers.

Ex EQUIPMENT

ROSE Ex enclosures, junction boxes and control stations made of aluminium, polyester and stainless steel - provide reliable protection for electrical distribution systems in hazardous areas. The products are used for gas explosion protection in zones 1 and 2 and for dust explosion protection in zones 21 and 22. ROSE Ex products are now in accordance with UKCA as well as all EC harmonized standards, the ATEX guideline and worldwide IECEx scheme.

For different applications, different protection concepts will be available:

• Ex eb increased safety

• Ex ia intrinsically safety

• Ex db flameproof encapsulation

• Ex tb protection by enclosure

Typical application ranges include:

• Chemical and petrochemical industry

• Process industry

• Lacquer-processing industry

• Mining Silo installation

Where there is extreme climatic conditions and aggressive environments, we have the right solution. Contact us and we will offer you the right equipment.

Phoenix Mecano Ltd.

Unit 26 Faraday Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8RY | Tel. +44 1296 611660 | Fax +44 1296 486296 Web: www.phoenix-mecano.co.uk | E-Mail: enclosuresales@pmgb.co.uk

RUGGED MOBILE Systems are specialists in provision of Tough Technology for Tough Environments including Smartphones, PDAs, Tablet PCs, communication headsets & RFID/ Barcode Readers with ATEX Zone 1/21 & 2/22 approvals. Currently in our 15th Year we have the experience and expertise to advise you on the best mobile hardware for your requirements

10 Tablets

Aegex10 IS

ATEX Zone 1 Windows 10 Tablet

i.Safe MOBILE

ATEX Zone 1/21 & 2/22 Android Smartphones & Tablets

Sensear Intrinsically Safe Communication Headsets

ATEX Zone 1/21 Headband, behind the neck and helmet mount models

ATEX Zone 1/21 & 2/22

Android Tablets, Feature phones & Smartphones plus Windows Tablet

In addition to ATEX certifications the robust mobile computing hardware we provide are powerful, highly configurable, well supported PCs running Windows or Android platforms, hosting a range of rugged features including:

- Ingress protection ratings

- Sunlight readable displays

We’re exhibiting at Hazardex 2021. Visit us on Stand 29 at the Hilton Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire on 6th to 7th October to view our ATEX approved computing hardware.

- Drop resistance

- MIL-STD-810G certifications

www.ruggedmobilesystems.co.uk

Zebra L10 ATEX Zone 2/22 Android & Windows

ecom (Pepperl+Fuchs)

Exhibiting Partners

Meltron - Laivakatu 3, Helsinki, FI-001 50, Finland

Stand 14 Tel: +358 9 6226

550

Email: info@meltron.fi Web: meltron.com

Meltron’s motto is “More Than Just Light”. We protect people and property, through our unique technically advanced lighting solutions, by improving visual perception, safety, and security, in the most demanding human environments. Meltron is committed to designing and producing lighting systems according to its strong vision.

Meltron only uses materials from leading

edge global suppliers in its luminary structures. The electronics design of its drivers exceeds the strictest parameters for heat managent in design and reliability, producing the maximum benefit ratio and life expectancy.

MELTRON has renewed its highly valued EX Certificate, including IECEx and ATEX certicates. Meltron luminaries can be installed both indoors and outdoors, at very wide

ambient temperature range, -40°C < Tamb < +60°C, and are technically superior in the most demanding industrial environments, including oil and gas refineries, mining, and the medical and chemical industries. Meltron luminaries can now also be daisy chained. Meltron’s EX luminaries’ advantages and benefits are unique, and are highly sought after globally.

Mobexx - Unit 21, Blakemere Centre, Chester Road, Sandiway, CW8 2EB, United Kingdom

Stand 12 Tel: +44 (0)8455 441 254

Mobexx is the specialist supplier of ATEX and Rugged Mobile computers. As a value added distributor we work closely with manufacturers and our reseller channel, and support end users to ensure the most appropriate and cost effective solution is delivered.

Mobexx is a Global Distributor for Aegex ATEX Zone 1 Windows tablets and Sensor Systems, International Distributor for Xciel ATEX

Email: sales@mobexx.co.uk Web: www.mobexx.co.uk

Zone 1 and 2 Cases for iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices, and TN500 ATEX Zone 2 phone with integrated Barcode scanner. Mobexx also supplies mobXscan, our software barcode reading utility for Windows and Android, to enable high performance barcode reading on any device.

We supply complementary brands and global support services and a range of rugged and ultra

Mutech Ltd - Unit 9, Wharfside Business Park, Irlam Wharf Road, Irlam,

Stand

Mutech Contract Electronic Design and Manufacturing Services. The keys to our success are establishing a clear understanding of our customers’ needs. Mutech has over 30 years of experience in the design and manufacture of electronics for hazardous environments. Our customers range from small privately-owned businesses all the way up to globally recognised brands and come from a wide variety of industries including mining, industrial processing, oil, and Gas, Marine, aerospace, safety and consumer electronics.

At Mutech we believe our technical excellence comes from the quality of our people. Every member of staff is highly skilled and takes a real pride in their work. We strive to be experts in our field, and our leadership and participation in several

BSI, IEC and other industry-related committees ensures that our knowledge remains up to date, as well as playing our part in developing the future standards that products will be assessed to.

Our specialist skills include: Intrinsically Safe design, design for hazardous areas, ATEX, EN60079-11, Functional Safety, SIL, EN61508, RF design, GSM, CDMA, communications, electronic security circuit design, power supply circuit design, SMPS, consumer electronics, industrial control, PCB layout, standards and approvals testing, microprocessors, embedded systems, real time development, RTOS, assembler, C, C+, C++, C#, *.NET, Visual Basic, Delphi, Foxpro.

Colin Cameron, Mutech’s MD, is a leading technical expert representing the UK globally, including as Chairman of the UK national

rugged products for non hazardous areas.

As Xciel’s only certified installer for ATEX Zone 1 cases outside USA we provide global supply, installation and maintenance support for users of ATEX Zone 1 iPads and iPhones.

Mobexx is a team of experts that understand the demands of our partners and work consultatively to ensure we provide the right products.

committee for the IECEx certification scheme and as Convener of the IEC maintenance team for the IEC 60079-11 Intrinsically Safe Equipment standard. Colin will also be presenting a paper at the Hazardex Conference on the new edition of IEC 60079-11 Intrinsically Safe Equipment Standard. Design projects range from a few hours’ consultancy on standards requirements to 18 month long complex product development and certification. Manufacturing services include assembly of simple, single or double-sided printed circuit boards, through to complex multi-board assembles with shields, potting and complete box build. Parts kitting is used by the majority of our customers, so Mutech can be your one stop partner from design to sending your products out to your customer.

Intrinsically safe fill indicator checks fire extinguisher levels

Checking the fill levels in banks of fire extinguishers located in hazardous areas usually means having to halt operations while the inspection is carried out. However, with the intrinsically safe ultrasonic fill checker from Link Instruments, shutdowns are not necessary, leading to substantial savings in time and costs.

Being showcased at HazardEx 2021, the ULLC IS is particularly useful in industries such as oil, gas and marineespecially LPG carriers. It is the first intrinsically safe, ATEX approved unit for checking fire extinguisher fill levels.

The hand-held device uses ultrasound to locate the boundary between the liquified and gaseous gas. In use, the transducer is placed against the cylinder body just below the expected fill level and then gradually raised until the readout shows a sharp jump. This happens due to the greatly enhanced propagation of ultrasound when the transducer reaches the liquid / gas interface.

ATEX approved

The ULLC IS can be used with fire extinguisher cylinders containing liquid CO2, Halon, FM200, NOVEC etc, and is ATEX certified to II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb. It is supplied with a transducer and an extension pole for easy access to bulk extinguisher installations on ships etc. A five year warranty is provided for the instrument, with a one year warranty for the transducer.

The device was developed by Link Instruments over a period of five years. The Hampshire company is a 100% British designer and manufacturer of innovative ultrasonic instruments, which it exports around the world.

Link Instruments Ltd, The Courtyard, Steepmarsh, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 2BJ, UK www.linkinst.com, sales@linkinst.com Tel: +44 (0)1730 897 115, Fax: +44 (0)1730 897 103.

HazardEx stand number 8

ATEX & Rugged Mobile Computer Solutions

Global Value Added Distributor

The specialist distribution partner for ATEX and Rugged Mobile Computers. We work with Manufacturing Partners and customers around the world. Mobexx is the supplier of choice. Technical expertise to ensure most appropriate products, and Logistics expertise to deliver hardware solutions almost anywhere, when they are needed.

Aegex ATEX/IECEx Zone 1/21 Windows Tablet PC that is lightweight, compact and feature rich.

Aegex NexVu ATEX Zone 1/21 Sensor system. Initial release for Methane detection systems, with more sensors to follow.

Mobexx Global Distributor

Xciel ATEX Zone 2 Cases for iPhones, iPads, Galaxy and Surface. Zone 1 cases for iPad mini, and soon to be released Zone 1 case for iPhone 11/12.

Mobexx Global Distributor and Certified Zone 1 & 2 Installation centre (QAN/QAR Certified).

Zone 2 Phone with integrated Barcode scan engine

Fixed Position Zone 2 PC 15” and 19”

Fixed Position Zone 2 Display 15”

More new products coming soon…...

mobXscan Software utility to make any Android or Windows 10 device a high performance software Barcode Scanner

Exhibiting Partners

Pepperl+Fuchs Ltd - 77 Ripponden Road, Oldham, Lancashire, OL1 4EL, United Kingdom

Stand 18 Tel: +44 (0) 161 633 6431 Email: sjwebster@gb.pepperl-fuchs.com

The Pepperl+Fuchs brand ecom is internationally one of the first addresses for mobile computing and communication devices for use in potentially hazardous areas. As an industry pioneer, Pepperl+Fuchs ecom has decisively developed explosion protection for mobile devices since 1986 and has proven its technological expertise with a multitude of innovations.

Pepperl+Fuchs ecom is the preferred brand for explosion-protected mobile phones, 4G smartphones and tablets that meet the highest requirements in industrial use. As part of the Pepperl+Fuchs Group, one of the world’s

leading companies in explosion protection and sensor technology, customers benefit from a comprehensive, end-to-end product portfolio for the hazardous area, which completely opens up new possibilities for the entire process automation.

In its core disciplines “Communication”, “Mobile Computing”, “Portable Lighting”, “Measurement and Calibration Technology” and “Digital Products & Services”, Pepperl+Fuchs ecom offers reliable intrinsically-safe and explosion-proof products, wireless peripheral devices, and smart software applications – all

Petrel – 22 Fortnum Close, Kitts Green, Birmingham, B33 0LB, United Kingdom

Stand 34 Tel: +44 (0)121 783 7161 Email:

Petrel Ltd is an established UK manufacturer of high-performance Lighting solutions for use in harsh and hazardous area applications, providing a wide range of fixed and portable lighting for sale or hire. This is complemented by Lighting design and consultancy services from an experienced team of in-house engineers providing customers with the support and reassurance they need when making important decisions.

Based at its manufacturing facility in Birmingham UK, the company provides innovative high-quality products designed and manufactured in house. A simple yet robust design philosophy provides customers with safe, reliable, and efficient solutions.

The company was established over 30 years ago and provides products and services to customers in the UK, European and International markets.

The in-house, single site UK production facility brings significant benefits for customers including highly competitive lead times and considerable flexibility of manufacturing to supply bespoke or customised solutions for customers providing added value beyond the standard catalogue offer.

Petrel’s supply chain is built on the firm foundations of British design and engineering utilising a broad scope of talented technical experts. The management team is passionate about creating the highest quality hazardous

backed up with worldwide assistance from service centres and subsidiary offices to reduce your risk.

At the HazardEx event, we will be showcasing our application oriented range of mobile phones, tablets, PDA’s, two-way radios, remote speaker microphones, headsets and HMI solutions, designed for use in harsh and potentially hazardous environments. There will also be an opportunity to try out our new products such as the Tab-Ex® Pro D2, the world’s 1st 10” tablet for Zone 2/22 Div. 2 and the Zone 1 / Div 1 Android 4G/LTE Smartphone Smart-Ex® 02.

area lighting solutions by providing products and services that go beyond customers performance and value expectations.

Products and Services include:

- Zone 1/21 and 2/22 Linear lighting

- Zone 1/21 and 2/22 Area flood lighting

- Wellglass lighting

- High temperature lighting (up to 100°C)

- Zone 1/21 and 2/22 Portable and Transportable lighting

- High performance Industrial lighting

- Lighting hire

- Lighting surveys

- Lighting design service

– 26 Faraday Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP19 8RY, UK

Stand 17 Tel: +44 (0)1296 611660 Email: enclosuresales@pmgb.co.uk Web: www.rose-systemtechnik.com/en/

The Phoenix Mecano Group is a global player in the enclosures and industrial components segments, has a streamlined operating structure and is a leader in many markets. Geared towards the professional and cost-effective manufacture of niche products, it helps to ensure the smooth operation of processes and connections in the machine industry and industrial electronics.

Its products are used in the mechanical engineering, measurement and control technology,

medical technology, aerospace technology, alternative energy and home and hospital care sectors, amongst others.

Standardised and customised enclosures made of aluminium, plastic and glass-fibre reinforced polyester and stainless steel, machine control panels and suspension systems protect sensitive electrical equipment and electronics in mechanical engineering and measurement and control.

Enclosure technology includes Aluminium

enclosures, Plastic enclosures, 19“-enclosures, Display enclosures, Touch / display enclosures, Hand-held enclosures, Terminal enclosures, Console / desktop enclosures, Control-panel mounting enclosures, DIN rail enclosures, Profile enclosures, Wall-mounted enclosures, Electronic enclosures, Ex enclosures, Ex Control Stations, Suspension arm system and Control enclosures. High-quality sandwich keyboards offer a reliable human/ machine interface, even under extreme conditions.

The R&M Electrical Group has over 25 years experience in the supply of Hazardous Area Equipment. In this time we have built an internationally recognised reputation for the supply of certified equipment to the oil, gas, petrochemical, process and industrial markets. We have enhanced this capability by establishing the Hazardous Area Division, bringing all of our technical knowledge and

experience under one dedicated resource. We are able to offer a wide range of services including; distribution, lighting design, ex advice and training to ensure our customers are compliant with the stringent legislation surrounding this complex area. To compliment our dedicated Hazardous Area Team are the specialist branches within R&M who’s staff are experts in the supply of this technically

challenging product range. The branch include, Southampton, Swansea, Neyland, Aberdeen and our Projects Division in Southampton.

Additionally, our dedicated Assembly Division under license from manufacturers such as Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Weidmuller and Hawke are able to drill, modify and populate fully certified enclosures and junction boxes for hazardous area and industrial applications.

Functional Safety Lifecycle Services

• HAZOP / HAZID Facilitation

• CHAZOP Facilitation

• Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

• SIL Determination Study List Development

• SIL Determination studies (Risk Graph, LOPA, FTA)

• Safety Requirements Specification (SRS) Development

• Software SRS Development

• User Requirement Specification (URS) Development

• SIS Design and Build

• SIL Verification Calculations

• Formal Prior Use Assessments

• HIPPS Dossier Development

• SIS Commissioning Procedures

• SIS Validation Procedures

• Proof Test Procedure Development

• Periodic Evaluation of SIL Targets and Achieved SIL

• Functional Safety Impact Assessment

• Corporate FS Management System Development

• Functional Safety Management Plan Development

• Competency Framework Development

• Stage 1-5 Functional Safety Assessments

• Functional Safety Training

Website: www.sellacontrols.com

Email: sales@sellacontrols.com

Telephone: +44(0) 161 429 4500

SELLA CONTROLS has over 45 years of experience in the specification, design and manufacture of safety critical, control & automation systems and provide Functional Safety lifecycle services to high hazard process industries and the rail sector. We are a founding member of the 61508 Association and in 2001 were awarded the first UKAS accredited SIRA CASS certificate for Functional Safety Management, an accreditation that we have retained ever since. Functional Safety is built into our Quality Management System and this ensures the required techniques and measures detailed in IEC 61508 (including the Process sector specific standard IEC 61511 and Railway Applications standards EN 50126, 50128 and 50129) are applied to safety critical projects. With our robust FS Management Systems, along with our expert led engineering capability, we have recently delivered a wide range of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) for Process Industries including a High Integrity Pressure Protection Systems (HIPPS) for the Forties Pipeline, several Tank Overfill Protection Systems for the prevention of Buncefield type incidents, Burner Management Systems (BMS) and an innovative communications system which provided a SIL 3 solution for the remote shutdown of an offshore installation. Using our in-house developed Tracklink III® product we have recently delivered innovative solutions in the Rail sector including Tram Overspeed Protection (for the prevention of derailment) and Automatic Selective Door Opening (ASDO) systems. Our pedigree and history make SELLA CONTROLS the logical choice for Safety Instrumented Systems and Functional Safety solutions.

Exhibiting Partners

Rheintacho UK - Enterprise Court, Pit Lane, Micklefield, Leeds, LS25 4BU, UK

Stand

21 Tel: +44 (0) 113 287

RHEINTACHO UK Ltd., formerly known as Foundrometers Instrumentation Ltd, and RHEINTACHO Messtechnik GmbH located in Freiburg, Germany, are both companies with longstanding traditions. They have been engaged for over a combined 220 years in the field of rotational speed, a crucial control quantity for mechanical processes.

Just under 100 employees are employed at the company’s headquarters in Freiburg and 10 are employed in Leeds.

In-house product development, production and assembly departments guarantee quick and innovative solutions to customers’ individual requirements. The production range incorporates a wide range of solutions of high technical quality, principally in the field of rotational speed, linear movement and flow measurement. These include sensors, hand-held measuring devices, tachometers and instruments, rotary encoders, stroboscopes and switching devices.

RHEINTACHO UK Ltd., which is a subsidiary of the German company RHEINTACHO Messtechnik GmbH, is specialised in the production of nonelectronic measurement and indication instruments, ATEX certified products, tacho-generators. It also acts as a sales and service centre for other Group products primarily for the UK and Ireland, with customers all over the world.

At RHEINTACHO’S facility in Micklefield, Leeds, all products are manufactured, assembled, tested and calibrated according to ISO 9001:2018.

RHEINTACHO UK is also the specialist in connection with spares and repairs of not only current products in its comprehensive portfolio, but also any instruments or devices which RHEINTACHO, Foundrometers or even products of an earlier acquisitions and any other brand no longer around.

RHEINTACHO UK is also the Centre of Competence in the RHEINTACHO Group which is responsible for ATEX products. Four years ago, the first product, a handheld mechanical

tachometer (HTM) was Zone 2 approved for use in hazardous areas. One year later, approval was upgraded to Zone 1, so that it can be used in mining environments. RHEINTACHO’s ATEX product portfolio took a further step in the second half of 2016 when a stationary stroboscope solution was introduced. The strobe was put into a zone 2 enclosure enabling usage in hazardous environments. A typical application can be found in the printing industry.

In 2018, we also ATEX certified our complete product line of Eddy Current Tachometers including all available gearboxes. Now over 14 different solutions are available for many potential applications. Due to the company strategy of continuous growth and development, further ATEX developments are now in the pipeline with two different portable stroboscope families being re-engineered to fulfil Zone 2 application safety requirements and will most likely be available in 2019.

Roxby Training Solutions - Unit W1 Wellington Court, Preston Farm Business Park, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS18

3TA, United Kingdom

Stand 31 Tel: +44 (0) 1642 438700 Email: j.dean@roxby.com Web: www.roxby.com

Roxby Training Solutions has two UK facilities, Teesside and Stallingborough, offering accredited and bespoke solutions in centre and onsite, facilities permitting. Courses include the JTL

Approved CompEx Modules, ExF Foundation, ExF+, Ex01 – Ex04 initial and refresher, Dust Ex05 & Ex06, Mechanical Ex11, Application Design Engineers Ex12 and the Responsible

Persons Ex14. Instrumentation courses include Introduction to Instrumentation, Measurement & Control Appreciation and Advanced Instrumentation.

Rugged Mobile Solutions - The Carriage House, Brynkinalt Business Centre, Chirk, Wrexham, LL14 5NS, UK

Stand 29 Tel: +44 (0)1691 900222 Email: sianjones@rm-systems.co.uk Web: www.ruggedmobilesystems.co.uk

RUGGED MOBILE Systems are specialists in the provision of robust, durable and well supported mobile computers, now beginning our 15th year. Several of the hardware solutions we offer are approved for use in a wide range of hazardous environments. You can now access information and capture data within explosive atmosphere areas on a range of robust ATEX approved Tablet PCs, Smartphones and PDAs.

Through a choice of WiFi or 4G LTE connectivity these devices allow you to quickly relate this data back to your office or client,

allowing for more streamlined processes and cost savings. With option for integral camera, barcode reader and RFID readers our ATEX approved computing hardware provides users with a selection of data capture options at your finger tips. Our ATEX approved devices can also be used in conjunction with a range of Bluetooth peripherals. We work closely with manufacturers of ATEX approved equipment including: Getac; Pepperl+Fuchs; Aegex Technologies; Zebra and i.safe MOBILE.

We will presenting a broad range of rugged

ATEX Zone 0/20, Zone 1/21 and Zone 2/22 mobile computers at the Hazardex 2021 Event – a show that is ideal for hazardous area and process safety specialists to get hands-on with the latest devices available. Whether you require a Windows 10 or Android platform we offer a range of rugged ATEX approved Tablet PCs, Smartphones, PDAs and peripherals to meet your requirements. We provide demonstration devices for trials and offer technical support in-house. We work closely with all our manufacturers and ensure that all our devices come with excellent long term support.

We know just how much time and money is lost chasing

solutions. That’s why we offer the best service in the industry

Tech-Ex Systems is an assembly partner for EATON and manufacturer Flameproof enclosures (formerly PETREL).

Our products range from:

• Exd Control Panels – Cast Iron & Aluminium

• Distribution Boards – GRP & Stainless Steel

• Control Stations – GRP & Stainless Steel

• Junction Boxes – GRP & Stainless Steel

Tech-Ex Systems design, build and test Explosion proof electrical equipment suitable for Zone 1 and 2 Hazardous Area environments. We are proud to offer an industryleading level of service. With our engineer-led customer support, Tech-Ex Systems provides a fast and efficient global service for all our customer needs.

Tired of waiting months to receive your orders?

Need to get through to the decision-makers straight away?

We know just how much time and money is lost chasing orders, quotations, and engineering solutions. That’s why we seek to offer the best service in the industry.

Tech-Ex Systems is an assembly partner for EATON and manufacturer of our own range of Flameproof enclosures (formerly PETREL).

Our products range from:

• Exd Control Panels – Cast Iron & Aluminium

• Distribution Boards – GRP & Stainless Steel

• Control Stations – GRP & Stainless Steel

• Junction Boxes – GRP & Stainless Steel

Our Managing Director, Harnak Sandhu BEng (Hons) is a qualified Electrical and Electronic engineer with over 30 years experience in the industry. After seeing the difficulties customers faced in chasing deliveries and engineering queries, Harnak set-up Tech-Ex Systems with a vision to provide:

Our Managing Director, Harnak Sandhu BEng (Hons) is a qualified Electrical and Electronic years experience in the industry. After seeing customers faced in chasing deliveries and Harnak formed Tech-Ex Systems with a vision

• Rapid quotations and turnaround times.

• Efficient telephone and email support engineers.

• Premium UK-based engineering.

The company started 13 years ago as an Eaton, designing, building and testing the Crouse Hinds products – a service which past 18 months, the PETREL Switchgear under the ownership of Tech-Ex Systems Ltd, which has been revitalised manufactured in the UK.

• Rapid quotations and turnaround times.

• Efficient telephone and email support directly with the engineers.

Today, the business is an established name in the marketplace for solutions.

• Quality UK-based engineering.

Call us today on 02476792620 to discuss how we can help you.

Tech-Ex Systems Limited, Unit 4 Trident Park, Poseiden Way, Warwick.CV34

Website : www.tech-exsystems.com ,Tel : 02476792620 , Email: info@tech

The company started its journey 13 years ago as an Assembly Partner for Eaton, designing, building and testing the world renowned CEAG Crouse Hinds products – a service which still continues today. In the past 18 months, the PETREL Switchgear range of products is now under the ownership of Tech-Ex Systems Ltd, which has been revitalised and is now solely manufactured in the UK.

Today, the business is an established name in the marketplace for bespoke engineering solutions.

Call us today on 02476 792 620 to discuss how we can help you.

Website: www.tech-exsystems.com

Email: info@tech-exsystems.com

Telephone: +44(0) 02476 792 620

Exhibiting Partners

SAFT - 26 Quai Charles Pasqua, Levallois-Perret, 92300, France

Stand 2 Tel: +33 (0) 549 55 59 44 Email: celine.bernard@saftbatteries.com

Saft’s products are designed for manufacturers of equipment that needs portable power in hazardous locations. Since 2006 Saft has been continuing to advance its range of Li-ion batteries specifically designed for this purpose.

From the manufacturing of the

electrochemical cell to the completed protected battery, everything is designed to specifically meet the requirements of the IECEx System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres. Saft has Li-ion cell or battery solutions for equipment using

most protection schemes for gas and dust. Each of Saft’s Li-ion component cells and batteries have IECEx Technical Reports (ExTR of Partial Testing) available from the IECEx Certificates database or from Saft.

Sella Controls – Carrington Field Street, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3JN, United Kingdom

Stand 6 Tel: +44 (0)161 429 4500

Sella Controls is a specialist independent designer and supplier of control & automation, safety critical solutions and functional safety lifecycle services to a variety of high hazard industries. Over the last 45 years we have developed a strong reputation of proven expertise in the supply of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) to the Process Industries and safety-critical systems to the rail sector.

From our design and manufacturing facilities in Stockport and Ashby-de-la-Zouch our team of in-house engineers and technicians work under the control of our BS EN ISO 9001 accredited Quality Management system using the best in class of product for the application, with our product partners; Codra, EKE Electronics, Gantner Instruments, HIMA, Honeywell, KST and Mitsubishi. In the process industries, during our 35 year relationship with HIMA we have supplied over 2000 Safety instrumented Systems based on the HIMA product range.

SELLA CONTROLS provides control and automation services in the following applications:

Email: sales@sellacontrols.com

* Solid state Safety Instrumented System

* PES bases Safety instrumented systems

* Burner Management

* Integrated Control & Safety Systems

* Emergency Shutdown Systems

* Distributed Control Systems

* High Integrity Pressure Protection

* Fire & Gas Detection

* Data Logging

* Interface & Marshalling Cabinets

* Control Panels and Desks

* Panel Building

* SCADA & Telemetry

* Power & Electrical Network Control

* Operational Communication Systems

* Rail Selective Door Opening Systems

* Station Information & Security Systems

* Rail Crossing Solutions

Web: www.sellacontrols.com

Functional Safety is built into our Quality Management System and this ensures the required techniques and measures detailed in IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 are applied to all safety critical projects. Our pedigree and history make SELLA CONTROLS the logical choice for Safety Instrumented System and Functional Safety solutions.

SELLA CONTROLS also provides expert led Functional Safety services across the entire safety system lifecycle including:

* Functional Safety Management

* HAZOP / CHAZOP / FMEA Facilitation

* SIL Determination (LOPA, Risk Graph FTA)

* Safety Requirements Specification

* Full Loop SIL Verification

* Proof Test Procedure Development

SELLA CONTROLS is a founding member of the 61508 association and in 2001 was awarded the first UKAS accredited SIRA CASS certificate for Functional Safety Management, an accreditation we have retained ever since.

* Independent Functional Safety Assessment Our involvement gives access to our combined functional safety knowledge, competency and our in house TÜV Rheinland Certified Functional Safety Expert (FS-Expert, SIS, #260).

SeSys - Unit 1 Rotherbrook Court, Bedford Road, Petersfield, GU32 3QG, United Kingdom

Tabletop 2 Tel: +44 (0) 1730 230530

SeSys manufacture a range of high-quality cameras certified for use in hazardous and explosive environments. Compliant with international standards our cameras make remote monitoring in inhospitable, hazardous or explosive areas possible and simple.

SeSys cameras are extensively utilised to help improve safety by allowing hazardous

Email: info@sesys.com

Web: www.sesys.com

areas, manufacturing and production processes to be monitored from a safe distance without compromise to the inspection quality while removing personnel from potentially harmful environments.

The intelligent analytical capability within each camera will notify staff when a condition or rule is compromised saving human lives,

downtime and even help reduce maintenance costs.

Our extensive range of camera models cover the optical and thermal spectrums with the crisp clear images reducing the dangers posed to personnel and asset from mechanical failure, friction overheating or even pre-smoke fire warnings.

Exhibiting Partners

SGS Baseefa - Rockhead Business Park, Staden Lane, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 9RZ, United Kingdom

Stand 23 Tel: +44 (0) 1298 766 600 Email: Baseefa@sgs.com Web: www.sgs.co.uk

SGS Baseefa is the leading internationally recognised certification body for explosion protected equipment, successfully delivering ATEX certification and IECEx certification to customers around the globe. We have consistently issued more internationally acceptable IECEx Certificates year on year than any other certification body in the world.

SGS is also an NRTL (Nationally Recognised Test Laboratory), and is officially recognised by the American Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for safety and compliance and can assess, test and certify equipment for the US and Canadian ‘Hazloc’ market. SGS is the first NRTL able to provide certification to the ISA versions of the IEC 60079 series of standards, in addition to the more common “Division” standards.

Both the management team and internal processes were re-organised at the end of 2016 in order to provide a more customer focussed approach. This has resulted in faster turnaround

times (benchmark of 8 weeks) whilst retaining our focus on quality and integrity.

We can facilitate product approvals for most regions including China, Korea, Russia, South Africa and Brazil. Using our global network of SGS offices and partners we can provide a cohesive and managed approach to our customers global Ex certification requirements.

At SGS Baseefa, activities extend well beyond just certification, and we deliver a comprehensive range of training courses that provide knowledge on subjects such as product certification, quality systems, and DSEAR Risk Assessment and Hazardous Area Classification.

Research work into explosions in hazardous atmospheres has been carried out at Buxton for almost 100 years, and the experience and dedication to the hazardous area industry has earned SGS Baseefa the world renowned position that it holds today.

Having joined SGS in 2011, we are part of a world-wide organisation that provides independent

services across the globe. SGS provides industry leading inspection, verification, testing and certification services - anywhere in the world.

SGS Baseefa is currently one of the largest organisations in the world with a laboratory dedicated to certification in this area. With over 300 years collective experience, the staff at SGS Baseefa have extensive knowledge of the applications of industry standards in many areas, and customers have access to a wealth of information and support.

As a world leader in the field of Hazardous Areas and equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, SGS Baseefa offers a comprehensive range of services to meet all our customer needs. We have five main service areas :

• Product Certification (including ATEX, IECEx, and North America)

• Training

• Personnel Competence

• DSEAR Compliance

• Service Facility Certification

Site Bright – 6 The Dell, Enterprise Drive, Four Ashes, Wolverhampton, WV10 7DF, United Kingdom

Stand 5 Tel: +44 (0)1902 791855 Email: info@site-bright.co.uk Web: www.shindaiwa.co.uk/site-bright

Site Bright Light is a leading supplier of Industrial lighting to the UK Petrochemical, Industrial, Rental, Confined Space, and Hazardous Area Industries.

A division of Shindaiwa Limited, Site Bright has developed an enviable reputation for supplying some of the brightest Zone 1 and 2 ATEX and UKEX lighting solutions to the demanding UK Hazardous Area Industrial Equipment markets. Backed up by leading warranty and aftersales service, Site Bright products are designed perform and made to last, compliant with the latest CE / UKCA regulations and ATEX / UKEX certified, products are ideal

for safety critical hazardous area working environments.

With fully stocked depots in Wolverhampton England and Perth Scotland, Site Bright products are available for fast delivery throughout the UK and backed up with Industry leading backup and support. The Site Bright M1 Series offers unrivalled performance and reliability to the UK market with over 200lm/w light output from latest technology Nichia LED’s the M1 can provide up to 9000lm of diffused light, preventing any risk of eye injury. The M1’s unique cable entry system combined with fitted end cap protection boots provide unbeatable

protection and simple cable replacement. With 5 years of warranty covering the whole light the M1 Series offers the lowest cost of ownership in class. Also available is the unique Site Bright Ultra Rechargeable work light offering class leading output performance from an incredibly light weight and compact package. The highly robust polypropylene casing protects the light from drops and impacts and offers a variety of different mounting options. With latest technology Lithium Polymer batteries the Ultra Rechargeable work light can operate up to 8 hours and is certified to operate in Zone 1 Gas & 21 dust hazardous areas.

Exhibiting Partners

Tempa

Pano

- Unit 5 Tempa

Pano House, Centre 21 Industrial

Estate, Bridge Lane, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4AW, United Kingdom

Tabletop 1 Tel: +44 (0) 1925 811290

Established in 1989 to specifically manufacture and export enclosures and cabinets for low voltage applications, Tempa Pano has since proved its market presence through affordable high quality products.

With offices based in the UK, France, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia, as well as distributors in Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Morocco – Tempa Pano constantly strives to be within close reach of the markets’ demand.

Tempa Pano’s UK operations have been present since 2000 serving its UK customer base with bespoke engineering solutions and customer

oriented support.

As part of an extensive enclosure and electrical distribution range, Tempa Pano also manufactures ATEX & IECEx approved explosion proof terminal boxes. These are produced using high grade stainless steel or pre-galvanised painted steel, with the option of including certified combinations of terminals fitted to mounting rails on the rear panel. Designed with the highest safety measures and a high degree of protection the TEX & TES Series of junction boxes are guaranteed to answer your requirements for increased and intrinsically safe applications.

Aiming to provide customers with integrated solutions, Tempa Pano correspondingly supplies a range of ex-proof products including isolators, plugs, sockets, signalling technologies, thermal management elements and cable glands which can easily combined utilising the ergonomic design of our terminal boxes.

Coupled with a highly experienced and qualified engineering team whose expertise is readily available to Tempa Pano UK, our sales team is confident in finding the best technical solutions with effective designs and competitive market prices.

Thorne & Derrick – Unit 7, Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester-Le-Street, DH2 1AN, United Kingdom

Stand 3 Tel: +44 0191 410 4292 Email: tmcdonald@thorneandderrick.co.uk Web: www.heatingandprocess.com

Thorne & Derrick, the Experts in Equipment for Explosive Atmospheres, are Specialist Distributors of Industrial & Hazardous Area Electrical Equipment to provide Power, Heat, Light & Ventilation in accordance with UKCA-EX, ATEX & IECEX requirements.

Established in 1985 we provide a competitive and customer-focussed service in explosive atmosphere industries from our two offices in Durham & Bristol.

We are leaders in the development of EX Product Innovations to deliver technical solutions that improve safety, compliance and cost-efficiency to your site operations. We

are proactive problem solvers experienced in succession planning for the replacement of obsolete, non-conformant and legacy equipment in hazardous areas. We provide design services for Trace Heating & Lighting Schemes - we have a solid reputation for knowledge, service and integrity.

Key Hazardous Area Product Categories: Process Heating, Trace Heating, Static Earthing Control, Mobile Communications, Electrical Power Distribution, Junction Boxes, Motor Starters, Plugs & Sockets, Fluid Automation, Security & Access Control, Flame & Gas Detection, Process

& Instrumentation Equipment, LV HV Cable Accessories & Arc Flash Clothing and PPE.

Distributors for: 3M Electrical, ABB, Appleton, ASCO, Dynaco, EXHEAT, MEDC, Nexans, ProGARM, Prysmian, Raytec, Roxtec, Technor, Thermon, VEGA and Wolf Safety

- Scope –single-source supply of extensive range of products

- Stock – a multi-million pound stock holding provides complete global supply solutions

- Staff – technical support from a trained, proactive and friendly team

- Delivery – UK stock turnaround with express logistics to all international destinations

Total Rental Solutions - Unit H3, Morton Park Way, Darlington, DL1 4PH, United Kingdom

Stand 1 Tel: +44 (0) 1325 609040 Email: info@trs-hire.com Web: trs-hire.com

Total Rental Solutions provides general and industry-specific tools and safety equipment to the petrochemical, oil & gas, water, waste,

energy, and manufacturing sectors. Services range from providing ad-hoc tool hire, sales, equipment calibration and servicing, to

full equipment rental management during maintenance events, turnarounds and major projects.

and Zone 2 environments. The company is focused on providing customers with rapid response, engineering-led

assembly, panel building, wiring services and inspections.

Exhibiting Partners

Trainor - Prestegaten 3-5, NO-3126 Tønsberg, Postboks 554 Sentrum, NO-3101 Tønsberg, Norway

Stand 26 Tel: +47 33 37 89 00

Email: post@trainor.no Web: en.trainor.no/cms/

As the leading Nordic electrical and Ex safety trainer, Trainor combines solid electrical, Ex safety and HSE competence with modern technology, offering groundbreaking e-learning courses to the worldwide Ex industry.

Setting new standards for safety training

Trainor is the Nordic leader of electrical safety and hazardous areas training for professionals. With more than 30 years of experience, we provide industries worldwide with high quality e-learning, traditional training, and digital training solutions. Combining solid electrical, Ex safety and HSE competence with modern technology, storytelling, 3D animation and film technology, we make safety training that educates, inspires, entertain and challenge attitudes.

Knowledge to remember

We make it easy for you to stay professionally up to date and ensure that your employees always have the necessary safety training. High professional quality is crucial when we develop e-learning. Our top professional experts are therefore responsible for the content. Together with creative and innovative multimedia designers and system developers, we create interesting and engaging courses that are easy to understand with knowledge to remember.

High safety standards

The Nordic safety standards are known as effective. High safety standards and competency requirements is a success factor when it comes to preventing accidents and injuries. Electrical installations in areas at risk of explosion are particularly critical, as a minor error could lead to catastrophic results. Our experts have strong

expertise and broad experience both with operations, training and inspections in hazardous areas. They are IECEx certified and participate in various standard committees and groups both nationally and internationally, including NK 31, NK 64 and NK 18, as well as IECEx working groups.

Committed to safety

Trainor is an innovative company with a focus on people and attitudes. An increasing need for training within electrical safety means that we need to develop and stay up to date. We are proud to deliver training courses, consultancy service and technical solutions that are always professionally up to date and customized to your needs. We believe in close contact with authorities and industry organizations in order to improve safety in every single workplace.

TUV SUD - Octagon House, Concorde Way, Segensworth North, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5RL, United Kingdom

Stand 4 Tel: +44 (0)3300 169 924 Email: info.uk@tuvsud.com Web: www.tuvsud.com/uk

For over 30 years, TÜV SÜD has provided market access solutions and regulatory expertise for manufacturers and suppliers of Explosion Protection products. TÜV SÜD offers assessment and engineering services to manufacturers and

users of machinery, so that they can have peace of mind that they comply with all applicable machinery safety legislation and meet the requirements of the hazardous area industry.

With our TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH

Notified Body and TÜV SÜD Limited (UK) applying to become a UKCA Approved Body, our dedicated team of experts will be able to offer both CE marking and UKCA marking services following the transitional period.

Stand 30 Tel: +34 976 46 22 00 Email: info@zalux.com Web: www.zalux.com

ZALUX is your reliable partner for explosion proof LED luminaires certified for use in Ex-Zones according to the ATEX directive. We specialise in the development and manufacturing of durable luminaires with high protection ratings for extreme conditions in hazardous areas in chemical, oil

& gas or heavy industries. With over 40 years’ experience, we manufacture in Europe have and products installed in more than 70 countries. We are a registered vendor in some major EPC companies and promote our products to oil and gas end users globally. Our luminaires comply

with ATEX – IECEX standards, as well as CE and ROHS marks. Their quality and safety are the result of our reliable processes, the best materials and consistent testing.

Zalux – Avda. Manuel Rodríguez Ayuso 114, P-1ª, P-2. Centro Empresarial Miralbueno, Zaragoza, 50012, Spain

Under pressure: the benefits of explosion venting panels

Inindustrial, manufacturing or power generation facilities where potentially explosive atmospheres or processes exist, specialised venting can be used as a means of limiting damage in the event of an explosion. Andy Moul, Technical Manager at Construction Specialties considers the role of venting wall panels in protecting the workforce as well as ensuring a building’s structure is not compromised.

Combustible dust, gas and chemical explosions present a serious risk for owners and operators in a wide range of industries, from pharmaceutical, chemical and food production facilities to energy, recycling and sewage treatment plants and any other facilities storing potentially dangerous substances.

Powders and dust are one of the most common causes of industrial fires and explosions and can include food products, dyes, chemicals, wood and metals which all have the potential to be combustible in dust

form. According to a report by Dust Safety Science, 165 fires and 60 explosions were logged globally in 2020 which resulted in 88 injuries and 10 fatalities. On 3 December 2020, four people were killed and one injured at the Wessex Water wastewater plant in Avonmouth near Bristol when a silo that held treated biosolids exploded. Five days later at a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia, one person was killed and three injured following an explosion after a 1,200-gallon metal dryer became overpressurised while drying a compound used for sanitation.

Gas and solvent explosions are not uncommon either with 2020 seeing perhaps the largest accidental industrial explosion ever recorded. The result of improperly stored ammonium nitrate, the blast at a warehouse in the port of Beirut killed nearly 200 people, injured more than 6,000 and was heard in Cyprus, 150 miles away. A research team at Sheffield University’s Blast and Impact Engineering Research Group said it was the most powerful non-nuclear

explosion of the 21st century. Such was the damage to infrastructure across the city, the economic cost of the explosion on the August 4 is estimated to run to over $10 billion.

Devastating incidents such as these are a stark reminder of both the human and economic cost of industrial accidents and their ever-present risk to society. Fires and explosions are the largest losses for businesses, with figures from global insurance carrier Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty (AGCS) putting the average incident claim at 1.5 million euros. It is clear that it is critical for owners and operators to ensure their facilities are safe, and appropriate measures are in place, to minimise the risk of explosions and their damaging effects.

Explosion risks

In industrial or manufacturing facilities, most explosions are caused by deflagration – an explosion that propagates via a heat transfer, at a velocity slower than the speed of sound

The 4 August, 2020 explosion in Beirut which killed nearly 200 people and injured more than 6,000 was a stark reminder of both the human and economic cost of industrial accidents and their ever-present risk to society – Image: Shutterstock

and may involve dust, gas, chemicals or any combination of these. This is distinct from a detonation caused by high explosive compounds, which propagates faster than the speed of sound.

It is generally accepted that the three components needed to ignite and sustain a fire are fuel, ignition and oxygen and are symbolised by the ‘fire triangle’. In a deflagation, two other factors come into play with dispersion and confinement creating what is termed as the ‘Explosion Pentagon.’

Liquid fuels dispersed in air as a fine mist and solid fuels dispersed in air as dust pose similar deflagration risks as gaseous fuels. Combustible dusts include corn starch, wheat flour, soybean, rice, charcoal or wood; flammable liquids include solvents, emulsions, paints and resins and gases such as oxygen, nitrous oxide and acetylene are all potentially explosive or act as a powerful oxidising source.

As mentioned, deflagration occurs when pressure and temperature builds up and there is an ignition source (which can be a flame, electrical spark, mechanical friction or a hot surface, such as overheating bearings). Deflagration can cause a pressure wave and carry a flame that can disturb and ignite other fuel, causing an even bigger, secondary explosion.

Existing guidance and legislation

There is a raft of legislation covering explosive atmospheres (see box at the end of this article). In the UK, alongside their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers must comply with EU Directive 99/92 (commonly known as the ATEX Workplace Directive), which is enforced through the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), to ensure staff are kept safe from harm.

Any equipment and protective measures must meet EU Directive 94/9/EC (ATEX 95 or the ATEX Equipment Directive), which is implemented in the UK through The Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016.

Reducing the risk of deflagration

Measures which can be taken to reduce the risk of deflagration and overpressure include dust suppression systems, inerting (the partial or complete substitution of air or flammable atmosphere by an inert gas), avoiding ignition sources, mechanical ventilation and pressure (or explosion) venting.

Suppression systems can be used in equipment such as dust collectors and occasionally in silos, but it is generally not practical to install them in large rooms or manufacturing areas and they are not appropriate for gas stores.

Mechanical venting, using fans and louvres, is an option (and sometimes a requirement) for gas stores. It works by exchanging air with the outside to avoid gas build-up and by maintaining pressure to prevent it increasing. However, these systems are expensive to install, operate and maintain, and are not foolproof. If vents become blocked or there is mechanical failure, pressure or explosive gases can build-up, increasing the risk of deflagration.

Mechanical venting is sometimes used in conjunction with explosion relief venting – deliberate points of weakness built into

manufacturing equipment or the building structure that open should pressure rise above a set safe level.

Explosion and pressure relief venting systems

Explosion and pressure-relief venting is an effective standalone measure for relieving overpressure and mitigating the severity of deflagration. Once pressure rises to an unacceptable level, the vent opens quickly, allowing rapidly-expanding gas or dust to be released to the outside, so the equipment or building structure are not subjected to overpressure and the damage and risk to building users is minimised.

While venting of individual pieces of equipment is effective, it is often impossible to prevent the formation of dense dust clouds inside a process room; to eliminate the risk of gas being present in a store or prevent any ignition risks (such as machinery causing a spark) being present.

Venting of a gas or dust deflagration on equipment can cause a tongue of flame to issue from the vent, potentially leading to unburned dust or gas being ignited, creating a fireball and potential overpressure situation. Building venting is an effective solution to mitigate damage.

Depending on the application, explosion venting must comply with European Standards BS EN 14797, BS EN 14491 and BS EN 14994 and should also meet the US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 68 Venting of Deflagrations guidelines and FM Global’s 1-44 Damage Limiting Construction document (see box at the end of this article).

Hinged vs blow-out panels

Typical building venting systems take the form of blow-out or hinged wall panels. Blow-out panels are ejected from the building when safe pressures are exceeded; hinged panels open by a top or bottom hinge and then return to a near closed position.

Hinged panels offer a major advantage over blow-out panels principally because they can be non-destructively tested as part of regular maintenance regimes and are reusable because they can be closed and reset.

These panels are factory-calibrated to release at very low design pressures to prevent catastrophic damage. When

internal pressures rise rapidly, the panels release quickly and, once pressure has been relieved, return to a near-closed position. A rotating hold open device allows air to return to the room, to protect the structure from implosion forces as superheated gases begin to cool.

Hinged panels can be made of either insulated aluminium or, where light transfer is a requirement, high-strength translucent polycarbonate, mounted in powdercoated aluminium surround. Panels can be mounted within an extruded aluminium frame and can be manufactured to be installed in portrait or landscape orientation. Smooth and angled surfaces reduce dust accumulation and allow easy cleaning, a key to eliminating secondary dust explosions.

By comparison, the only way to know if a blow-out panel works is if an explosion occurs and the panels have to be replaced after any event, with the associated costs and downtime. Blow-out panels are also typically larger and heavier and use shear bolts and fasteners, making their reliable performance highly dependent on them

being installed correctly. Additionally, these panels present a risk as they can act like missiles if blown off a building, so have to be restrained using chains, cables or other methods that still allow them to open fully.

Way forward

When you consider the devastating impact an explosion can cause to an industrial facility, not just in terms of business interruption and lost productivity, but also the potential for loss of life or injury, the provision of a safe working environment is paramount to owners and operators of all businesses handling and storing potentially combustible materials.

While safe working practices are vital, there is a range of systems available to reduce the risk of overpressure and deflagration. Installing explosion vents in a building structure is a cost-effective way of creating a last line of defence as part of an explosion mitigation strategy.

Explosion venting can help employers meet their legal obligations, protect staff from the risk of injury and death, and ensure buildings remain safe and secure should the worst happen.

30 years, and has been in his current position since 2008, leading a Technical Team in providing comprehensive project support from design stages right through to maintenance programmes.

About the author

Andy Moul is Technical Support Manager at Construction Specialties (UK) Ltd, a global manufacturer and supplier of a range of specialist building products. He has worked for the company for over

Legislation and standards

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 sets out the responsibilities of employers to ensure they meet the minimum requirements of protecting the health and safety of staff in their place of work.

Directive 99/92/EC (also known as ATEX 137 or the ATEX Workplace Directive) gives minimum requirements for improving the health and safety protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres. In the UK, this is implemented through the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR).

The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) requires employers to assess the health and safety risks arising from dangerous substances – materials that “could, if not properly controlled, cause harm to people as a result of a fire or explosion or corrosion of metal,”and put measures in place to “either remove those risks or, where this is not possible, control them”.

Directive 94/9/EC (also known as ATEX 95 or the ATEX Equipment Directive) allows trade of ATEX equipment and protective systems across the EU, removing the need for separate testing and documentation for each Member State. Certification ensures equipment or protective systems are fit for purpose and that adequate information is supplied to ensure they can be used safely.

The Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres

2016: Great Britain covers a wide range of equipment, including explosion venting systems. It requires testing by an independent body and equipment must be CE marked.

BS 5908:2012 Fire and explosion precautions at premises handling flammable gases, liquids and dusts

Part 1: Code of practice for precautions against fire and explosion in chemical plants, chemical storage and similar premises

Part 2: Guide to applicable standards and regulations

BS EN 14797: 2006 Explosion venting devices

This European Standard specifies the requirements for venting devices used to protect enclosures against the major effects of internal explosions arising from the rapid burning of suspended dust, vapour or gas.

BS EN 14491:2012 Dust explosion venting protective systems

This European Standard specifies the requirements for dust explosion venting protective systems.

BS EN 14994: 2007 Gas explosion venting protective systems

This European Standard specifies the basic design requirements for the selection of a gas explosion venting protective system.

NFPA 68 Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting (2018)

The US National Fire Protection Association is recognised as the leading global authority on explosive events. This document provides specific recommendations for the design, location, installation, maintenance and operation of explosion vents.

FM Global FM 4440 Approval Standard for Explosion Venting Systems

The standard sets out the performance requirements for explosion venting systems – examined for their ability to remain in place under normal conditions but to fail at pre-determined pressure levels. It also covers wall fasteners to secure wall panels to buildings, plus latches and magnetic release devices.

FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 1-44

Damage-Limiting Construction

This provides guidelines for the design and construction of building components including explosion venting panels, based on the pressures, room areas and the type of substances being used or stored in the building.

HTM 02-01 Medical gas pipeline systems – Part B: Operational management

The Department of Health’s Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs) provide best practice engineering standards for healthcare providers. HTM 02-01 Part B covers operational management issues.

British Compressed Gases Association Code of Practice 44: The storage of gas cylinders

This code of practice provides advice and guidance for the safe storage of gas cylinders, including recommendations for construction of stores.

HSG51 Storage of flammable liquids in containers

This guidance is for those responsible for the safe storage of flammable liquids in containers up to 1,000 litre capacity. Covers the fire and explosion hazards and is designed to be used with DSEAR.

Safety in the renewables sector

Aspreparations ramp up for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow later this year, global attention on renewable energy has rarely been greater. At the same time, the UK’s commitment to 2050 Net Zero emissions has given fresh emphasis to the drive for cleaner energy over the past two years and, whilst the ultimate goal remains some way off, some recent milestones clearly indicate the direction – and pace – of travel.

At the beginning of the year, it was announced that annual electricity generation from renewable sources outstripped fossil fuels for the first time in 2020, providing 42% of the UK’s electricity (The Guardian, January 2021).

At the same time, work has begun to develop the largest offshore wind farm in Scotland which, once complete, will generate enough electricity to power a million homes, furthering the UK’s ambition to deliver 40GW of offshore wind by 2030. (Seagreen Wind Energy, June 2020).

But whilst the urgency around climate change targets and Net Zero is accelerating

and the rush for renewable fuel sources is intensifing, there is a steadily developing sense of urgency regarding another topic within renewables: safety.

To many, there is a perception that clean, renewable energy and environmental initiatives, such as carbon capture, are green, clean, and therefore safe. However, in reality, many of the risks are as just as significant as those involved in the oil and gas sectors.

Dräger recently commissioned independent research which showed that there is a growing recognition within the industry itself that safety standards in the UK’s clean and renewable energy sector need to keep pace with broader developments being seen in the sector’s current ‘goldrush’.

More than three in five (63%) managers in the oil, gas and renewables sectors who took part in the research indicated that there are concerns in their organisation about a major safety incident occurring in the next five years, while 83% indicated concerns about emerging and evolving safety risks which they feel the sector is still getting to grips with.

If we consider some typical examples of safety risks in the clean energy sector, significant elements of work within the wind energy sector take place in offshore environments. Workers are exposed to risks from electrical motors and gears, and these hazards are compounded by the fact that some turbine designs present additional safety complications associated with confined spaces. In these situations, potential harmful gas builds up and therefore pre-entry gas detection checks are vital to ensure that oxygen levels are adequate and that any hazardous gases that may have gathered are identified.

The carbon capture and hydrogen industries also come with their own safety risks – the storage and transport of high volumes of gas. For example, exposure to high levels of carbon dioxide can cause a variety of adverse health effects; headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing and ultimately asphyxia, whereas high levels of hydrogen pose fire and explosion risks, as well as the danger of asphyxiation.

In addition, there is the likely re-purposing of decommissioned oil rig platforms for use within the UK’s carbon capture and

storage programme to consider. Whilst the purpose of the rig operation will be different, the operational hazards are much the same as those commonly faced on legacy oil rig operations: large numbers of people on a very remote platform in a harsh North Sea environment, with high volumes of hazardous gases. The gases might be different – hydrogen and carbon dioxide as opposed to methane – and they may be being pumped into the ground rather being extracted out of it, but the potential for a serious incident is much the same.

Whilst concerns about a major safety incident are by no means limited to the renewables industry, the potential gravity of such incidents in oil, gas and renewable environments, combined with the fact that many can recall the grave nature of previous major incidents such as Piper Alpha, perhaps account for why such incidents are more front of mind for those working in these sectors.

This could also explain the fact that the importance of reminding employees of the risks of major safety disasters in their industry was a sentiment expressed most strongly in our research by managers in the oil, gas, renewables and utilities industries (93% compared to an average across all industries of 87%), and why the same group also emphasises the importance of ensuring that safety knowledge is passed on to the

next generation of workers, with 80% of managers in oil, gas, renewables and utilities agreeing with this statement. Such issues are particularly front of mind in the industry currently, given the significant maintenance backlog issues within offshore environments because of Covid-19 restrictions and spending cuts (Offshore Engineer, January 2021).

Aside from the obvious vital lifesaving reasons that safety must catch up with broader progress in the UK’s renewables sector, there are other reasons for companies to pay attention to the concerns around the risk of a major incident.

Three quarters of those involved in the research (75%) think that businesses should invest more in safety equipment and training to avert a major safety incident, with – on average – 54% of the responsibility for employee safety seen to rest with the employer as opposed to employee.

Furthermore, when it comes to staff retention, 90% of those in the sector said that an employer’s safety record would impact any decision to stay with a company long term, while three quarters (75%) said it would affect their decision to accept a job in the first place.

Safety is clearly, and understandably, a key concern – in the minds of both managers

and the wider workforce – and is one which requires ongoing investment and focus, whether the industry is oil and gas, or a new and emerging industries such as clean energy and carbon capture. With the eyes of the world on Glasgow in November, the UK has the opportunity to raise awareness and take the lead in ensuring that safety keeps pace with other developments in the sector, to the benefit of all involved.

The full report is available to download at: draegersafetyatwork.blog

Paul Davidson has been an Account Manager at Aberdeen-based Dräger Marine and Offshore for the past two years but his experience of the oil and gas sector spans more than a decade. His expertise in safety lies primarily in gas detection, rescue equipment and breathing apparatus, as well as instrumentation and renewables. He’s also a member of the Decommissioning North Sea Leadership Group and sits on the Group’s market intelligence steering group.

There can be a perception that renewable energy is clean and therefore safe, however schemes such as the carbon capture and storage project at Drax Power Station (pictured) involve risks not too dissimilar to those of the oil and gas sector due to the storage and transport of high volumes of gas – Image: Shutterstock.

About the author

Top tips for flash point management

Thereare many treatments for migraines, from cold compresses and over-the-counter medicine, to Botox. However, if you don’t deal with the cause of the migraine, for example stress or dehydration, it will keep coming back. Similarly, when operating a heat transfer system, the key to maintenance is dealing with the problem, not the symptoms. Here Clive Jones, Managing Director at thermal oil supplier Global Heat Transfer, gives his advice on effective flash point management.

When an issue arises in a heat transfer system, it should be solved as quickly as possible so that it does not negatively impact safety or production or result in unnecessary costs.

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Take this example, during fluid sample analysis, engineers identify an increase in light ends in the fluid. Light ends boil and ignite at low temperatures, reducing the ignition point (flash point) of the thermal fluid. This increases the risk of fire, putting the workforce and facility at risk. Engineers can remove these light ends from the system, but if they do not deal with the cause of the problem, light ends will continue to be generated.

So, what are light ends?

Heat transfer fluids operate at very high temperatures for extended periods of time, so if it is not monitored and managed properly, the fluid will begin to degrade and impact production.

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Gravity fed light ends removal kit – Image: Global Heat Transfer

When operated at these high temperatures, fluids begin to degrade as a result of oxidation — chemical reactions in the presence of oxygen. Oxidation produces sticky carbon deposits of sludge, which may be corrosive to a heat transfer system. Fluid also degrades by a process called thermal cracking. During cracking, the bonds between hydrocarbon chains break, producing shorter chained light ends that lower the flash point of the fluid. The higher the operating temperature, the more light ends are generated. The rate at which the light ends are produced is also dependent on the oil type and the operating temperature. Hydrocarbon chains can also recombine to form heavy ends that usually cause fouling of the heat transfer system.

Engineers have a duty to manage light ends to reduce the risk of fire in line with legislation such as the Dangerous Substance and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) and Explosive Atmospheres Directive (ATEX 137).

Light ends removal

Engineers can temporarily install a light ends removal kit (LERK) to remove volatile light ends. Hot thermal fluid flows through the distillation vessel and the gaseous light ends are collected in the liquid phase of the condenser. The light ends are either drained automatically or manually from the system. The system is not open to atmosphere as a hot expansion tank would be. This protects the oil against oxidation ageing.

While removing the light ends will improve safety and productivity, if engineers do not deal with the cause of the formation of these light ends, the problem will reoccur.

Ongoing management

Implementing a continuous preventative maintenance programme can help to slow degradation and improve efficiency. Regular fluid sampling and analysis enables engineers to get an accurate representation of the condition of the fluid in the system and anticipate what could happen in the near future. Engineers can then intervene and carry out maintenance tasks before thermal fluid degradation impacts production, reducing the risk of downtime while also maintaining safe operations.

Permanently installing a LERK also enables engineers to manage light ends on a continuous basis. For example, tailored light ends removal kits are available that are specifically designed to meet system size, specifications and oil type. There are two kinds of LERKs currently available to cater for different system layouts – passive LERKs that use gravity to return the oil to the circuit and a new range of active, floor mounted, LERKs that employ a frequency-controlled pump. These kits can also be fitted to both new and existing systems.

While a cold compress or painkiller might treat a migraine, it is only a temporary fix. Similarly, choosing to use a LERK to remove light ends on a temporary basis is not an effective way of managing flash points in the long term. By implementing a thermal fluid maintenance plan that includes regular fluid sampling and permanently installing a LERK as part of the system, engineers can manage fluid degradation, improve productivity and safeguard the workforce.

Corrosion and explosive management in anaerobic digestion processes

Ananaerobic digester (AD) refers to an airtight tank where anaerobic bacteria, or those that thrive in the absence of oxygen, are used to breakdown organic wastes into smaller molecular compounds for use elsewhere. These anaerobic bacteria generate both methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) gases in near equal volumes as they digest the waste material. In modern AD this biogas is captured and converted into energy to provide heat, power and sanitation.

Anaerobic digestion and biogas technology can supply 30% of the UK’s domestic gas demand. That is the degree of importance that the UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) placed on the ability of a fully supported UK biogas industry back in 2015. The process is now a continually important area of focus as the initiative can reduce CO2 emissions, provide a wide range of post-COVID employment opportunities for city and rural occupants, produce low carbon energy 24/7 and provide a resource to fertilise land and reduce polluting farm run off.

According to David Newman, President of the World Biogas Association: “If we do not address methane emissions from organic

waste, all our efforts to tackle the climate crisis will fail. AD is one of those ready to go, ready to scale technologies, the path we take is clear”.

Biogas is the main desirable product from anaerobic digestion of organic carbon. The key to small scale digestion is generating and using the energy on site to help to meet our 2023 targets as set by the Government.

So how does the process work?

All agricultural AD/biogas systems employ two distinct processes that must work together:

• The biological process such as the hydrolysis and acidogenesis processes involves the microbial population that breaks down biodegradable organic material and converts a portion of it into CH4-rich biogas and digestate. Just as livestock farmers work to maintain proper animal nutrition, consistent feeding, and comfortable living conditions to maximise livestock growth or food production, Anaerobic Digestion or biogas system operators must also work to maintain proper AD nutrition, including consistent and high-quality feed and sustainable living conditions for their microorganisms. If these conditions are

consistently achieved, the AD will efficiently produce high-quality biogas and digestate.

• The mechanical process involves the accompanying conveyors, pumps, fans and blowers, piping, tanks and other equipment that move and process the incoming organic material and the recovered biogas and digestate. The mechanical process also includes equipment for biogas utilisation. Just as farm operators must maintain their tractors, implements and manure-handling equipment to properly maintain farm production, AD/biogas system operators must also maintain the mechanical systems to ensure consistent production of highquality biogas and digestate.

Corrosion & explosion management

The risk of explosion or corrosion from toxic gases and moist air respectively, means that the system’s components must be corrosion resistant and manufactured from suitable materials that can handle this type of environment, for example non-corrosive polypropylene fans should be used to exhaust biogas from the digester to the combined heat and power engine to enable safe and effective processing. Aggressive chemicals produced during the anaerobic digestion process attack steel and corrosion can set in very quickly.

If a fan for example starts to develop signs of rusting, processes such as welding are out of the question due to the high concentrations of combustible methane and carbon dioxide gases that can be readily ignited by a simple welding spark. The fermentation and oxidation processes used by these digesters whether concrete or steel, create the perfect environment for corrosion both at the liquid and gas stage, while sludge tanks face similar challenges. Waste management industries such as AD require corrosion management strategies that extend their lifetime, as well as maintenance free periods. Non-metallic solutions and components, as mentioned previously and high-performance coatings, are well positioned to deliver benefits to the asset owners and AD operators.

Fundamentals of biogas safety

As the process of AD produces hazardous gases and operates under the absence of oxygen there are risks for those maintaining these systems. Handling biogas requires caution. CH4 is combustible with air at concentrations between 5 percent and 15 percent, known as the lower explosive limit and the upper explosive limit, respectively. Biogas systems typically produce CH4 concentrations in the range of 45 percent to 70 percent and introducing air into the

biogas handling system could bring the CH4 concentrations into the explosive range, presenting risk of an explosion in the presence of an ignition source.

H2S is a toxic gas that can cause severe health effects or death. An example of the risk of death occurs in maintenance. Empty digesters will be low in oxygen and some residual gases may still be present even though the digestate and slurry has been removed. These gases must be mechanically exhausted out to ensure it is safe for maintenance staff to occupy.

Summary

Aside from the process of delivering high quality biogas and digestate, operators have a wide range of things to consider and maintain to ensure the AD process remains safe and effective. Corrosion, explosion hazards and ventilation are key aspects to consider. Preventing the presence of explosive mixtures from escaping seams and joints is one aspect but controlling ignition sources is another issue which could prove fatal within a few seconds.

The Occupational Safety and Health administration (OSHA) defines something immediately dangerous to life and health (IDHL) to be the concentration of toxic or corrosive substances posing an immediate

threat to life. AD is an interesting and expansive topic to research. It will be interesting to see if the UK government continues to throw weight behind the sector especially in line with their commitment to being net zero by 2050 and closer to home, the initiative to reduce food waste from land fill by 2030. Naturally, prevention is the best cure, but where this is not achieved, AD is the better option to incineration or disposal.

With over 10 years’ experience in corrosive and hazardous environments, Faye Brophy heads up the Industrial division at Axair Fans UK Limited.

About the author

Image: Shutterstock

Factors to consider when choosing for offshore wind energy applications

Whenselecting lighting for an offshore wind farm, a number of important factors should be considered, including maintenance, energy costs and quality of light to minimise downtime, says Gordon Low of Glamox.

Offshore wind projects normally require five years’ warranty from float out or even commissioning the farm, so it is critical to supply high quality products that can withstand this time out at sea, particularly as replacement costs on offshore wind farm projects are extremely high. Operation and maintenance activity accounts for approximately 25% of the lifetime cost of an offshore wind farm. Offshore wind installations require state of the art lighting products that meet regulations and are tested and certified to meet the challenging conditions.

Typical applications for lighting include walkways, stairways and ladders, crew access, control room, doorways and the turbine identification board. Before making a choice on lighting, a number of factors should be considered for each application, from the control room and turbine down to the foundations.

Nacelle/Control Room

Safe access to the nacelle is required for most maintenance activities. Although ladders are always required, larger wind turbines also have an elevator. To protect all nacelle components from corrosion, the nacelle is well sealed. The nacelle cover provides weatherproof protection to the nacelle components, as well as support and access to external components. Reliable, high quality lighting is required to facilitate safe personnel access and exit from the nacelle and tower.

In a confined space, it is an advantage to have low profile luminaires, as space is a challenge when performing work tasks inside the control room. Lighting is normally fitted to the ceiling or walls, with exit lights installed at doorways. Emergency lighting is also required to maintain safety in the event of a loss of grid power. Lighting should be marine-tested and quality approved.

Turbines/Towers

The design life of an offshore turbine is around 25 years. The trend for longer design life on all turbines is due to the maturing of the industry – asset owners now expect to operate wind farms for such periods without the technology becoming obsolete or unsupported by suppliers. Extreme loads due to storms, abnormal events and faults during operation can also be critical. Typically, an offshore turbine will turn for over 90% of the time, so

choosing lighting applications

it is important to choose a lighting supplier that has plenty of experience of marine and offshore environments and luminaires that will achieve the intended lifetime of the turbines.

The tower internals provide means of access, lighting and safety for maintenance and service personnel, as well as a means of transferring hand tools and components to the nacelle. Lighting is normally fitted to ladders, platforms and handrails, with exit lights installed at doorways. Emergency lighting is also required to maintain safety and in the event of a loss of grid power.

Foundations/Transition Piece

The floating or fixed foundations provide support for the wind turbine, transferring the loads from the turbine at the tower interface level to the seabed where the loads react. The foundation also provides access for personnel

from vessels. Unregulated vibrations result in excessive material wear, which in turn can (and does) cause component failure. A lighting supplier should therefore offer vibration testing of the light fixtures. Three types of test are often conducted: Sinusoidal vibration, various shock/impact tests, and random testing.

Lighting should be installed at the crew access point to the foundation, as well as lighting the escape to sea. This area sits above the supportive structure and is accessed via a bridge from the crew transfer vessels. Therefore, safety requirements dictate that high quality marine lighting is needed to ensure these areas are well lit. Typically, linear lighting will be installed on handrails, floodlights for lighting the escape to sea and for illuminating the turbine identification plate, as well as part of the turbine.

Substation topsides AC and HVDC

The substation is the most important structure in an offshore wind farm. This is where all the energy produced by the wind turbines is brought together and converted by transformers to a high voltage transmission. This is necessary to ensure that as little

energy as possible is lost during transmission over long distances to the next grid node.

If a technical fault occurs on the substation platform, all wind turbines in the offshore wind farm will fail to function. This means that maintenance and repair services must meet extremely meticulous and highquality standards. All electrical products, including lighting, are potential emitters of electromagnetic waves. This means that lighting should be marine-certified and tested according to both EN-55015 and EN-61547.

On a substation, typical application areas for lighting include linears installed on handrails; floodlights for escape to sea; floodlights to illuminate the substation identification plate and working/lay down areas; and emergency lighting to maintain safety in the event of a loss of grid power. Lighting will also be required for the helideck, battery rooms, switchgear rooms, winch platform, cabins, containers, Davit crane and for crew access. Ideally, choose a supplier with lots of experience in the marine and offshore industries that can also provide a one-stop shop selection of all the various types of lighting required for the substation.

Image: Shutterstock

Image: Glamox

A simple and tough ultrasonic thickness gauge for safely measuring remaining metal thickness in hazardous/potentially explosive atmospheres. The gauge employs the Multiple-Echo technique to give accurate, self-verified measurements without removing protective coatings.

ISC Webinar: Getting the best from a remote HAZOP

Date: 6 September 2021

Location: Online – 09:30 BST

HAZOP is an established process hazard identification and assessment technique, which has traditionally been conducted by a team in a meeting room. Due the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as action to address climate change, there is pressure to move to more online or remote attendance at HAZOP studies.

But what are the challenges this presents to HAZOP leaders and how can those be overcome to still conduct an effective HAZOP study remotely?

Presenters: Nigel Allen, Technical ManagerMajor Hazards, Dekra & Trish Kerin, Director, IChemE Safety Centre (ISC).

https://bit.ly/3k1mlwk

Tank Storage Conference & Exhibition 2021

Date: 23 September 2021

Location: Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry, UK

The Tank Storage Conference and Exhibition is the UK’s leading event for the bulk liquid storage sector. The event has a proven track record of successfully bringing together people who care about safe and effective bulk liquid storage operations.

The Tank Storage Conference and Exhibition is scheduled for the 23 September 2021 at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry. The venue, which is located less than a mile from

Chemeca 2021

Date: 27-28 September 2021

Location: Virtual+

The fiftieth Chemeca will be held from 27–28 September 2021, bringing together chemical engineers and scientists from Australia, New Zealand and across the globe to share insights and innovations relevant across the wide range of industries.

Chemeca 2021 will be a two-day online conference which includes virtual presentations from invited local and international speakers and authors of submitted papers. The Organising Committee plan to hold hybrid events which will involve face-to-face networking while streaming virtual plenary and keynote speaker presentations.

Chemeca is the opportunity for chemical engineering professionals and those in

junction 3 of the M6, is just a 70 minute journey by train from London and is close to Birmingham International Airport.

The annual conference programme regularly features presentations from Government, Regulators and industry experts on topics which are of key interest to those who operate in this sector.

The Tank Storage Conference and Exhibition will be taking place with safety measures in place to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19. The Tank Storage industry is a critical part of the UK’s energy infrastructure and, as such, we have

decided that an appropriate level of precautions should be in place.

https://tankstorage.org.uk/conferenceexhibition/

associated disciplines to learn from each other. It provides a platform for cross-pollination across a wide range of industries, facilitating innovation. It provides a platform for industry and academia to discuss and debate the latest advances and best practices to face the challenges of the 21st century in the Australasian region, and to explore the future for our young process engineers and scientists. This year, the organisers have specifically tailored the program to appeal to both industry practitioners and government representatives and researchers.

The theme for Chemeca 2021 is Advance, Disrupt and Sustain. Chemeca’s Conference Chair, Leeanne Bond, says the theme is particularly relevant in a post-COVID world that will be faced with many challenges – new business models, disrupted supply chains and sustainability challenges such as decarbonisation and waste reduction. The focus is to facilitate

and encourage collaborative networking among those interested in exploring the emerging opportunities and challenges for the chemical engineering profession and process industries throughout our region.

In its fiftieth year, the organisers are embracing the opportunity to reinvent Chemeca and broaden its appeal. The Virtual+ format in 2021 presents an opportunity for everyone in Australia and New Zealand to get involved in their state. The plan is to host hybrid in-person and virtual networking functions, so that you can participate fully in the conference program without needing to travel interstate – or internationally.

https://www.chemeca.org/

LPD: Anti-Static/Non-Sparking Cleaning and Workplace Tools for Hazardous Areas

Worker safety in Hazardous Areas is critical, and the use of correct tools and cleaning equipment is an important factor in removing potential ignition sources for fires and explosions. Engineered from Conductive Polypropylene, LPD’s innovative range of Static Dissipative Non-Sparking Cleaning and Workplace

Tools is designed in compliance with IEC 60079-32 for use in all industries wherever there are potentially explosive atmospheres. View our catalogue online or contact us now for product and pricing info:

www.LPDtrade.com graham@LPDtrade.com

+44 (0) 7931 126602

Asecos Q range – proven fire resistance of 90 minutes

Labtex’s Asecos Type 90 storage cabinets provide extremely safe, regulation-compliant storage of hazardous materials in laboratories and other work spaces. Each cabinet variant is furnace tested in accordance with EN 14470-1 and proven to give fire resistance of 90 minutes. Extremely robust in construction for maximum torsional rigidity and with tamper proof lock and indicators built in, every ASECOS cabinet has GS approval and CE conformity. In addition the Q range is offered in range of scratch-resistant paint colours and with extensive interior equipment options Warranty cover is available up to 10 years.

Tel:+44 (0)1484 600200

Please contact Greg Smith at greg@labtex.co.uk

RSS260 safety sensor with new cost-saving features

The Schmersal Group has further developed its compact RSS260 safety sensor and equipped it with new software – the sensor now offers four additional, optionally selectable functions: feedback loop monitoring, automatic restart / manual restart, reset, and emergency stop monitoring.

On the F0/F1 version, the RSS260 assumes the tasks of a safety relay module, i.e. monitoring of the movable safety guard as well as of the contactors directly actuated by the sensor outputs. On the F0 version, the machine restarts automatically as soon as all safety guards have been closed. An additional ‘enable button’, without edge monitoring, can be switched into the feedback loop. The F0 version is suitable for small machines without a protective space that can be accessed behind. The F1 version is recommended for smaller systems, where the hazardous area can be accessed by the operator, as it has a reset function. www.schmersal.com info@schmersal.com Tel: +49 202 6474-0