The Safety Guide 2018 (Aluminium International Today)

THE

SAFETY GUIDE 2018 WO R KI NG T O W A R DS A SA FER A LU M IN IU M IND USTRY

T HE AL UMINIUM INDUST RY SAFE T Y G UID E I N A S S OCIATION W ITH

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Building the Foundations of the next chapter of our success

Steady Steps Towards the Largest Single Site Smelter in the World Alba’s future looks bright as we work together towords a sustainable future by dreaming big and achieving bigger goals.

With the First Hot Metal on 1st January 2019, Line 6 Expansion Project will be a game changer for Bahrain and further our position as a top player in the global aluminium industry.

www.albasmelter.com

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FOREWORD The safety and well-being of employees is of the greatest importance across the aluminium industry.

While different areas of manufacturing can have a different focus when it comes to safety; the end goal is always the same. It comes down to the people and making sure every effort is in place to ensure a safe working environment.

If you are reading this, then you are the proud recipient of the first ever Aluminium Industry Safety Guide, but why the need for such a document, you might wonder?

As the Editor of Aluminium International Today magazine, I have been privileged to attend many events, conferences, site visits and inaugurations over the past few years and at each of these, the role of safety has been evident.

However, for an industry so proud of its safety records and safe working standards, when I started to look into what makes this industry stand out from the rest, it struck me that there are areas we should be shouting about and sharing with the whole supply chain.

The idea behind this Guide was to provide a platform for companies across the aluminium value chain to present and share initiatives, programmes and safer working practices.

Acting as a respected resource for the industry, the Guide presents safety statistics and up-to-date information, while encouraging aluminium production and processing companies to discuss successful safety projects, ways safety is being implemented, how it can be measured and the results.

With dedicated sections, the aim of this Guide was to share ideas, which could help other manufacturers experiencing similar safety challenges.

I think this has been achieved and hope it will also bring new ideas to the forefront and even encourage new ideas to be put into practice, with good results.

I’m keen to hear your thoughts on this publication and continue to explore ways we can work together towards a safer aluminium industry.

Nadine Bloxsome Editor, Aluminium International Today

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SAFETY GUIDE 2018 WOR KING T OWA RD S A S A FER A L U M I N I U M I N D U S TR Y

CONTENTS

THE AL UMI NI UM I NDUSTRY SAF ETY GUI DE

INTRODUCTION BY ALEX LOWERY 4.

Moving forward with a view to the past

EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING 6.

Building a healthy workforce to cope with a changing environment

8.

I N A SSOC I A TI ON WI TH

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‘Safety Week’ creates awareness all year

12.

EDITORIAL

Editor Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

The transition to zero harm is an evolution

14.

Mental health is everyone’s business

Production Editor/Designer Annie Baker

Managing Director Steve Diprose stevediprose@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855164

Chief Executive Officer Paul Michael

Published by: Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, England.

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034 www.aluminiumtoday.com © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2018

ISSN0143-7798

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PPE STANDARDS 16.

HAZARDS 52.

18.

54.

Revolution of protection from molten metal splash Specialist hand protection through innovation, technology & design

20.

Workplace compliance

PERFORMANCE STANDARD 22.

Promoting a safe working environment

SAFETY IN PRACTICE 24.

Case Study: A remelt/slab casting facility in Bahrain

MATERIALS HANDLING 26.

Safer handling solutions

RISK MANAGEMENT 28.

How Hydro advances HSE performance with solid risk management

Working with high-voltage equipment Strike before the fire is hot

56.

Gas: Prevention and detection

SAFETY CULTURE 58.

The safety dimension to technical process audit

60.

A global view

SMART SOLUTIONS 62.

Forging a new paradigm in smart, connected safety solutions

64.

Improvement of ergonomics and safety in the packing area

RESPIRATORY 66.

Breathing protection: The long-term view

32.

68.

36.

NOISE 70.

Forward-looking approaches to health and safety risk control incident management

38.

Minimising risk across the supply chain

CONNECTED JOBSITE 40.

Wearable safety technology offers total jobsite visibility

CASTHOUSE SAFETY 42.

Mitigating casthouse safety harzards A Wagstaff perspective

46.

Preventing melting and casting accidents

Safety in welding fume extraction and ventilation

The AMS noise school

FATIGUE 72.

The effects of fatigue at work

SAFEGUARDING 74.

Legal drugs - Are you safeguarding your employees

WORKING TOGETHER 76.

Supporting members towards safety excellence

78.

Beyond policies and procedures

SPENT POTLINING RISKS 48.

Hazards and risks with spent potlining

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INTRODUCTION

BY ALEX LOWERY*

MOVING FORWARD WITH A VIEW TO THE PAST Welcome to Aluminium International Today’s first special safety edition. When I was asked early in 2017 to assist with this publication, I immediately said “Yes!” There has been no publication which dedicated an entire edition solely to safety. This is the first time where aluminium companies can share their best practices. Companies have presented safety topics at conferences, but the reach of their messages rarely extended beyond the attendees. This publication has the potential to be passed from one hand to another to become a valuable resource for our entire industry.

In the following pages, companies from around the globe provide valuable examples on how they mitigate specific hazards to make their workplaces safer. It is my hope the reader will use this publication as a reference, or better yet, use an article in this publication to propose safety initiatives in their own company.

Most factories are consumed with the present and future. The never-ending drive to meet production goals, reduce costs and respond to an ever changing market leaves little time to reflect. Sometimes lost in this fast paced environment is the importance placed upon safety. The best companies in terms, of promoting health and safety to their workers, acknowledge the importance safety plays in terms of the bottom line.

*General Manager, Wise Chem LLC View the Aluminium Plant Safety Blog at: www.aluminiumplantsafety.com 4

Tim Murray, Aluminium Bahrain’s Chief Executive Officer said, “We are in the business of people first and foremost - the safety of our people sits at the top of our priorities. We truly believe that Safety and Productivity are mutually inclusive and that a good safety culture will have a direct impact on the company’s bottom-line. Everyone at Alba owns Safety - individ-

ually and collectively and to have a better tomorrow, we need to work safely today.”

Many companies’ own safety standards are stricter than the minimum required by government safety organisations. Unfortunately, not all companies are like that. Ensuring compliance of local, regional, and federal safety requirements falls upon these government safety organisations. These organisations are tasked with assuring safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and enforcement. The enforcement aspect of safety organisations has the greatest effect to their bottom line. Long ago the financial penalties for not adhering to safety standards were inconsequential to a company. All too often the companies made the decision that the monetary fines were less expensive than correcting the safety related issues. During this period of time workers were being injured and killed by hazards that were known but never corrected. In response, governments across the globe realised the monetary fines were too low and must be increased to force companies either to correct their safety issues or shut down altogether. A recent case in the United States emphasises the importance these safety organisations play in making our industry safer. In 2017, an aluminium company was cited and fined for 51 safety and health violations. OSHA proposed penalties in excess of € 1,600,447. The size of the fine shocked the aluminium industry in North America and forced many companies to look at their procedures and be proactive in terms on pre-inspecting their own plants for safety violations. No longer could companies be

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cited for a violation, pay the subsequent small fine and go along with their business while not correcting the specific issues that were cited. Companies had to become safer or would be forced to close their doors.

Companies would not have to be concerned with enforcement if they did not correct past issues.

Many companies fail to realise the importance history plays upon the present and future of their worker’s safety. A lot of companies fall into the bad habit of forgetting about past incidents. This forgetfulness either occurs because time passes by and workers and companies fail to remember past incidents, or companies are too embarrassed and would rather not tell current workers about past incidents. One of the earliest catastrophic molten metal explosions occurred in the late 1950’s resulting in the death of two workers and destruction of a casthouse. Photos of that explosion were on display in the lobby of that aluminium plant for over 50 years. Generations of workers walked past those horrific photos and realised the potential hazard they dealt with on a daily basis. The workers understood things could go horribly wrong if they failed to follow training, skipped steps or made assumptions while performing their job functions. Eventually a new plant manager came on board and ordered the photos removal. A few years later that plant blew up again. This time one worker was seriously injured and the casthouse was destroyed yet again. The action of removing the photos did not lead to the second explosion but in my opinion, it did alter the safety environment at that factory. Without those photos, a generation of workers walked into that plant and did not have a visual reference of their company’s past.

A philosopher once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This is true about the safety of our plants and every other manufacturing industry. Our industry’s history is littered with catastrophes. These catastrophes have shaped and formed what our industry is today. How our industry responded to these catastrophes in the past has had a profound effect on where we are now. For the longest time, safety in the aluminium industry was considered a single company or individual plant issue. An incident at one company looked bad only upon that individual plant, not our industry as a whole. That all changed on September 11, 1967. When a catastrophic explosion occurred at Reynold’s Aluminum Muscle Shoals Alabama plant in the United States. The shear scope of destruction shocked our industry. Some newspapers reported the destruction was similar to a bomb going off during war.

To understand the importance this incident had on our industry, one has to understand that for decades before this explosion our industry dealt with molten metal explosions on a routine basis. These explosions can occur when molten metal comes into contact with water on a bare substrate of concrete, steel, or stainless steel. In response, several major producers began to separately investigate molten metal explo-

sions. They realised their business would not survive if they could not prevent explosions. If individual businesses could not survive, how could our industry?

Many of these explosions were smaller in scope, plants were being damaged, and workers were being killed and injured on a regular basis.

The narrow view that safety is an issue for a single company or individual plant would have continued to this day if our industry had not realised that the Reynolds Aluminum explosion required a coordinated response from all companies. A group of companies quickly agreed to jointly fund an Aluminum Association (USA) study on molten metal explosions. This act planted a seed of cooperation between aluminium companies based on safety that continues to grow today. Through numerous studies our industry has been able to learn more about molten metal explosions and how to mitigate them. It was during these studies that Wise Chem E-212-F and E-115 were tested and approved by the Aluminum Association for use in preventing molten metal explosions. The Aluminum Association also started the voluntary molten metal incident reporting program that continues to this day.

The information provides companies with valuable information on recent explosions. This reporting program is among a continuing progression of safety programs that has allowed aluminium companies to work together to make the industry safer. Each and every collaboration has resulted in an increased knowledge in industry hazards making workers safer.

For instance, the testing of primary and secondary clothing for molten metal contact may have had the most profound effect of any safety program. In the past, worker’s clothes would catch on fire when in contact with molten metal. Now the vast majority of our plants require workers exposed to molten metal to wear flame resistant secondary clothing. This is just one example of dozens where our industry recognised a hazard and acted to make the industry safer.

Time and time again our industry has shown that when companies set aside their corporate competiveness for safety, everyone wins.

Moving forward, our industry will continue to confront many challenges. We only need to look at our past to see how we learned and became safer with every challenge. In the future, there will be an ever-increasing scrutiny of hazards. Aluminium fines were considered a housekeeping issue throughout our industry until recently. Until an Apple cellphone factory in China blew up killing several workers. A few years later an automotive wheel polishing plant blew up killing over 150 workers. These incidents became international news, placing a spotlight on the hazard of aluminium fines. Now many governments have issued guidelines for this hazard.

Regardless of the hazard or challenge awaiting our industry, I am confident we can all learn from history and work together to continue making our industry and workers safer. Hopefully this publication will be adopted by our industry as a valuable tool where best practices can be shared.

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EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

Hydro’s extrusion organisation has adopted a strategy that moves its focus from managing ill health to proactively promoting good health, to move the company closer to its target of an injury-free workplace.

Building a Healthy Workforce to Cope with a Changing Environment The program was initiated and developed by Sapa, before Hydro acquired 100 percent of the company in October 2017 and renamed the operation Hydro Extruded Solutions.

“We want to create a culture where well-being is promoted as part of what we do every day,” says Brian Jones, vice president responsible for health, safety and environment for the Extruded Solutions business area.

He says the health strategy builds on existing arrangements to ensure that the company meets its legal obligations to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees.

It means further supporting employees in maintaining their fitness, and giving them opportunities to take more responsibility for improving their own health and well-being. Why? Promoting employee health and well-being can:

� Significantly reduce the risk of employees becoming ill � Enable employees to function more effectively in all parts of their lives � Help employees carry out their work safely, effectively and on time � Influence the way customers view us as employees representing the company The business area has appointed a global health team to support the health and well-being strategy.

The eight-person team includes HR and HSE representatives from across the organisation’s businesses, providing a wide view of health needs. It is also backed by the European Works Council (EWC).

“Health and well-being is essential to our success.

Increasing mental health awareness has been a priority for the EWC for some time, and I am pleased that this aspect of health is being actively promoted,” says employee representative Tor Egil Skulstad, who is a member of the global health team in addition to his role as observer on Hydro’s board of directors.

A MODEL FOR MEASURING PROGRESS AND TAKING ACTION Hydro’s extrusion business is using a model in which progress against predetermined criteria can be measured. Results are compiled and then followed with actions that are aimed to achieve best practice. “We want to make sure that the actions and desired results meet the changing needs of our business,” says Jones.

It works like this: Each year, units assess their po-

6

sitions in several areas. They carry out health risk assessments and health audits. Then they develop action plans for improvement.

Typical actions can be directed toward health promotion, education, training and communication.

These also cover changes in local legislation that affect employees.

WORKER, WORKPLACE, WELL-BEING AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY Keeping employees healthy and well requires the business to develop the knowledge and skills of its workforce, because employee well-being is affected by more than just physical fitness. Sufficiently trained employees who work in a collegial environment will be sharper mentally and feel better about themselves than those who do not.

The company also trains managers in learning how to recognise issues that could emerge in their respective teams, and how to manage such issues effectively. Examples are: � Supporting employees who have existing health conditions or who experience ill health, by helping them manage their condition and remaining in work, or by having them return to work early while supporting their ongoing recovery � Early referrals to an occupational health professional � Early intervention, with services from physiotherapy to counseling In addition, all locations have access to an employee assistance program, which is an independent service that provides confidential advice and support.

This is a formal program that can help workers prepare for and cope with life’s events and challenges.

“Good health and safety does not start when one comes to work, nor stop when he or she leaves,” says Jones.

PREVENTION AND PROMOTION The organisation’s health risk assessments and health audits help units understand where employees could become mentally or physically ill as result of the work they do.

Specific workplace risks, such as noise or chemical hazards, are easy to identify. Others are less easy. The company has several ways to address these. They include: � Carrying out “fitness for task” medical assessments for those with specified job roles

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Katarina Nilsson

www.hydroextrusions.com � Training managers to develop greater resilience to deal with the demands of the job � Training managers to recognize and act on the early signs of stress-related ill health � Raising the awareness of managing stress levels and reporting symptoms of ill health WITH ITS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING STRATEGY, THE COMPANY ENCOURAGES EMPLOYEES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPROVING THEIR OWN SITUATIONS.

PRACTICAL ACTIONS FOR IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Here is a list of practical actions that the units worldwide are encouraged to carry out:

� Well-being calendar. This series of monthly health promotion events is led by Extruded Solutions’ EHS team and carried out by all business areas and units. Monthly topics are both engaging and informative. � Drug and alcohol policy. A revised policy on drugs and alcohol has been published and an information booklet created to inform employees of the facts about drugs and alcohol. � Sick leave avoidance. This early engagement process is aimed to reduce sick leave. It includes a short, innovative session that identifies the health conditions which are avoidable by simply looking at lifestyle and eating and drinking habits. � Personal medical assessments. Employees are provided with the opportunity to attend a personalised medical assessment with an independent medical provider. � Fast-track physiotherapy. The focus of the program is early intervention, allowing employees to stay in work during treatment or to return to work sooner than expected. � Stress management. This stress and resilience management program is supported by clinical psychologists. The goal is to help managers understand the triggers of stress and to identify cases and inter-

vene appropriately within their teams. � Building personal resilience. This stress management program will be developed to ensure employees understand how the body responds to pressure and how individuals can help themselves by following simple personal plans.

� Fitness monitoring. All employees who may have to work in safety-critical areas or are potentially exposed to health hazards receive regular medicals or health surveillance, such as skin, hearing and lung capacity monitoring. � Occupational health team. The organisation uses professional health teams to ensure that employees receive expert health and medical guidance, and support. The team ensures that all advice given is relevant to work.

Brian Jones

The company also asks units to come up with initiatives that benefit families, friends and employees in neighboring companies or organisations.

HOW WILL WE KNOW? When will the company know whether its health and well-being strategy is succeeding? Katarina Nilsson, executive vice president responsible for People & HSE, says that reduced absenteeism is one measure.

She says the business is also monitoring the success of the strategy through specific questions in the company’s bi-annual engagement survey, in which all answers are anonymous and kept confidential. The response rate to the 2017 survey was above 90 percent.

“We know we are succeeding when our vision for zero incidents is evident in the actions of all of our employees, and when our employees know how to improve their own health and actively seek ways to do this,” says Nilsson. “We also want our managers to display the positive behaviors that promote a healthy work environment, and to have the skills and confidence to actively manage ill health and absence.

“When that happens, we will know that we have a resilient workforce that can cope with the demands of a constantly changing environment.” �

Safety first

Argentian workers

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EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

In October 2017, Aludium held its second annual ‘Safety Week’ which saw the company again focus on working safely. The event involved personnel at all three mills, safety experts from other manufacturing companies, as well as local emergency services.

* Editor Aluminium International Today

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‘Safety Week’ Creates Awareness All Year Nadine Bloxsome* spoke with Aludium’s CEO Arnaud de Weert and COO Manuel Ruano to find out more about the promotion of safety within the company, and why they have decided to dedicate a week to safety each year.

FIRSTLY ARNAUD, WHAT DRIVES ALUDIUM TO FOCUS ON SAFETY? Arnaud de Weert (AW): Aludium is like any modern, forward-looking business – we want to take care of our people and make sure that they get home safely at the end of each day. It’s about the sustainability of our business. If we cannot provide a safe working environment for people, we will not be able to attract the high-calibre and dedicated staff our business needs to prosper.

Safety is also a key issue for our parent company Atlas Holdings. At Atlas, workplace safety is the leading priority above everything else. Atlas has the objective to achieve world-class safety performance across all of its businesses, not just Aludium.

We saw that commitment demonstrated in a practical way during Safety Week 2017 in Amorebieta. As part of the week of activities, Aludium hosted a Safety Meeting for Atlas companies in our region. The event was held under the inspirational supervision of Phil Schuch from Atlas. He was there as a concrete illustration of the importance Atlas attaches to safety.

During the meeting Alberto Ruiz, the plant manager of Aludium Alicante, agreed to take the lead on a project to create standard policies and procedures to segregate mobile equipment and pedestrians.

This is an issue which is of interest to all participating companies, and Alberto’s recommendations will be shared between the Atlas companies. The goal will be to develop a common framework which can be applied across all Atlas businesses in the region, not just Aludium.

WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR SAFETY WEEK ORIGINATE? Manual Ruano (MR): Early in 2016, the Aludium management team took the decision to organise Safety Week annually in our plants. Our goal was to create an awareness of safety across the entire organisation – from top management to the shop floor. We also made a conscious decision to involve all employees and external stakeholders such as local authorities, the media, and other manufacturing companies nearby. We wanted to inform them about the efforts we are making to keep our people and plants safe and

to get their input on how we could improve our safety performance. In 2017, we have increased the number of events and workshops, and involved even more external organisations.

I’m pleased to note that our commitment to safety is having an impact. The number of accidents at Aludium is one fifth of the average for our industry.

We recently renewed our occupational health and safety management certification (OHSAS 18001:2007) at Aludium Alicante. The auditor who conducted the inspection ranked the plant amongst the top ten facilities he has visited. I can only say a big thank you to everyone at Aludium for their commitment to safety and encourage them to keep up the good work.

WHAT WAS THE FOCUS OF SAFETY WEEK 2017?

AW: This year we looked at two particular areas: falls at the same level – issues such as tripping risks and access; and the interaction between pedestrians and mobile equipment. With falls at the same level, we took the opportunity of Safety Week to introduce our ‘Zero tolerance’ programme. These risks usually go unnoticed as they occur during routine tasks and don’t normally result in a serious injury. Our eyes have become accustomed to seeing the risk, but we need to refocus them to ensure we eliminate the chance of an incident for everyone. That’s what ‘Zero tolerance’ is about.

MR: Safety Week is not just about risks on the shop floor. We also pay attention to the risk our employees encounter when travelling to and from home. Rollover simulators were brought to each plant to alert employees to the risks of not wearing a seatbelt, and the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME? MR: Our plant managers introduced the Human Performance Programme during Safety Week 2017. It recognises that the absence of incidents is not an indication of success if the risks are not identified and controlled before a task is carried out. Prevention is the responsibility of the person doing a particular task at that moment in time. They should consider all factors that might impact on the successful completion of a task or result in an error. It recognises that even the best people make mistakes, but that the situations that lead us to make those mistakes are predictable, and preventable. We can avoid incidents by understanding why they occur and learning from past mis-

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takes. It’s another step in our continuous process to improve safety.

WHY INVOLVE PEOPLE FROM OTHER COMPANIES IN SAFETY WEEK ACTIVITIES? MR: We know we don’t have all the answers. We also know that it’s hard to look at the place you work every day objectively. Internal checks are done regularly – every part of the plant is checked on a weekly or biweekly basis. But by involving outside experts from the manufacturing sector, we get the benefit of their experience and we also have fresh eyes looking at our workplaces. During both Safety Weeks to date, the external people have identified quite a lot of po-

tential problems that we might be blind to otherwise.

It has been a very valuable exercise.

AW: I think it also creates transparency for people across the organisation. If they see that we are prepared to have external people come in and look at our operations critically, it will encourage them to speak up and alert us to potential problems. We want to encourage that. Safety requires everyone in the company to work together and keep each other safe.

ARE YOU SHARING THE RESULTS OF SAFETY WEEK WITH THE OTHER MANUFACTURING COMPANIES THAT ATTENDED? MR: Absolutely. We immediately undertook to send Aludium representatives to the safety events of these businesses over the following year. And we have done that. We also launched a webpage where anyone can find out about what happened during Safety

Week. It’s a two-way street – as we have learnt from them, we hope they will find one or two of our ideas interesting and adopt them.

AW: I think it’s also important to point out that we will be reporting back to the outside observers during the next Safety Week. In 2016, we received almost 200 observations from the external participants and we want to show them the progress we have made on each item. Maybe we can help them identify or solve a safety problem. In 2017 we identified even more issues, so again in 2018 will report our progress. We need continuous communication if we are to make Aludium the safest industrial business in Spain.

YOU ALSO INVITED LOCAL SAFETY AUTHORITIES SUCH AS THE FIRE BRIGADE… MR: We did some demonstration exercises – a rescue at height drill for example – mainly to practice our capabilities in the event of an incident. The fire brigade saw for themselves that our people can deal with an incident and that establishes a level of trust. It will help if a real emergency ever occurs.

At Aludium Alicante, the local fire department took part in a rescue at height simulation

DO YOU THINK SAFETY WEEK HAS HAD AN IMPACT? MR: Absolutely. We’ve seen improvements in the total recordable rate (TRR) of accidents across the company. To November 2017, our Recordable Lost Work Days (LWDR) score is zero. That’s a great performance for these mills and we are doing everything we can to ensure that improvement is maintained for the future.

During Safety Week this year, one of the auditors asked representatives from Aludium’s trade unions SAFETY GUIDE

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THANKS TO THE COMPANY’S CONTINUING FOCUS ON SAFETY, THE RATE OF RECORDABLE LOST WORK DAYS (LWDR) IS AGAIN ZERO IN 2017

Above: Safety demonstrators visited every Aludium plant during Safety Week 2017 to help prevent driving accidents

Top right: Safety Week typically includes workshops on practical safety topics such as first aid.

about safety in Aludium. They stressed that safety is not a problem at Aludium and that they feel a real commitment from the management team. And Safety Week reinforces that feeling.

WHAT INVESTMENTS HAVE YOU MADE IN SAFETY? AW: Since Aludium was formed, we have invested more than €5.3 million in environment, health, and safety (EHS) projects and conducted almost 3,400 hours of safety training in 2016 alone. But we know that every euro we invest in safety pays us back time and time again. Safety also helps us grow. As I mentioned earlier, if we didn’t operate safely we would have no employees, the communities in which we operate would stop supporting us, and our customers would disappear. There is no Aludium without safety as the top priority.

MR: There have been some major investments in equipment also. In January this year for example, we took delivery of 16 new electric forklifts and a basket elevator for our mill in Alicante. They come with remarkable safety features including checklists the operators must complete and a tracking feature. If an incident occurs we can see the path the vehicle took to help identify why it occurred and take preventative action. The added benefit is that the new vehicles reduce our carbon emissions by 250 tonnes annually and their greater load capacity means we can cut the number of movements each day.

WHEN WILL THE NEXT SAFETY WEEK TAKE PLACE AND WILL IT FOLLOW A SIMILAR FORMAT? AW: It’s already in the schedule for October 2018!

Broadly the programme will be similar and involve safety inspections with outside companies. We will also invite local authorities and the media as in previous years. �

Find out what happened during Safety Week 2017: www.aludium.com/safety-week-2017 10

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22/01/2018 14:15:32 8/12/17 09:33

EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

The Transition to Zero Harm is an Evolution Safety is the first priority for everyone at Emirates Global Aluminium, no matter their role in the organization. Zero harm to our staff, contractors and neighbours is the only acceptable target.

Zero harm is not just a matter of avoiding accidents it’s also a promise to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our employees.

The UAE has long and very hot summers. Temperatures above 40˚C are normal, and the heat can peak above 50˚C. These temperatures can easily cause fatigue and can quickly pose a significant risk to health.

Our response is a far-reaching annual health campaign called ‘Beat the Heat’, a robust heat stress prevention program that has become part of our health and safety culture.

Since we began ‘Beat the Heat’ in 2014, heat-related incidents have fallen by 70% across the business.

Over the last three years, despite the conditions, we have had zero LTIs due to heat related illnesses and we have continually reduced the number and severity of our heat-related recordable cases.

We continually improve our ‘Beat the Heat’ program, enhancing our approach every year based on the performance and learnings from the previous year. We identify areas requiring additional attention and consider the feedback from the key stakeholders to define improvement actions for the next year.

One example of improvements is that we now set up forward clinics at our potlines, so medical support and guidance is available all the time directly where people are working rather than based out of our main clinics.

The ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign now runs for eight months of the year, from March to October, and is based on seven pillars: acclimatisation, fitness for work, training, hydration level monitoring, inspections, supply of electrolyte drinks and fatigue management.

Our acclimatisation phase helps employees adapt to the heat with a strict, scheduled approach to sun exposure. Whether they are new-joiners or returning from time off in cooler climates, EGA employees are slowly reintroduced to the environment.

We also assess their ongoing fitness for work on a regular basis and conduct a specific medical assessments of those employees identified at higher risk of developing heat related illness so each individual can be managed to control the risk. Those at higher risk are employees with previous heat case illness, relevant medical history and new employees who have not yet acclimatised to the heat of the UAE. We routinely monitor hydration levels of our em-

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ployees. Anyone not properly hydrated is rehydrated and counselled about how to maintain appropriate hydration level. Throughout these months, we provide electrolyte drinks, healthy snacks and training in fatigue management.

All operational supervisory and non-supervisory employees are educated in how to identify heat stress symptoms, as well as early reporting and preventative measures. Heat stress training is also part of the standard operating procedures we require for all contractors and sub-contractors.

Training is provided in different languages to ensure a proper understanding of the message and this is reinforced during the full summer with tool box talks, refresher sessions, inspections and walkabouts, and other means of communication.

‘Beat the Heat’ is just one example of our comprehensive approach to health and safety.

Our approach is encapsulated in our nine Life Saving Rules. These rules condense global best practices in safety into easy-to-follow instructions that are easily translated to the workplace.

Rules do not stand on their own. We monitor and report hazards and near misses to immediately assess the situation and quickly develop insights that can be shared and incorporated into the business.

Rigorous reporting is a crucial part of ensuring that we can entirely avoid the miss or the incident in the future. During construction of our Al Taweelah plant, more than 120,000 safety inductions were conducted as part of our due diligence process.

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As a result of this ongoing commitment, EGA’s loss time injury frequency (LTIFR) was 0.04 per million man hours in 2017, and the total recordable incident frequency (TRIFR) was 1.54 per million man hours so far in 2017. Al Taweelah set an industry record in 2014 when it achieved more than 16.3 million operational work hours without a single loss time incident. This is equivalent to one person working more than 7,000 years without an accident.

EGA is now certified to Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSAS) 18001 and our Al Taweelah facility has been accredited by Occupational Health and Safety Abu Dhabi (OHSAD).

Our track record on safety is not something we take for granted. We benchmark our safety performance against international standards, and we support associations that aim to elevate occupational health and safety, such as the International Aluminium Institute and the Gulf Aluminium Council Environment, Health and Safety Committees.

Our industry has done incredible work to improve health and safety performance.

This should be widely celebrated, but we must remain vigilant in order to safeguard our people. By reflecting on our wins and our losses and continuing to invest in opportunities to deepen our cultures of health and safety, the aluminium industry will continuously improve its health and safety performance and one day truly realize zero harm. ďż˝

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23/01/2018 16:05:44

EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

Mental Health is Everyone’s Business The British Safety Council launches a suite of mental health training courses.

In October 2017, the British Safety Council unveiled its mental health training portfolio. The courses are designed to help businesses and their employees start conversations about mental health issues and support their efforts to begin building a positive mental health culture in their organisations.

Since 1957, the charity and membership organisation has been campaigning to keep workers healthy and safe. Led by its charismatic founder James Tye, the British Safety Council contributed to the creation of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974. It also helped to establish the British Wellness Council in 1979, which dealt with issues such as repetitive strain injuries and stress. More recently, it has focused its activities on workplace health and well-being, including mental health. In January 2017, British Safety Coun-

cil helped to launch the Mates in Mind programme, which provides information, support and training on mental health for the construction industry.

The British Safety Council’s mental health training portfolio has been developed in response to public recognition that poor mental health constitutes a significant problem in workplaces in Britain.

‘Start the Conversation’, which is already being delivered to companies in the UK, is a 45-minute session which gets people thinking about mental health and talking about it. It aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health so that employees feel more comfortable talking about their feelings.

Adrian Vale, Educational Designer at the British Safety Council, explains: “Our expert facilitators can visit your workplace and deliver up to seven ‘Start the Conversation’ sessions per day to groups of 20 employees. We can help employers raise mental health awareness among 140 staff in a single day.

“Our programme is unique. Most mental health training courses are half-day or one-day long. Many employers, particularly those with limited resources, are not able or willing to release several members of their staff for either a half-day or full-day mental health training course. That is the reason we have developed these 45-minute training sessions, which should meet the needs of all organisations and support their employees.” �

IN FACT:

� Three out of four employees say they have experienced poor mental health (source: Business in the Community National Employee Mental Wellbeing Survey 2016).

� Every week, more than 100 people take their own lives in the UK (source: Mind).

THE BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL HAS USED ITS EXTENSIVE TRAINING EXPERTISE TO DEVELOP THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH COURSES: � Mental health ‘Start the Conversation’ for all employees – which is immediately available. � Mental health ‘Train the Facilitator’ which enables staff to deliver ‘Start the Conversation’ in-house.

The course is immediately available.

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� Mental health ‘Managing the conversation’ for line managers. To be launched in January 2018. � Mental Health First Aid qualification. To be launched in January 2018.

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ALUMINIUM Materials handling andɅliftingɅsystems

Storage systems

Centrifugal blowers

Ship loaders/unloaders

Bath and carbon recycling plant systems

Dense/solid phase and other conveyingǾsystems Potfeed e.g. HyperDense Phase SystemsǾ(HDPSTM) Dosing devices

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Pot process control systems Electrolysis handling equipment Carbon: rodding and anode handlingǾsystems; baking furnace liftingǾsolutions

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PPE STANDARDS

Revolution of Protection from Molten Metal Splash You cannot put a price on safety. All employees should be given the highest practical level of protection to their health and safety from hazards and risks arising from work. It is most important that everyone working in or passing through potentially hazardous areas are safe and avoid harm. A serious injury can change lives forever. One way to minimise workplace injury is through effective and comfortable secondary protective clothing.

Secondary protection is often referred to as ‘uniform clothing’, designed for continuous wear in locations where there is intermittent exposure to the risk of molten metal splash, heat & flame, and under-

neath ‘front-line’ primary protective garments such as tapping jackets and specialised gloves. PR97®is an internationally recognised brand, renowned for its superior protective and comfort benefits in secondary protective clothing for the molten metals industry. Launched onto the market in 1997, PR97 fabrics heralded the beginning of a major advance in the safety and protection of personnel in smelters, foundries and down-stream metal processing industries. PR97® was the first of its kind, a revolutionary fabric with a unique blend of fibres YOU CANNOT

PUT A PRICE ON SAFETY

By Peter Selbie Field & Sales Specialist - Safety & Protective, Bruck Textiles

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that facilitated the widespread introduction of secondary protective clothing which has contributed to the significant reduction in the number of injuries due to molten metal splash and burns over the last 20 years.

The primary function of PR97® fabrics is to protect the human skin. The body’s largest organ, unprotected human skin is very sensitive and a temperature of 80° Celsius can cause a severe burn in less than a second. PR97® and the new lighter weight PR97 Ultra™ fabrics are very effective at shedding molten metal without causing damage to the skin underneath, for example, according to International Test Method ISO 9185 and under laboratory conditions, the new PR97 Ultra™ 320 fabric positioned at an angle of 60 degrees, can effectively shed 400 grams of molten aluminium at 780° Celsius when poured directly onto the fabric from a height of 22.5cm. In addition to molten aluminium, PR97® is very effective at shedding a variety of other molten metals such as cryolite, iron, steel, copper, magnesium and nickel.

PR97® & PR97 Ultra™ fabrics are made from a blend of natural uncoated fibres – Merino wool and Lenzing FR® - a cellulose fibre derived from wood pulp. The fibres are carefully blended then spun into yarns and woven to create a high performance fabric which not only sheds molten metal very effectively, but won’t

support flame and is comfortable to wear. The flame retardant properties of PR97® are manufactured or ‘built-in’ to the FR Viscose fibre. This means the fabrics’ protection cannot diminish over time through washing and laundering and will continue to protect the wearer to a consistently high standard throughout the entire service life of the garment.

PR97® is manufactured in Australia and marketed globally by Bruck Textiles. Bruck Textiles is a privately owned, ISO 9001 Quality Accredited Australian company with over 65 years of fabric development and manufacturing history.

A SERIOUS INJURY Bruck Textiles specialises in protective textiles providing protecCAN CHANGE LIVES tive fabric solutions for fire services, military and industrial work FOREVER place applications; including protection against specific threats such as molten metal splash, flame, radiant & convective heat and electrical hazards that are found in smelters, foundries and down-stream metal processing industries. Bruck Textiles is proud to have contributed to the safety of personnel in these industries over many years through the supply of the PR97® range of fabrics. �

www.brucktextiles.com.au

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PPE STANDARDS

Get the correct hand protection before it’s too late.

Specialist Hand Protection Through Innovation, Technology & Design Tornado Gloves specialise in high quality hand protection and lead the market with scientifically advanced manufacturing techniques, first-class raw materials and innovative technology.

They’re a major supplier to the Automotive, Steel & Aluminium, Aerospace, Electrical, Glass, Oil & Gas, Engineering, Waste Recycling, and Construction sectors, to name but a few.

DESIGN & MATERIALS The approach to product development is one of simplicity. Expertise in materials and glove manufacturing has resulted in a market-leading product, propelling the Tornado brand to the pinnacle of the European hand protection market. If the most technologically advanced yarns are manufactured on the most technologically advanced machines, there is only one result - a technically superior product!

YARNS Tornado develop and blend fibre derivatives to achieve maximum strength and performance whilst maintaining dexterity and comfort.

LEATHER Leather is excellent for gloves, it provides strength and grip, both vital for safe handling. Tornado use specially selected and treated leather from the top section of the hide only. Rigorous quality control guarantees a premium skin with consistent dimensional stability.

COATINGS Polyurethane, nitrile, latex, and PVC dipped coatings all have their own characteristics and subsequent benefits to glove performance, grip and dexterity. As the protective glove market has accelerated in the direction of dipped products, Tornado has lead the way.

They blend compounds to create a bi-polymer which achieves the desired result, matching the application for which the glove is used.

TECHNOLOGIES There are nine different technologies used together or in isolation to produce gloves with properties suitable for specific operations and tasks.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Tornado are totally customer-focused; gloves are supplied quickly and efficiently and each team member has been trained to provide an unrivalled level of technical support and service.

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UK distribution and logistics ensures complete control of the product journey enabling Tornado to meet and significantly exceed customer requirements.

QUEST HAND SAFETY EVALUATION FAST, EFFICIENT AND UNIQUE TO TORNADO GLOVES Quest is perfect for all types of industry, regardless of organisation size or the type of hazards they face. It’s focused on end-user safety and will specify the correct hand protection within a pre-agreed budget.

QUEST TECHNICIANS COME TO YOU… Quest Technicians visit your site in their Mobile Hand Protection Lab, they meet your safety and procurement teams and discuss your objectives. They will conduct a study of your current hand protection and manufacturing environment to produce a report proposing a Quest Hand Protection Plan within an agreed budget.

TRY IT FOR FREE The Quest Hand Protection Plan is installed for a trial period at the expense of Tornado Gloves and systematically monitored with end-user feedback being key.

The Quest Team will calculate the ‘cost in use’ equation as a measurement against your budget.

YOU’RE GOOD TO GO Once you’re satisfied that your team are happy and budgetary objectives have been met, the hand protection product/s are rolled out to your workforce and an easy re-order system is put in place.

CONTINUED SUPPORT Tornado will support you with training where necessary plus they will keep you informed of product developments and legislative changes. This ensures that you are always fully compliant with Government Health & Safety legislation.

FAST, EASY, TRUSTWORTHY & COST-EFFECTIVE… Quest happens quickly, Tornado take care of everything; you can trust their market-leading product and your budgetary objectives will be met.

To book a FREE Quest Hand Safety Evaluation T: +44 (0) 115 961 9555 Quote Code: Tornado 001

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TORNADO TECHNOLOGIES

CPU® Clean Polyurethane is a water based dipping system which eliminates all residual chemicals and solvents from the glove coating to provide a super-hygienic glove.

HDPU® High-Density Polyurethane Technology is a unique formulation of greater viscosity which forms a stronger glove coating, subsequently extending the product life whilst retaining softness, comfort and flexibility.

CUSHION TECHNOLOGY® An innovation in soft, flexible polyurethane which gives an exceptional level of comfort to the user whilst maintaining physical strength and abrasion resistance.

ANTI-BACTERIAL® This Technology uniquely transmits an anti-bacterial agent to the hand ensuring user health and cleanliness whilst wearing the glove.

CROSS-XX® A revolutionary honeycomb coating that provides impact and abrasion resistance to the back of the hand whilst maintaining breathability.

OIL RESISTANT® A double-coating bi-polymer provides total protection from oil penetration and ensures exceptional levels of grip regardless of liquidity.

GLASS INDUSTRY When the ‘Glass Industry’ logo is displayed, the relevant Tornado glove has been approved for use whilst handling soft-coat glass.

The logo guarantees zero contamination will affect the glass at a later stage.

PREMIUM GRADE LEATHER Always taken from the top section of the hide to guarantee product quality will remain consistent with no deviation from Tornado’s strict tolerance levels.

SHARP SHIELD® Ballistic reinforcement in the critical wear area between thumb & forefinger improves safety and increases the life of the glove by up to 18%, resulting in major cost savings.

YOUR TEAM DESERVE THE BEST – USE TORNADO GLOVES… Tornado have an undiluted focus as they don’t manufacturer anything other than gloves. Their knowledge has been refined through years of research and development and they dedicate all their resources to producing the best hand protection on the market.

They frequently develop bespoke gloves specific to just one task or end-user. This is what makes them different and it’s why they’re at the top of their game!

Tornado are passionate about hand protection and love to use their expertise to help other businesses grow! �

Quest Mobile Hand Protection Lab

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23/01/2018 16:12:30

PPE STANDARDS

Simon Field, a technical specialist at science-based technology company 3M, discusses the importance of PPE compliance when working with aluminium.

Workplace Compliance Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for many jobs involving surface preparation, treatment and processing, but it cannot adequately protect against hazards unless worn properly.

Working with aluminium does not come without risk.

When used in the production process, it becomes toxic by ingestion, inhalation and eye exposure . The fine dust can cause scarring of the lungs and contact can irritate skin and eyes.

Many PPE related accidents at work are thought to be attributable to non-compliance. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations Act 1992 states that employers must give workers suitable training on use of supplied PPE and ensure that it is worn effectively.

To encourage compliance, health and safety managers should supply PPE that is not only adequate in protecting against the hazard faced, but also suitable for the individual, environment and task. They must also administer correct training to ensure minimal room for error or hazard.

When choosing which items to supply, health and safety managers should select equipment that suits the user, considering the size, fit and weight of the PPE. Whilst the level of protection given by PPE is of high priority, comfort is a very important factor in the selection process. Personnel who find their supplied safety wear uncomfortable may be inclined to wear it incorrectly, or remove it altogether, particularly if they are required to use it for long periods of time.

Everyone is different and comfort is a very personal thing. To encourage compliance, it is therefore important to involve workers in the selection process - something 3M promotes through its Workers’ Choice campaign - to pick up on user differences and ensure that PPE does not become a hindrance.

Not only does this protect against potential risks, it can also improve productivity, as less time is wasted on constantly adjusting equipment.

Once health and safety managers have narrowed down their options to those that can provide adequate comfort and protection, they should consider offering a range of choices.

With so much to choose from, it’s hard to imagine what will work best for a team just by looking at a catalogue. To help with this, 3M offers extensive free product trials, giving employees time to try a solution

and see if it works for them. If workers are able to help choose it, they will be more likely to use it.

Trialling a product also gives managers a chance to ensure that the chosen equipment is compatible. This is essential, so as not to find it being worn incorrectly, as this renders it useless.

An example of this is safety glasses; poor compatibility between safety glasses and respirators can easily lead to poor vision due to misting of the lenses. More worrying, poor compatibility can sometimes lead to wearers incorrectly adjusting and breaking the seal of respirators to make them fit better with their eyewear.

3M also offers questionnaires to help health and safety managers get the most valuable feedback from their workforce. This helps to distinguish why they may not be wearing their PPE - for example it may be a comfort issue or that it takes too long to put on.

A key part of improving compliance rates is properly training employees, not only on how to wear their equipment correctly, but also as to why it is important to do so. Those informed about the hazards they face are more likely to want to protect themselves.

The type and level of training required will depend on the nature of the work and the risks to which an individual is exposed.

During training, workers should be informed of the correct way to wear each item, learn of safe approved storage methods and how to spot and report defects.

This process should be repeated routinely and if any element of a job changes - such as a machinery swap - as this may mean there is a need to look again at the current PPE. Once in place, compliance should be regularly monitored and nonconformity addressed. This should be a top-down approach – it will be harder to get a workforce to comply if management do not first adapt to it themselves.

Managers have to be noticeably visible in complying with any safety requirements, and wherever possible, should engage with workers in an encouraging manner if they observe non-compliance.

In addition to mandatory signage, it can also be useful to display awareness posters, signifying the risks and rules of PPE compliance around the workspace, to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind. �

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PERFORMANCE

STANDARD

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Promoting a Safe Working Environment ABOUT ASI The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a standards setting and certification organisation that recognises and fosters the responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. As a member-based, global initiative, ASI is the result of producers, users and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain coming together to build consensus on ‘responsible aluminium’.

ASI is developing an independent third party certification program to ensure sustainability and human rights principles are increasingly embedded in aluminium production, use and recycling. The program is expected to be launched in December 2017.

In general, occupational health and safety (OHS) programs should embody a progressive culture that drives prevention of workplace-related injuries and diseases and promotes good health and safety, and through this, delivers substantial benefits. Through the ASI Performance Standard, ASI members are encouraged to develop programs that address broader health aspects, such as psychological health and safety, stress, fatigue, fitness for work, obesity, substance addiction and work-life balance. While the intent of these programs is to further enhance workplace health and safety, due regard to issues of privacy still needs to be given, with protections for workers who may seek help with health or personal problems.

ASI AND SAFETY ASI is committed to the responsible production of aluminium, which can be measured in terms of its sustainable practices and improvements associated with the production, use and recycling of aluminium and its products. A key practice attributed to responsible production is the provision and promotion of safe and healthy working conditions for all employees, contractors as well as visitors involved in the aluminium supply chain.

ASI’s Performance Standard sets out a fundamental responsibility that companies certified by ASI ensure that their workers are not harmed as a result of their work. Health and safety management systems and programs are usually designed to cover direct employees, any contract or agency workers, and members of the public such as visitors and local communities who may be impacted by a company’s operations.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY RISKS? The ASI Performance Standard includes OHS requirements including the need to develop OHS policies and management systems that are communicated and regularly reviewed, with the direct endorsement and support of senior management. This support includes the provision of resources such as equipment, practices and people to manage and address OHS hazards and risks. These risks may include:

� Use of machinery and mobile equipment, including guarding, training of operators and maintainers, procedures for shutdown to a zero energy state, and lockout and tagout procedures � Inventory, hazard information, storage and handling of materials (including hot metal) and chemicals � Exposure to hazardous materials in various states, whether solid, liquid, gas, mist, dust and fumes,

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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS The occupational health and safety- related criteria in the ASI Performance Standard are as follows: 11.1 Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Policy.

The Entity shall a. Implement, communicate and regularly review an [Occupational Health and Safety] Policy that senior management has endorsed and supports through provision of resources. b. Apply the Policy to all Workers and Visitors present in any area [or activities] under [the Entity’s] control. c. Include in the Policy a commitment to comply with Applicable Law on Workers’ health and safety, international standards, and ILO Conventions on Occupational Health and Safety including where relevant ILO Conventions 155 and 176. d. Include in the Policy that Workers have the right to understand the hazards and safe practices for their work, and the authority to refuse or stop unsafe work.

11.2 OH&S Management System.

The [Entity] shall have a documented Occupational Health and Safety Management System that is conformant with applicable national and international standards.

11.3 Employee engagement on health and safety.

The [Entity] shall provide [Workers] with a mechanism, such as a joint health and safety committee, by which they can raise, discuss and participate in the resolution of Occupational Health and Safety issues with management.

11.4 OH&S performance.

The [Entity] shall evaluate its [Occupational Health and Safety] performance using lagging and leading indicators, compare this with peers and best practices where available, and strive to continuously improve.

airborne particles, noise and temperature levels. This includes the nature of the hazard (corrosive, toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, asphyxiant, sensitizer) the pathways of entry to and elimination from the body, the nature of possible effects on target cells/ organs/systems, and appropriate control measures.

� Psychological

HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES

factors and mental well-being � Working alone � Working at height � Confined spaces � Energised systems (pressure, temperature,

electrical, etc.) � Inadequate lighting and/or ventilation � Ergonomic hazards, and the potential for repetitive strain activities � Ensuring that workplaces are safe for all workers, including younger workers (for example under 18 years of age) older workers, pregnant workers, and workers with disabilities � General industrial hygiene � Housekeeping issues.

The ASI Performance Standard does not require Entities to be certified to other international standards on safety (e.g., OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System and ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems Requirements currently being developed). However it provides reference to how such standards can be taken into account where already applied by a company, as well as guidance on the elements expected in an effective management system.

HOW TO BECOME INVOLVED ASI now has more than 50 members working together for a responsible aluminium value chain and we warmly welcome new members to join us and implement our standards, including on safety. To find out more about our program or becoming an ASI member, visit www.aluminium-stewardship.org �

www.aluminium-stewardship.org

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CASE STUDY: SAFETY IN PRACTICE

As an EPC contractor, FIVES was in charge of executing the project for the new 120,000 tph slab casting facility for

A Remelt/Slab Casting Facility in Bahrain

10

GOLDEN RULES OF SAFETY ZERO HARM BY CHOICE: A CULTURE BASED ON TRUST, OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY

GARMCO, including all

� Build a system relying on habits and behaviour rather than

engineering, erection

� Promote HSE as a value to all stakeholders � Raise the level of employees’ involvement and ownership of

and civil works, equipment supply,

rules

safety

� Create a strong, visible and passionate leadership into the whole organisation

automation, construction and commissioning activities.

www.garmco.com

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THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO OUR SUCCESSFUL PROJECT Success comes from the well-being of all employees and contractors.

A proper knowledge of safety rules is the first step to avoid any risky situation:

� The rules must be specific to the project both in English and � �

� � � � �

Arabic Compulsory project induction prior to site mobilisation Specific training on Working at height, working in confined space, excavation and trenching, spotter and flagmen, lock-out and tag-out and hand safety awareness Compulsory medical fitness check-up prior to being allowed on site Permanent site clinic and emergency vehicle plus qualified nurse on duty for any medical assistance ORS rehydration salts, glucose biscuits and Artic Radwear cooling blankets provided as precautionary measures Regular camp inspections, Installation of rest shelters and Sealed & Covered drinking water stations Drinking water container available for each employee along with a TBT for correct cleaning procedure

SAFETY IS A DAILY

� A good inspection of site to ensure the best working conditions before any activities starts

� A third party certification required both for equipment and operators

� Access authorisation stickers posted on vehicles � Inspection proof posted on all equipment and plant approved � A training of flagmen to ensure compliance with Human Machine Interface

� Construction of proper walkways � Implementation of a six metre safety distance between personnel and vehicle/plant

� Gas and air quality testing at three different elevations with duplicate equipment

� Use of exhaust fans to extract gasses and stand-by evacuation arrangement

� Accurate monitoring of activities to identify potential hazards

Confined space requirements

A proactive approach to Risk Management

Sharing of Good Practices

COMMITMENT FOR BOTH THE MANAGEMENT AND THE WORKERS

Welfare & social awareness

Safety awareness & education

Case study: Garmco Remelt Project in Bahrain

Employees to stop any unsafe situation Pre-check of construction plant & tools

Separation of humans & machinery

1,500,000

working hours without LTI

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MATERIALS HANDLING

Safer Handling Solutions There’s a lot more to materials handling than just moving loads around a facility - and companies that delve more deeply into this issue can make substantial improvements to their overall operations when it comes to enhancing safety.

In the aluminium sector, where many of the raw materials and finished products can typically be long, unwieldy and potentially dangerous, there is more focus than ever on this aspect of the business.

Manual handling of heavy loads and the risk that this poses is a practice that is now pretty much confined to the past, but statistics show that there is still an average of 1500 injury accidents involving fork lift trucks every year in the UK alone. And according to HSE, 25% of all workplace transport accidents involve forklift trucks.

Safer procedures were therefore a key issue for Martin McVicar and his business partner Robert Moffett when they developed the Combilift – the world’s first ic engine powered, all-wheel drive multidirectional forklift – in 1998. The ability to travel sideways with very long loads resting safely and securely on the truck’s low platform avoids risky high level manoeuvres around obstacles -necessary with many other types of forklifts - for maximum levels of occupational health and safety.

Awareness has grown recently that it is a lot safer to handle long loads as low to the ground as possible so in many ways Combilift was ahead of its game 20 years ago when this was a salient feature of its first product. The aluminium sector was quick to adopt the Combilift concept and many trucks are working with familiar names in the industry such as Alcoa, Hydro Aluminium, Sapa, Schüco, Metal Centre and Impol to name but a few. When large concerns such as these open up manufacturing facilities in other countries they generally stipulate that their current Combilift handling system is replicated in the new operation due to the superior safety and efficiency that this offers over other options.

Combilift’s designers reacted to this a few years ago by developing a range of walk behind products such as the Combi-WR, the multidirectional WR4 and the counterbalance design Combi-CS. These enable enhanced levels of safety in the warehouse or production areas – not only for the operators but also for other personnel who may be present. With various capacities and lift heights they are a viable alternative to ride on forklifts, particularly for order picking at stockholders for example.

Most pedestrian forklifts require operators to stand at the rear of the truck when working, which leaves them in a vulnerable position between the truck and the racking. Combilift – ever the innovator – came up with a unique feature to avoid this with its patented multi-position tiller arm. This can be turned to the left or the right of the unit with easy push button control, allowing the operator to stand at the side of the truck when working, thereby avoiding any crush risk or other incidents within aisles.

This positon also gives the operator a clear view of the load, the forks and the immediate surroundings without having to look through the mast, and this high visi-

Safety is a driving force behind the design of all of Combilift’s models as companies in various industry sectors react to ever more stringent regulations designed to safeguard the workforce. As evinced by the statistics quoted above, forklift trucks are heavy and potentially dangerous pieces of equipment and there is a move to using pedestrian operated trucks where the load and conditions allow to reduce risks.

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bility – another factor which increases safety – reduces the potential for any accidents.

Combilift’s MD Martin McVicar also adds an interesting observation regarding the walk behind/ride on debate – as it is often assumed that pedestrian trucks reduce productivity in the warehouse: “In some warehouses you see forklifts driving around with no load and you have to ask yourself where they are going.

Put someone in a driving seat and it is possible that they are less aware of their surroundings. With a pedestrian truck the operator tends to be more efficient, more conscious of the environment and will take the safest and most efficient route available.”

A further safety issue, particularly when operating counterbalance forklifts, is that of tip-overloading.

There are several factors that can cause a forklift to become overloaded such as the load centre, the weight and type of load and the lift height. To avoid drivers having to make constant calculations, Combilift developed the Combi Safe-Lift to make life easier and safer for them. This can detect, monitor, alarm and shut down operation when risk level is reached by means of a strain sensor on the mast which detects when the load centre is extended or when the forks are not fully engaged. MD Martin McVicar: “We believe that this simple, cost effective system should become a standard option on all counterbalance trucks in future. It’s an effective way to cut risks and also to avoid product damage as well as costly repairs.”

“We are proud of our record of innovation in our sector, but we are equally proud of our contribution to safer handling procedures around the world,” said Martin. �

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RISK MANAGEMENT

How Hydro Advances HSE Performance with Solid Risk Management

Hydro renewed its approach to Health, Safety and Environment and risk management in 2011 to be more proactive, more risk-based and less driven by abstract accident rates.

Here is how Hydro renewed their safety strategy and how it has benefited the company.

Hydro’s efforts in risk management started many decades ago. The renewed focus was to drive HSE development more proactively, working with risks that matter, their identification, mitigation and follow-up.

HSE TARGETS LINKED TO COMPANY’S STRATEGIC DIRECTION The way Hydro works with HSE overall is linked to the company’s aspiration and strategic direction, to be Better, Bigger, Greener.

Based on the aspiration, Hydro defined long-term targets for HSE, with a HSE strategy with these focus areas:

� HSE risk management � Competence, leadership, responsibility and accountability

� Engagement

28

The Head of HSE in Hydro, André Fey, explains how the HSE work produced results.

“To work with risk management the way we do today, by actively working with major risks, their identification and mitigation – we laid a solid foundation for gaining better control over processes and tasks with inherent high risks. At the same time, we sharpened everybody’s awareness and understanding for risks in general, so that we also observed a reduction of incidents linked to smaller risks,” says Fey. PREPARATION WORK: INVOLVEMENT OF EMPLOYEES AND LINE MANAGERS One of the first things that needed to be done was to involve employees and line managers more.

“We identified ten steps in our risk journey which we would need to complete in order to contribute appropriately to our long-term targets in HSE. Initially necessary, but rather standard work that took about two years such defining risk criteria, updating our risk

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Hydro wanted a more proactive HSE development.

A

B

A. AndrĂŠ Fey.

B. Hydro have started to sort tasks and processes based on their inherent risk, providing the opportunity to establish a truly leading Key Performance Indicator for HSE.

Right: Both HSE, ERM and Compliance in Hydro are all using the same way of illustrating the risk mapping, resulting in a better integrated process in the company.

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Above: Hydro are currently implementing a Critical Control Management System.

matrix and reviewing steering documents and guidance documents. This work also required cooperation with Enterprise Risk Management and other disciplines in order to ensure that the HSE risk management was not an isolated stand-alone element, but well integrated with other key processes. This point played a very important part later on,” says Fey. The HSE network realised that the local risk assessments were not good enough, so as a parallel activity, the local risk assessments were updated at all Hydro sites.

“This was a major undertaking, as we utilised the opportunity to involve as many employees in that process as practically possible, which proved to be of a huge benefit regarding quality and later acceptance. An additional important point was that for each identified process and task, not only the actual risk, was evaluated, taking into account all existing mitigating actions, but also the inherent risk, meaning the disregarding of all existing protective measures,” says Fey. The first outcome of this process, Fey points out, were local risk registers. Here, line managers could sort all processes and tasks by their inherent or actual risk, all with one mouse click.

“The advantage here is that sorting it by the inherent risk puts a spotlight on processes and tasks, which were considered sufficiently covered by mitigating actions. Hence, they came with a low actual risk and therefore not dealt too much with - but where we have seen shortcomings in the past. Consequently, we liked to see line management paying more attention to them,” says Fey. This approach ensured setting the right priorities going forward. “This helped us to prioritise not only on risks that typically trigger high frequency, low impact incidents (slips, trips, falls) but also on low frequency, high impact incidents that you really like to avoid,” says Fey.

30

ESTABLISHING A TRULY LEADING KPI FOR HSE This approach made it possible for Hydro to get back to the original intention, which was to sort tasks and processes based on their inherent risk, providing the opportunity to establish a truly leading Key Performance Indicator for HSE. “Based on the updated local risk assessments that covered safety and health, and increasingly also environment and security, we created the so-called Risk KPI. The Risk KPI measures the actual risks of tasks and processes with an inherent high risk. Over time, an organsation unit can demonstrate not only via the incident rate whether it improves its performance, but also how well it controls its risks with an equally simple figure,” says Fey. CRITICAL CONTROL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM UP NEXT To further strengthen controls around the main risks, Hydro is currently implementing a Critical Control Management System based on an International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM) version, where Hydro has contributed.

This is a system from the chemical industry, adjusted for the metal & mining industry, that helps to identify and ensure the efficiency of key barriers to prevent major disasters.

“The integration of that system into Hydro’s reporting system for high-risk incidents, and its follow-up system in case of failure, will close the continuous improvement circle, because not only does it report on deviations, but it also feeds into local risk assessment, engages operators and helps to improve their quality again,” says Fey. BENEFITS FOR HYDRO – FOR THE COMPANY, LINE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATORS The approach outlined has already given Hydro sev-

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Risk acceptance criteria

Risk matrix Hydro’s aluminium smelter in Neuss, Germany.

Steering document on HSF risk management eral benefits. But as Fey highlights, they are obviously not at the end of the journey yet, as Hydro suffered two fatalities, in April and November in 2017.

Fey mentions some of the advantages Hydro has gained with their renewed way of approaching risk management.

“We have gotten to the point where HSE, ERM and Compliance are all using the same way of illustrating the risk mapping. This means that our efforts have reached a better understanding among several parties, and the process is better integrated in the company. By implementing CCMS, risks and controls are getting better understood, also in non-HSE areas.

Over time, we will have the possibility to decrease insurance premiums by demonstrating a solid risk process. We also have better HRI reporting, with spin-off effects on lower TRI rates by better understanding risks as such,” says Fey. Hydro’s line managers know now even better how to control their main risks, also resulting in higher credibility among operators. “Our line managers have gotten an even better understanding of how risks are controlled, resulting in better dialogues with operators, because line managers become in-depth familiar with processes and main risks, being able to ask questions that matter and do not revolve too much around housekeeping and the use of personal protective equipment,” says Fey. The operators out on the shop floor understand their role when it comes to controlling risks better.

“More use of visual elements will help our operators to understand their role and the risks they are exposed to, but also which risks they can influence, and how they can influence them - much better than any Excel sheets with thousands of columns,” says Fey. �

Guidance material in risk management

Follow-up

Critical control management

Local risk assessments

Hydro’s HSE risk management system BowTie

Risk register

Risk KPI

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RISK MANAGEMENT

There have been notable Improvements in recordable case rates, lost time injury rates, and accident-based fatality rates1 across many industry sectors over the last two decades. Unfortunately, however, in some industry sectors fatality rates (including those from occupational disease) have remained relatively constant. Despite a long-held belief in the relationships between various measures seen as part of the “Bird Triangle”2, it may be questionable as to whether the relationship holds, at least with respect to fatalities.

Forward-Looking Approaches to Health and Safety Risk Control This article discusses, briefly, three developing approaches to resolving this apparent “fatality conundrum” and lessening the risk for workers in our industry workplaces: The use of leading indicators to assist organisations and workers to intervene in the processes that lead to health and safety incidents; evaluating and managing workplace psychological health and safety; and implementing critical control management.

LEADING INDICATORS The value of leading indicators has been demonstrated by both expert safety professionals3,4 and forward-thinking industry organisations such as in the oil and gas sector5 and ocean shipping industry6. The need to tie measurable and objective leading indicators to clearly defined organisational goals, and to involve both management and the workforce in their development and application, is important. The use of leading indicators to motivate actions that drive continual improvement is also key to their success.

For the Aluminium industry, the fact that the use of lagging indicators to inform safety decision making has not resulted in significant improvements in the rate of serious and fatal accidents suggests that there is an opportunity and an imperative to make use of the additional, new, leading indicators paradigm. It is important for aluminium producers to increase their efforts towards defining and implementing the use of leading indicators, such as those suggested by the International Aluminium Institute7 (IAI) and the International Council on Mining and Metals8 (ICMM) for their member companies.

Examples of leading indicators include: � Assessment of the presence of, and compliance to, safety management systems; � Determination of the effectiveness of the systems – in effect, a gap analysis of whether the systems in place are understood and working as they should; � Measurement of training and learning on topics of key importance; � Organisational safety culture assessment;

WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (WELL-BEING) The health and safety of workers and their workplace can be significantly impacted by psychological factors. Little attention has been paid to this aspect of worker health and safety until very recently. New developments in many countries such as Canada’s National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace 9,10, the U. K.’s Management Standard for Stress in the Workplace11, and the World Health Organization’s “Health Impact of Psychosocial Hazards at Work: An Overview”12, provide evidence of the growing awareness of the role of a psychologically healthy and safe workplace and employee well-being in improving not just health and safety and worker health, but in impacting other key measurements of organisational success such as community acceptance, recruitment and retention, and overall improvements in the organisation’s productivity and profitability.

In this context, leading indicators can also be used to assess the presence of workplace psychological health and safety programs, their level of implementation and their understanding among the workforce and management.

Awareness of the causative and contributory roles of fatigue and stress in incidents and accidents is also increasing. Further examination of psychological health and safety factors – and there are numerous, scientifically validated factors already defined - may shed further light on the apparent discrepancy between the improving results in lagging indicator assessments of recordable case rates and lost time injuries and the lack of improvement in fatality statistics.

Accident and incident investigations should routinely check on whether issues such as fatigue, anxiety, stress, inattention, medication influences, or other psychological concerns may have impacted the occurrence. Pre-work hazard identification and risk assessments should inquire into the role that psychological factors may play in the successful accomplishment of specific tasks. All too often these aspects may be ignored when their contribution to the adverse outcome may be significant.

By Ian Arnold, MD, MSC, DOHS, FRCPC, FCBOM, CRSP is the Occupational Health and Safety consultant with the International Aluminium Institute. Chris Bayliss, MA, is the Deputy Secretary General for the International Aluminium Institute. Ross Di Corleto, PhD, MSc, FAIOH, FSIA, CHOHSP is the Principal Adviser – Health Risk with Rio Tinto Global HSE. James C. Wesdock, MD, MPH, FACOEM is the Global Health & Medical Director for Alcoa Corporation

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1

Fatal accidents

10

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30 6000

Accidents Incidents

WHAT IS CRM?

ALCOA

FUNDAMENTALS Critical Risk Management (CRM) is a layered verification process that is focused on fatality prevention by: - Understanding Critical Risks - Implementing Critical Controls - Evaluating Critical Control effectiveness “At Alcoa, Critical Risk Management (CRM) is an essential part of our fatality prevention program. Our data has shown us that we have ten Critical Risks, across our three business units, that cause the great majority of Fatalities and Serious Injury (FSI) Actuals and Potentials. Where these Critical Risks exist, we have defined Critical Controls, supported by our mature Human Performance (HP) program. The implementation of these Critical Controls is verified in the field by leaders

RIO TINTO

at all levels.�

ensuring we focus on the critical few

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design, i.e. system questions for

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the controls for the potential

managers, shift-by-shift checking of

task basis.

for health related fatality risks.

exposures. This was done in a

controls for supervisors and a small

Rio Tinto has successfully utilised

workshop by frontline employees

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CRM within its safety discipline

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for the operator/maintainer that

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are applied on a task-by-task

the same as fatal safety risks by a

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basis.

broad range of operational partici-

tor involvement in the verification

selected. Once determined as a

of critical controls.

critical control they are required to

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er as simply, critical risks. There is

undergo an adequacy assessment.

taken by participants, are then

no differentiation in the proprietary

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entered via a computer or mobile

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any issues or further improvements

app into a database for recording

risks, questions and verification

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that can be made in the critical

and analysis.

data. It has also now opened up a

1.

control.

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3.

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then developed to fit the CRM

assessed quarterly or six monthly

of health risks.

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CRITICAL CONTROL MANAGEMENT Increasingly, companies in the aluminium industry are devoting considerable time and effort in implementing critical control management (CCM) (also called Critical Risk Management) approaches. The process involves the development of an understanding/assessment of critical workplace risks, implementation of key (critical) control measures, and regular determination of the effectiveness of the critical control management process.

Human performance factors are also critical to the success of CCM Systems. Control procedures for certain material unwanted events (MUE) must include a review of human performance factors that could impact the frequency of occurrence of the MUE. As an example, if exposure to diesel exhaust is considered a MUE, then a fatigued, depressed, distracted, or anxiety ridden employee may miss critical steps in an operating procedure and/or maintenance process thereby increasing the risk of exposure.

The ICMM Critical Control Management process13,14 identifies nine key steps that need to be taken for successful implementation. These are: � Step 1: Planning the process � Step 2: Identify material unwanted events (MUEs) � Step 3: Identify controls

� � � � � �

Step 4: Select the critical controls Step 5: Define performance and reporting Step 6: Assign accountability Step 7: Site-specific implementation Step 8: Verification and reporting Step 9: Response to inadequate critical control performance

mates of Occupational Accidents and Work-related Illnesses 2014 [https://www.wsh-institute.sg/files/wshi/upload/cms/ file/Global%20Estimates%20of%20Occupational%20Accidents%20and%20Work-related%20Illness%202014.pdf] 2. Safety 101 (18 July 2012). The Safety Triangle Explained [http://crsp-safety101.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-safety-triangle-explained.html] 3. A Second on Safety (January 2011). Why is it we continue to ignore the Science of Safety? [http://www.transformationalsafety.com/documents/A_Second_on_Safety_January_11. pdf] 4. Linkedin: David Broadbent (19 June 2016). LITFR, MTIFR, TRIFR and other dodgy digits. It’s time to think again, and again, and again [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/litfr-mtifr-trifr-other-dodgy-digits-its-time-think-again-broadbent] 5. Step Change in Safety: Our Story [https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/about-step-change-safety/history] 6. American Bureau of Shipping (January 2012, updated February 2014). Safety Culture and Leading Indicators of Safety [ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/rules-and-guides/ current/other/188_safety/leading_indicators_gn_e-feb14.pdf] 7. The Aluminium Story (International Aluminium Institute): Health & Safety [http://primary.world-aluminium.org/aluminium-facts/health-safety] 8. International Council on Mining & Metals (November 2012). Overview of Leading Indicators for Occupational Health and Safety in Mining [https://www.icmm.com/website/ publications/pdfs/4800.pdf] 9. CSA

Group

(2013).

CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ

9700-

803/2013 - Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace - prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation

[http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/occupa-

tional-health-and-safety-management/cancsa-z100313bnq-9700-8032013/invt/z10032013]

Examples of two companies’ approaches to Critical Control Management are outlined in the boxes on the previous page.

10. The Evolution of Workplace Mental Health in Canada: https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/pdf/articles/Evolution_Book.pdf 11. Health and Safety Executive: What are the Management

SUMMARY This article has briefly touched on three areas that will assist organisations to improve occupational health and safety outcomes for both employees and the organization. The development and use of critical control management (CCM) systems may also, in and of itself, constitute a leading indicator.

More information may be obtained at websites noted in the Bibliography:

Standards? [http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards] 12. World Health Organization (2010). Health Impact of Psychosocial Hazards at Work: An Overview [http://apps.who.int/ iris/bitstream/10665/44428/1/9789241500272_eng.pdf] 13. International Council on Mining & Metals (2015). Health and Safety Critical Control Management – Good Practice

Guide

[https://www.icmm.com/website/publications/

pdfs/8570.pdf] 14. International Council on Mining & Metals (2015). Health and Safety Critical Control Management – Implementa-

2 I Arnold.indd 4

BIBLIOGRAPHY

tion

1. Workplace Safety & Health Institute (2014). Global Esti-

pdfs/9722.pdf]

Guide

[https://www.icmm.com/website/publications/

29/01/2018 10:02:17

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RISK MANAGEMENT

A key component of a successful safety program

Incident Management

in the aluminium industry whether it is in bauxite mining, alumina refining or aluminium smelting is to provide a centralised solution to track all types of incidents, drive a consistent process for incident entry, investigation, and corrective actions.

EHS Incident Management is the solution that can meet this objective. Manual paper based data collection supplemented by some input to computer programs like Excel is one way to capture incidents and do follow up. A more advanced approach is to use incident management software integrated to the overall company business system broken down to three main components: Incident Recording, Incident Processing and Incident Outputs.

INCIDENT RECORDING Initial recording includes recording not only incidents but near miss, or safety observation related to an EHS event. Input can be directly into a form on a computer or by mobile devices either online or offline. The ability to record near misses or safety observations easily and quickly will increase the reporting of such events and lead to reduced incidents through the analysis of these traditionally underreported activities.

INCIDENT PROCESSING Once an incident has been recorded, predefined rules inside a workflow tool can automatically assign an incident manager and send a role-based notification about the incident. Any person involved in an incident can be entered and tracked during the management process. They can be assigned roles such as injured person, witness, investigator etc. It is possible to send involved persons’ inquiry forms to capture their statements and store with the incident.

Injuries and illnesses can be recorded not only for company employees but also external persons such as contractors and visitors. You can use this information to analyse trends to influence positive prevention initiatives as well as to complete regulatory forms.

The program can also be used to record releases such as chemical spill or gas release including the quantity of each material released, recovered, and

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disposed of. Reports can then be used to identify problematic assets, materials and processes.

Assets that were involved or damaged in an incident can be recorded to obtain a more complete picture of the incident. Integration to the enterprise asset management component can minimise the amount of data to be entered.

The net cost of an incident can be accumulated by recording any income (insurance), expenses (medical, fees, maintenance etc.) and at any time compare these figures to estimated amounts. The integration to the business system means the data can be pulled directly from other sources such as maintenance or service orders to provide visibility into the true cost of incidents.

Incident investigation features support risk assessment, investigation of causes and tracking of preventive and corrective actions.

� Once an incident has occurred it is important to evaluate the inherent risk and residual risk of proposed or implemented controls. Analysis of these risk ratings assist in targeting corrective actions where they will have the highest impact. � Investigation of causes can be done with a configurable multistep template with each step having a responsible person assigned and a due date. One standard step is to record the root cause or causes. � Tasks can be created and assigned at various critical points inside the incident and tracked through completion using standard reports and views. These can be assigned to individuals in their preferred task management environment. For example, as a work order to a maintenance person.

INCIDENT OUTPUTS Reporting and analytics features include support for completing regulatory forms and performing analyti-

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cal reporting using standard software tools. Any data can also be exported for use with other tools such as excel or industry standard tools.

Incident management functionality provides a comprehensive report and form engine that allows you to set up various kinds of regulatory forms and generate and send these forms directly from the application.

Analytical reporting is possible with the incident management data written directly to a data warehouse. Predefined reports are provided but they can also be changed by adding or removing fields.

The data captured can also be used to create informative dashboards. Each dashboard addresses a different set of data and can be filtered by a combination of country, region, plant, shift, time and location.

BENEFIT OF INCIDENT MANAGEMENT Using a centralised software solution that is tightly integrated to a company’s enterprise software allows tracking of all types of incidents. Analysis of the information contained in a centralised database for all types of events can help reduce incident rates and severity.

This type of system increases visibility and automates tasks and corrective actions while reducing time for processing incidents and regulatory reporting. It supports a proactive safety culture that impacts the health and safety of people and the environment. ďż˝

www.sap.com

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RISK MANAGEMENT

There are a host of health and safety challenges in the aluminium industry. *Saif Akbar, looks at how the risks can be managed.

Minimising Risk Across the Supply Chain Around the world, millions of tons of aluminum are produced in pot lines and cast every day without workers coming to harm. However, just like in any other heavy manufacturing industry, there are inherent risks and hazards involved with the production and fabrication of molten metal.

The hazards in the industry aren’t just restricted to safety either. We must take into account how working in the aluminium industry can have a major impact of the health of individuals.

The physical and chemical hazards include noise, heat and humidity, vibration, ergonomic, biological, psychosocial and ultraviolet radiation exposure.

These are related to primary aluminum production and are well-known hazards in the aluminum smelting industry.

*Saif Akbar is a member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and senior superintendent for safety at Emirates Global Aluminium in the UAE.

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EXAMINING THE RISKS Within smelting operations, heat stress occurs because of high levels of process-generated heat. In some countries, the hot weather can also be a factor as it may exceed defined occupational exposure limits. The climate of tropical industry locations, with its inherent high atmospheric ambient heat and humidity, can lead to heat-related illnesses.

Both general and job-specific controls for heat stress exposures should be considered and implemented based on the results of exposure assessments. Acclimatisation practices remain an important component of heat stress management. Worker training on early recognition of heat-related illness symptoms should be additional components to a comprehensive program. For job-specific exposures, engineering and administrative controls are often necessary and may include the use of personal cooling methods of heat stress control.

Chemical hazards include fluoride, alumina and bauxite dust. There are also risks from caustic soda, carbon monoxide and diesel exhaust fumes from the mobile equipment being used in plants. There are inhalation hazards which need to be considered also.

These represent the most common mechanism for potentially harmful exposure within aluminum production.

Noise is a persistent hazard throughout aluminum refineries. Noise-induced hearing loss remains an unfortunate but still predominant occupational illness for refinery workers. There are a number of issues to look at when considering noise. Noise from fume treatment plants, heavy-duty mobile equipment, overhead cranes, turbines, compressor houses, blasting,

drilling and crushing is ever present. Consequently, noise-induced hearing loss is a significant risk to be managed, and robust hearing conservation programs are essential.

In the hierarchy of health and safety controls, personal protective equipment is the last line of defence.

However in cases such as this, it is necessary, so best-practice programs incorporating quantitative hearing protection should be in place.

There are ergonomic issues to cover as well. Op-

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erators of heavy equipment and machinery are being constantly exposed to vibrating hand tools which are frequently used within refineries. This can lead to hand-arm vibration syndrome occasionally establishing in the workforce. There are also risks presented by whole-body vibration, which can contribute to or exacerbate spinal disorders. Appropriate levels of employee awareness should be sought when looking to manage this risk, as part of overall control strategies which are necessary to deal to avoid acute and chronical disorders.

NEWER HAZARDS Traditionally, the focus for the primary aluminum industry has been on minimising worker exposure to physical and chemical hazards, whether it relate to long-term or short-term peak exposures. This means managing chemical, heat, noise, dust and magnetic field/radiation exposure through engineering con-

trols, changed work practices or the use of personal protective equipment.

However, in recent years, other hazards have been identified and are the subject of exploration by the industry. We must now consider psychological health and wellness.

There are numerous challenges involving environmental, health and safety issues within the aluminium industry. These include global warming and climate change. There are also regulations, raw material supply, waste, pollution and natural disasters among others. When considering these risks, it is hard to make the prediction for what the future may hold for the industry in the future globally.

Community health issues and opportunities are quite specific and multiple hazards have been identified in aluminum smelter workplaces. These risks, which include noise, should be roughly assessed on the basis of existing occupational health studies and in other community-based studies. They can be shared globally.

In managing the risk to people from these industry-related processes, it is unconditionally imperative to identify all potential hazards systematically and follow it up with good practice. This requires strong management and leadership commitment, with an adequate structured follow up.

Rigorous health protection programs can be implemented throughout the industry to address and control the identified hazards and risks. These should include comprehensive industrial hygiene and medical surveillance programs and the use of modern technologies and approaches wherever possible. Improved process control, positive technological changes, and better planning have also lowered potential risks for local communities Minimising health risks is essential for the long-term sustainability of operations. Therefore it is crucial that aluminium industries anticipate what risks to the safety and health of the employees lie ahead and support the right research efforts and learning opportunities.

The industry must strive to assure that in-house occupational health programs in companies are of a quality that will allow management to monitor the impact of health issues that are indeed unique to aluminium industry. Efforts should also be made to support and share the interactive co-operative efforts between regionally, nationally and worldwide.

Health risk assessments are a tool that can be used to estimate or predict the current or future health impact of physical and chemical exposures. These hazards can be minimised or eliminated entirely by adequate safety policy. Also required is the use of emerging technologies, aggressive conservation programs and procedures, careful attention to safe handling practices and the sharing of best practices among the industries worldwide. The presence of adequately equipped on-site emergency response and medical personnel is also highly desirable. ďż˝

www.iosh.co.uk SAFETY GUIDE

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CONNECTED JOBSITE

When it comes to safety on the job, it takes company-wide dedication, patience and execution to ensure that each worker returns home safely.

Wearable Safety Technology Offers Total Jobsite Visibility When employees are injured on the job, productivity and morale suffers as investigations are conducted and schedules are reworked. Fortunately, the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) in recent years – linking everyday components or systems via network connectivity - has enabled the instant transfer of information across people, projects, and geographies.

Ultimately, a safer workplace is a more successful one, and when crews, managers and executives have the same real-time data to better respond to incidents and proactively mitigate risks, everyone wins.

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY While every organisation wants to send their employees home in the same condition as when they arrived, completing tasks on time and on budget can sometimes take precedence over safety. A 2017 National Safety Council survey of 2,000 workers found that more than one-third believe that “safety takes a backseat” to productivity. Firms with a narrow view of safety – seeing it as a quick operational or financial end– fail to recognise how a sustainable health and safety culture helps them stay competitive in the longterm. Particularly amidst the skilled labor shortage, organizations are having to change the way they attract and retain employees, and investing in cutting-edge safety technologies and initiatives sends a message to your workforce that they are valued.

By that measure, leading organisations prioritise engagement and collaboration, aiming to be a safety partner - not the safety police. With integrated processes for identifying, documenting, assessing and managing injuries and hazards on the job, organisations can take a comprehensive, controlled approach to safety.

EMBRACE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY Safety results from what managers say, what workers see on the job, and what tools each individual is equipped with to actively participate in safety. Across industries, technology has ushered in a new era of efficiency and risk management as emerging devices and applications help project leaders stay on top of their teams and ahead of potential dangers.

Wearable devices are transforming the way the aluminium processing and production industry protects its most valuable resource – the workforce. The Spot-r Clip (shown below) worn by every worker on a site, sends automatic alerts to designated supervisors the moment a safety incident occurs, improving response and reducing the risk of compounding injuries. In addition, in an environment with combustible dust, liquids and gas, and electrical hazards, to name a few, this same device provides workers with a direct line of

Spot-r Clip

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communication to supervisors, allowing them to signal unsafe conditions or distress via the push-button feature.

In addition, scalable, networked sensor solutions can adapt to a worksites’ specific layout and needs.

Spot-r’s non-GPS solution provides real-time visibility into workforce and equipment location, interaction, and safety incidents without restrictions such as wireless connection, indoor/outdoor location, or machine size. The Spot-r EquipTag mounts to nearly any piece of equipment such as bandsaws, hydraulic presses, or belt grinders, to tell you when it’s being operated and by whom. Layering in workforce certification data, supervisors can get unknown or unauthorised operator alerts, safeguarding against the current “one-key-fitsall” approach of machines.

In addition, utilisation data allows managers to better manage unnecessary wear and tear that come from overworking machines or cutting corners to meet demand.

PRIORITISE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are roughly 37,000 fires at industrial and manufacturing properties each year, which in 2016, resulted in almost 20 deaths and 280 injuries and $1 billion in property damage. On a daily basis, the industry contends with aluminium dust and other combustible materials, heavy machinery, and hot working conditions. On top of providing and ensuring thorough training and operator certification, plant workers and supervisors need to continuously check for hazards, establish a housekeeping routine, and regularly inspect and maintain systems and equipment. As the saying goes, organisations that fail to plan for an emergency, plan to fail. Evacuation systems are being built into wearable technology, like Spot-r, that allow supervisors to trigger an evacuation alarm to each device, simultaneously notifying each worker of an

emergency regardless of where they’re located or competing noises.

In an inherently hazardous industry, complacency is always a threat, and employees can become less careful and proactive when they perceive risk as “part of the job.” By providing workers with intuitive tools to participate in safety without leaving their work area, companies send the message that any amount of danger is unacceptable.

DATA-DRIVEN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT When it comes to worker safety, one incident is too many, and recent strides by the aluminium industry to reduce recordable incidents should only drive the industry further towards zero incidents. Fortunately, the availability of useful data from a variety of sources via the Internet WEARABLE DEVICES ARE of Things, allows supervisors to identify and TRANSFORMING THE WAY correct risks such as a frayed wire, accumuTHE ALUMINIUM PROCESSING lating dust, or expiring certifications. FurtherAND PRODUCTION INDUSTRY more, by analysing data across a facility, PROTECTS ITS MOST company, or sector, the aluminium industry VALUABLE RESOURCE – can develop targeted, data-driven safety procedures THE WORKFORCE. that make all industry stakeholders, such as processors and equipment suppliers, safer and smarter.

Accepting current practices as “good enough” is unacceptable when worker safety is involved. By taking a data-driven approach to safety training, performance, and monitoring, the aluminium industry will achieve a healthier, more resilient workforce and bottom line. �

www.triaxtec.com

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CASTHOUSE SAFETY

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Mitigating Casthouse Safety Hazards – A Wagstaff Perspective

Using direct chill casting methods to solidify molten aluminum into cast billets and ingots requires absolute control of the potentially explosive water/molten metal interface. Providing that level of control, and thus greatly enhancing operator safety is a top concern for the researchers, designers, and engineers of Wagstaff® casting equipment.

But, creating a safe work environment in the casthouse extends well beyond that critical interface.

Every element of risk or hazard, from pinch points to electrocution to explosions must be identified, categorized, and mitigated either through design, training, or hazard awareness. Wagstaff engineers perform a rigorous risk assessment analysis on the systems and components that comprise the casting solutions they offer the industry.

REMOTE OBSERVATION AND RECORDING OF THE CASTING PROCESS One of the recent, significant contributions in this area was the introduction of the Wagstaff ProView™ video monitoring system. This system provides for remote observation of the casting operation, which reduces the need for operators near the molten metal.

The system is integrated with the Wagstaff AutoCast™ System, so events that trigger a casting alarm automatically bring immediate camera monitoring to the problem location, enabling operators to quickly determine the problem and take corrective action before the situation deteriorates or becomes dangerous.

The ProView software provides for detailed post-cast analysis and troubleshooting, which ultimately leads to improvements in both processes and products.

AUTOMATION INNOVATIONS An important result of these analyses, as well as years of research and field experience, is recognition of the need to automate the casting process as much as possible and, ideally, to remove operators from the immediate casting pit area while molten metal is present.

A number of successful Wagstaff innovations are now offered, and in use, that significantly enhance operator safety while at the same time improving cast product quality and consistency.

ADVANCES IN BLEEDOUT SENSORS AND PLUG-OFF MECHANISMS Another area of major concern in the aluminium casting process is that of “bleedouts”. As noted above, mixing molten aluminum and water can be a primary cause of explosions, from minor to catastrophic. For billet casters, when a bleedout occurs the typical process requires that an operator stops the flow of molten metal to the affected position by inserting a cone-shaped stop-off plug into the refractory thimble.

This requires that, first, the bleeding position is iden-

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tified, and second, an operator is able to lean over the table and safely insert the stop-off plug. In some cases, several bleedouts may occur during the same cast, making the plug-off process more dangerous with each one.

Wagstaff has devoted years of research and development into equipment and casting practices that reduce or eliminate bleedouts. No matter how robust the equipment, the process, or the practice, bleedouts will, unfortunately, continue to occur for a variety of reasons. With this in mind, Wagstaff has expended a great deal of effort to reduce or eliminate operator involvement in locating and plugging off any bleedouts. The original solution Wagstaff developed for this was termed StopCast™, and involved technologies that both sensed a bleedout via a ruptured pneumatic tube located below the billet mold and a subsequently actuated pneumatic dam triggered by the rupture, which then blocked further metal flow to the affected position.

The system was further refined and the technologies separated into a detection component and a plug-off component. The new system employs an electrical circuit built into the billet mold that senses and reports a bleedout via the operator control con-

sole or wall-mounted digital display. The detection component can be used independently to simply alert operators of a bleedout condition, which they can then respond to according to their standard operating protocol. The plug-off component consists of an xyz gantry system installed on the top of the billet mold table that, upon a signal from the detection component, moves to the affected mold position and mechanically inserts a stop-off plug preventing further metal flow into the mold. After the plug-off is complete, it returns to its home position and retrieves another stop-off plug in preparation for potential further bleedouts.

Operators are located remotely from the table during this entire process.

ENHANCED AIRSLIP PERFORMANCE: AUTOMATED GAS AND OIL CONTROL In addition to bleedouts, there are a number of other phases during the casting process that can present difficult or dangerous situations. Introduction of molten metal to the table and the period during the start of the cast can be especially volatile until a steady state equilibrium is reached. The Wagstaff AirSlipÂŽ billet casting technology relies on gas and oil interaction within a porous graphite casting ring through which

Wagstaff mold bleedout sensors

Wagstaff ProView Remote Casthouse Monitoring SAFETY GUIDE

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Typical billet defect: bleedout

pressurized casting gas and lubricating oil are introduced into the mold cavity. The combined dynamic effect of the casting gas and oil is an insulating ‘cushion’ that acts as a barrier between the solidifying aluminum and the casting surface of the mold, reducing both friction and thermal heat transfer. The key to high quality product and high productivity in AirSlip billet casting operations is the ability to quickly enter and establish tight control of this AirSlip ‘barrier’.

Normally, establishing that control meant several operators manually adjusting the gas flow rate for each individual mold until the table reached steady state.

This put operators at the table during the start phase of the cast and resulted in a slower, less-than-consistent approach to the critical aspect of establishing AirSlip conditions. To improve on both quality and safety, Wagstaff developed and introduced AutoFlo™, a fully automated gas control system to eliminate the need for operators to manually adjust each individual mold position at the start of a cast.

AutoFlo provides an automatic system that controls the gas flow rate at each position and maintains the AirSlip barrier through varying conditions during the entire casting sequence. For instance, excess bubbling in steady state condition is reduced through gas flow rate compensation in response to metal temper-

tial for personnel to fall into an unguarded pit. Typically, access to the pit is required at various, but not all, times during casting operations. Because access is necessary, it is not possible to install a permanent barrier around the pit. Solutions must be developed that allow specific access under certain conditions, but prevent access during other periods. Wagstaff offers a number of solutions to prevent this from happening, including rolling pit covers, hydraulically or electrically actuated gates and railings, or specific automation interlocks that prevent equipment from leaving the casting pit exposed.

Casthouses, like so many similar Industrial environments, expose workers to any number of potential hazards well beyond the unguarded casting pit.

Mitigating those hazards and keeping personnel safe throughout their shift and beyond presents a significant challenge. When conducting risk assessments associated with both Wagstaff casting equipment and the casthouse environment in general, training is always listed as a primary factor not only as it relates to safety, but also in the overall success of both the organisation and the individual.

ature fluctuations. Cold conditions require higher gas flow rates whereas hot conditions require lower flow rates, both of which are automatically compensated by the AutoFlo system. Benefits of less bubbling produces fewer oxides in the melt, and can result in extended refractory life and higher quality billets.

Just as important as process performance improvements, AutoFlo increases safety for the casting operators. The system provides for remote operations that can be performed via wireless tablet PC, greatly reducing operators’ exposure to the mold table during the volatile period at the start of a cast. Instead of the normal two to four operators required at the casting station during cast start, exposure can be reduced or even eliminated for a true hands-off cast.

sary but less-than-engaging, represents a critical component of that schooling. Safety training specific to the casthouse environment lends itself to the expertise Wagstaff has gained through years of research and direct field experience. Recognising this need, Wagstaff set about to develop a Learning Module specifically devoted to casthouse safety. The Learning Modules are offered as convenient, on-line resources to provide thorough, timely training to casthouse operators using Wagstaff casting systems.

Available online, the Learning Modules provide interactive, on-demand training materials to ensure that Wagstaff customers understand how best to safely and efficiently operate their casting equipment. Consistent training of operators can result in a safer work environment, more reliable and consistent casting results, and an overall greater understanding of casting operations.

The Casthouse Safety Module is a comprehensive,

IMPROVING SAFETY AROUND THE PIT Even when not casting, an open casting pit presents many dangers. Chief among these may be the poten-

CASTHOUSE SAFETY TRAINING BY WAGSTAFF Safety training, though sometimes viewed as neces-

Wagstaff offers an Online Casthouse Safety Training module 44

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self-guided introduction to safety for organisations with employees working in an aluminium casthouse.

It includes general safety requirements, industrial environment safety precautions, and safety in regards to working around molten aluminium in a casthouse as it pertains to casting aluminium ingot and billet. The module can be assigned to one or many individuals as determined by an administrator. The system is web-based, and can be distributed via email, or administered through a shared workstation. The module-based instruction makes it easy for managers to deliver consistent safety training in a one-time delivery or on a periodic basis to refresh employee safety knowledge.

Knowledge refreshment, both safety and process oriented, is a key ingredient in maintaining the commitment to improvement. From the risk assessment phase of initial development to the successful commissioning and long term support of the equipment, Wagstaff is committed throughout the entire lifecycle to maintaining the strongest possible emphasis on safety.

Wagstaff ’s continuing research and ongoing field experience in all aspects of aluminum casting will provide further enhancements and important safety improvements that benefit the entire aluminium industry. �

Automated Billet Mold Plug-off System

AutoFlo Automated Casting Gas Control

www.wagstaff.com

Al

Casting Confidence Built on innovation and refined through experience, Wagstaff billet and ingot casting technologies are a gateway to profitability. Casthouses around the world rely on the history, experience, and service offered by Wagstaff to foster confidence within the casting operation. That casting confidence is vital for success in high quality aerospace alloy casting for downstream rolling, extrusion, and forging.

The Leader in Direct Chill Casting Technology › Billet Casting Systems

› Casting Machines

› Rolling Ingot Casting Systems

› Automation

› Aerospace Alloy

› Worldwide Service

Technologies

Wagstaff ®AirSlip® Billet Casting Technology produces high-quality extrusion billet

and Support

Find out how Wagstaff innovation can increase your profits Call +1 509 922 1404 | www.wagstaff.com Wagstaff, Inc. | Spokane, Washington USA SAFETY GUIDE 45

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CASTHOUSE SAFETY

Preventing Melting and Casting Accidents

The Aluminum Association has long made the safety and well-being of aluminium industry employees a top priority and hundreds of tonnes of aluminium are safely melted and cast every day in casthouses, foundries, recycling, and reclamation plants all over the world. However, there are inherent risks and hazards involved in the melting and casting of aluminium, the most significant of those being the risk of a molten aluminum explosion due to the contamination of water or chemical oxidisers in the casting process.

These hazards can be minimised or eliminated entirely by careful attention to safe handling practices and the sharing of best practices. In 2017, the Aluminum Association undertook several initiatives to further safe aluminium industry workplaces related to molten metal management and additional information on these is below.

2017 MOLTEN METAL INCIDENT REPORT In November, the Association published its annual Molten Metal Incident Report reflecting that in 2016 there were 195 melting incidents involving aluminum reported. This report, while not a statistical representation of the industry due to its reliance on voluntary self-reporting, once again highlights the predominant hazards that result in explosions during molten aluminium management. Reports are categorised by Force Level (see Figure 1) and 176 Force 1

incidents, 18 Force 2, and one Force 3 incidents were reported. Of the 195 incidents reported, most occurred in the casting area (100 Force 1, 15 Force 2 and 1 Force 3) followed by the melting area (36 Force 1, three Force 2 and zero Force 3) (See Figure 2). Most casting explosions (84 of the 116) occurred at start-up; 45 occurring with Direct Chill (DC) casting, and 67 with sow / mold casting. As was typical of past years, most melting explosions occurred due to wet or contaminated scrap, with the second highest reason for melting explosions being wet alloying agents, with wet or oxidised Mg also being a major contributor. Common causes of explosions in DC casting were wet or insufficiently sized drain pans, wet starting blocks, lack of butt curl control, and submergence of the ingot head into water. The most common causes of explosions in Sow casting were wet or cracked molds. The remaining incidents occurred in the reduction area, (22) and the transfer area (18).

In 2016 there were 18 injuries related to these events reported: 11 Minor and 7 Serious with no Fatalities (see Figure 3). Although 2016 had the highest number of incidents ever reported, the total of 18 injuries was the lowest total ever reported since the program began in the early 1980’s. This is also dramatically lower than the 56 injuries reported in 2015, which were all Minor, with no Serious injuries.

The one Force 3 casting incident in 2016 resulted

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in five of the 18 injuries (3 Serious and 2 Minor). This explosion was related to an emergency situation during the steady state phase of a DC cast, which caused the drain pan to become wet prior to metal entering the pan, resulting in a major incident as the cast was stopped.

Since 1981, the Aluminum Association has received reports on 3535 molten metal incidents, with a breakout of 2620 Force 1’s, 799 Force 2’s, and 116 Force 3’s. These 3535 molten metal incidents have resulted in 1549 injuries, of which 1081 were minor, 377 were serious, and 91 were fatal. The last fatal explosion reported to the Association was in 2014 and involved a metal level sensor being thrown from the top of a casting table due to the force of an explosion and subsequently striking a nearby operator.

The Association encourages voluntary reporting of all molten metal incidents, no matter how minor, into the Association so trends can be identified and tracked toward the development of best practices for safer molten metal management.

The molten metal incident reporting form is available for this purpose and a complete copy of the Association’s 2017 Molten Metal Incident Report is available at www.aluminum.org 2017 TESTING OF FABRICS IN CONTACT WITH MOLTEN ALUMINUM In July, Aluminum Association member companies undertook a program of testing fabrics and apparel for their ability to protect workers from the hazards of molten aluminium. Seven member companies nominated 39 samples of fabrics and fabric combinations for testing according to the ASTM F955 Test Method and the fabrics were evaluated for their performance in the areas of ignition, shrinkage, break open, char, and adhesion as well as heat transfer through the sample into calorimeters placed below the sample.

Fabric samples tested included various weights of Vinex, AluSafe, Oasis, Marlan, Zirpro Wool, and Aluminized in addition to gloves and samples involving different layering combinations. All samples tested were graded on these parameters and the heat transfer of the samples was assessed against the Stoll Curve, indicative of temperatures needed to cause 2nd degree burns to the skin.

Although participating companies received this report as part of their involvement in the testing program, in support of improving overall industry safety the Association in October 2017 made it available for purchase by any company interested in assessing the most recent data available on fabric and fabric combination performance. The 2017 Report on Testing of Fabrics in Contact with Molten Aluminum is available on the Association website.

In addition to these two 2017 initiatives, the Association also sponsors the development and dissemination of a variety of aluminium industry safety guidance and conducts Casthouse Safety Workshops present-

Low

Severe

Guidelines

Force 1

Force 2

Force 3

Property damage

None

Minor

Considerable

Light

Minimal

Flash

Intense

Sound

Short cracking

Loud report

Painful

Vibration

Short and sharp

Brief rolling

Massive structural

Metal dispersion

<15 feet

>15 to 50 feet

>50 feet

Figure 1. Explosion Force Levels 100

Note: All in ‘Other’ category were from the REDUCTION Process

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Melting

Casting

Transfer

Force 1

36

100

18

21

Force 2

3

15

0

1

Force 3

0

1

0

0

Other

Figure 2. 2016 Incidents by operation

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Melting

Casting

Transfer

Other

Minor

0

7

0

4

Serious

0

7

0

0

Fatal

0

0

0

0

ed by industry safety experts to train casting employees in safe molten metal handling practices. More information on the overall safety programs of the Aluminum Association can be found on the website or by contacting the Association’s Director of Regulatory Affairs Curt Wells, at cwells@aluminum.org or +1-703358-2976. �

Figure 3. 2016 injuries by operation

www.aluminum.org SAFETY GUIDE 47

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SPENT POTLINING RISKS

Non-hazardous product transferred from a dry bulk carrier onto a barge for distribution to cement industry customers in Asia.

Hazards and Risks with Spent Potlining Production of primary aluminium metal with the Hall-Heroult process involves electrolytic reduction of alumina in cells or pots. The electrolyte is made up of molten sodium aluminium fluoride (cryolite) and other additives and is contained in a carbon and refractory lining in a steel potshell. Over time, the effectiveness of the lining deteriorates and the lining of the pot is removed and replaced. The lining material that is removed from the pots is known as spent potlining (SPL).

SPL reacts with water with reaction products that are potentially combustible or explosive[1] and otherwise may present health and safety issues [2], [3]. In 1988 the United States Environmental Protection Authority formally listed SPL as a hazardous waste[4]. Sørlie and

mental agencies in an increasing number of countries defining SPL as a hazardous material. Pawlek[3] noted that about 25kg of SPL results from each tonne of aluminium metal produced. With the worldwide annual primary aluminium production approaching 60 million tons[6], the SPL generation is growing towards 1.5 million tons each year.

In its raw form, SPL varies in size from fine dust to lumps of typically up to one metre (Figure 1). It is chemically heterogeneous presenting a wide range in mineral and chemical composition as different refractory materials in the pot lining are mixed together.

Table 1 sets out indicative SPL analysis[7].

Øye[1] refer to environ-

� Propensity of SPL to combine with water and generate explosive gases along with phosphine and hydrogen cyanide gases � Cyanides � Fluorides[1],[2],[3],[5],[6].

HAZARDS IN SPL SPL is particularly hazardous due to:

During the service life of the pot, the lining is progressively penetrated by aluminium metal and the sodium aluminium fluoride/sodium fluoride electrolyte (bath). Chemical reactions within the pot linings result in the formation of various substances that present health and safety concerns. These substances are carbides, nitrides, cyanides, phosphides, fluorides, sulphides and metallic sodium. Examples of the chemical reactions are: � metals such as aluminium react with nitrogen to form nitrides e.g. 2Al + N2 → Al2N2 � metal oxides also react with carbon to form carbides e.g. 2Al2O3 + 9C → Al4C3+ 6CO � various carbon-nitrogen compounds are also produced in the forms of cyanides, in both simple and complex forms.

SPL reacts with water and readily absorbs atmospheric water (humidity). Sørlie and Øye[1] identify the following as typical chemical reactions of the elemental metals or chemical compounds with water: � Aluminium metal to hydrogen 2Al + 3H2O → 3H2 + Al2O3 � Sodium metal to hydrogen 2Na + 2H2O → H2 + 2NaOH � Aluminium carbide to methane Al4C3 + 6H2O → 3CH4 + 2Al(OH)3 � Aluminium nitride to ammonia 2AlN + 3H2O → 2NH3 + Al2O3

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DESCRIPTION

CARBON LINING

Carbon

%

30 to 50

2 to 10

as SiO2

%

2 to 15

10 to 40

Iron

as Fe2O3

%

2 to 4

1 to 6

Aluminium

as Al2O3

%

10 to 30

15 to 30

Calcium

as CaO

%

1 to 5

1 to 5

Magnesium

as MgO

%

0 to 2

0.5 to 2.5

Sodium

as Na2O

%

3 to 25

5 to 30

as K2O

%

0.2 to 1

0.5 to 1.5

Silicon

Potassium

Figure 1. Spent Potlining

Fluoride Cyanide

as F

%

5 to 15

5 to 15

mg/kg

100 to 4,000

100 to 1,500

Table 1 – Range of Chemical Analysis of Recovered SPL

Reference to industry safety data sheets for SPL advises that contact with acids releases toxic gases such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). � SPL may contain respirable crystalline silica. � SPL also typically contains pieces of cathode collector bar and pieces of aluminium metal which may present hazards in handling and processing.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF SPL SPL is classified as hazardous waste material in many regulatory jurisdictions and transfer across international boundaries is subject to control under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal[5]. SPL

REFRACTORY LINING

Figure 2. Shipping container damaged by gas explosion from freshly crushed SPL Figure 2 shows a shipping container damaged by an explosion of gas from freshly crushed SPL. The deduced source of ignition was spontaneous combustion of newly exposed sodium metal coming into contact with water.

is also classified under the United Nations recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods as class 4.3 – a material which, in contact with water, emits flammable gases.

Typical risk controls are summarised in industry safety data sheets and include:

TOXICITY OF SPL The toxicity of SPL to human beings, animal life and the environment presents particular risks. Recent studies have identified aluminium, cyanide and fluoride salts as the foremost toxic agents in SPL and objectively evaluated the effect of these substances on plants and humans. [8], [9], [10], [11].

The studies consistently emphasise the importance of proper storage and disposal of SPL which is indispensable to avoid the dispersion of its toxicity into the environment.

lower explosive limit (LEL) � Allow time for surface reaction with water or atmospheric water vapour of freshly delined or freshly crushed SPL time to reach maturity before transporting � Keep SPL dry during transport � Do not store SPL and acids in the same vicinity � Monitor and control occupational exposure to fluorides � Monitor and control occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust.

STORAGE, HANDLING AND TRANSPORT OF SPL Key risks with storage, handling and transport of SPL lie in fire or explosion of flammable gases, exposure of workers to phosphine gas and exposure of workers to cyanide.

In 1990 there was a severe explosion on board the general cargo vessel MV Pollux which was loading a cargo of spent potlining for transport in Quebec, Canada. The explosion resulted in the deaths of two seamen and injuries to 12 other people. Both ship and harbour installation were severely damaged. Total repair cost at the time was estimated around 30 million USD[12]. It was found that the explosion was caused by the accumulation of explosive gases in the hold and that an ignition by an electric spark initiated the explosion[13].

CRUSHING SPL Downstream treatment or disposal of SPL often involves crushing the SPL. In addition to the risks in handling SPL identified above, cathode collector bars and pieces of aluminium metal present particular problems in crushing SPL. Larger pieces of steel or aluminium may be accelerated to dangerous speeds by crushing machines or else become lodged in crushing and/or materials handling equipment with consequent safety issues in removal of pieces of metal trapped with high levels of stored energy.

A particular issue with crushing SPL is the exposure of new surfaces and, potentially, metallic sodium. This results in new flammable gas evolution along with the risk of spontaneous combustion of sodium metal if it comes into contact with water.

� Store SPL in well ventilated spaces � Monitor flammable gas concentrations against

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This approach enables safe and efficient transport and handling of SPL derived products for the supply of end-users with cement manufacturing process finally eliminating the SPL fluoride and other hazards within its high-temperature irreversible chemical process[14]. �

Pre-heater

Pre-calciner

Rotary kiln

Main burner

Hot part of the kiln system (800 to 1500°C) -

Raw mill

Raw meal silo

Figure 3. Cement Clinker Plant Schematic The Regain SPL Solution

Recommended zone for injection of untreated SPL

Typical additional risk controls associated with crushing SPL include:

� Remove cathode collector bar and aluminium metal prior to crushing to the extent that is practicable � Ensure crushing and materials handling equipment does not allow metal pieces to become trapped. � Ensure that any large metal pieces that enter the process are simply and safely removable. � Avoid high speed equipment propelling pieces of steel or aluminium � Avoid closed chambers where explosive gases may accumulate above the LEL. DISPOSAL OF SPL IN CEMENT PLANTS The cement manufacturing process is particularly suitable as a disposal destination for SPL within its high-temperature irreversible chemical process [14]. It is effectively the only established practical disposal destination that comprehensively eliminates the toxicity of SPL. The moisture induced explosive gas hazard must be taken into consideration when handling and injecting untreated SPL into a cement clinker plant. Proper precautionary measures must be taken to ensure that there is no build-up of gases above the LEL. A cement plant may be considered to have two broad zones in which to introduce SPL to the process as shown in Figure 3: � Cold part of the kiln system – raw mill or upstream crushing system with potential flammable gas accumulation in silos � Hot part of the kiln system – with rapid heating of the SPL and incorporation into the cement clinker.

To effectively manage the safety and environmental risks, a cement clinker plant should only introduce untreated SPL material at the hot part of the kiln system.

Under the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls eliminating the hazard is the most effective hazard control. The Regain SPL Solution adopts this approach with elimination of the flammable gas and cyanide hazards at the beginning of the SPL disposal process. This results in products that are not classified as dangerous goods and do not require regulation under the Basel Convention.

REFERENCES [1] M. Sørlie and H. Øye, Cathodes in aluminium electrolysis, Dusseldorf: Aluminium-Verlag Marketing and Kommunication, 2010.

[2] Regain and Regain Client SPL testing records.

[3] Pawlek, Health and Safety Precautions in the Relining of Aluminium Electrolysis Cells, The Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, May 1994, pp. 21-24.

[4] B. Silveira, A. Dantas, J. Blasquez and R. Santos, Characterization of inorganic fraction of spent potliners: evaluation of the cyanides and fluorides content, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2002, 89(2-3), 177–183.

[5] R. Pawlek, Spent potlining: an update, Light Metals 2012, 2012, 1313-1317.

[6] World Aluminium Organisation, http://www.world-aluminium.org/statistics/#data.

[7] B. Cooper, Considerations for Dealing with Spent Potlining, Proc. 11th Australasian Aluminium Smelting Technology Conference, 6-11 Dec 2014, Eds. B Welch, M Skyllas-Kazacos, UNSW School of Chemical Engineering, 2014 [8] Andrade-Vieira, L.F.; Palmieri, M.J.; Trento, M. V. C. (2017). “Effects of long exposure to spent potliner on seeds, root tips, and meristematic cells of Allium cepa”.

Environmental and Assessment: 489.

[9] Palmieri, M.J.; Andrade-Vieria, L.F.; Davide, L.F.; de Faria, Eleutério, M. W.; Luber, J.; Davide, L. C.; Marcussi, S. (2016). “Cytogenotoxic effects of spent pot liner (SPL) and its main components on human leukocytes and meristematic cells of Allium cepa”. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution: 1-10.

[10] Palmieri, M.J.; Andrade-Vieria, L.F.; Campos, J. M. S.; Gedraite, L. S.; Davide, L. C. (2016). “Cytotoxicity of spent pot liner on Allium cepa root tip cells: a comparative analysis in meristematic”. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety: 442-447.

[11] Palmieri, M.J.; Andrade-Vieria, L.F.; Davide, L. C. (2014). “Cytotoxic and phytotoxic effects of the main chemical components of spent pot-liner: a comparative approach”. Mutation Research: 30-35.

[12] The Shipowners’ Protection Limited, Flammable gas causes explosion, London: The Shipowners’ Protection Limited, 2010) 18-19.

[13] Transportation Safety Board of Canada - Investigation Marine, Report of investigation into the circumstances surrounding the explosion on board the Norwegian vessel “Pollux” causing the death of two crew members and injuring twelve other persons on March 19, 1990, at la Baie, Quebec, Transport Canada 1991.

[14] Karstensen, K. H. (September 2016). SPL: lessons learned. International Cement Review, S. 35-40.

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HAZARDS

Working with High-Voltage Equipment Serem-electronics develops specific electronics tools for the aluminium industry.

PRIMARY ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION: A RISKY ENVIRONMENT FOR WORKERS There is undoubtedly a lot of safety risks in the aluminium industry, therefore all producers have to ensure a safe working environment for their employees by all means. One of the most dangerous is high voltages causing deadly electrocutions.

To improve protection on site, it is required to regularly check and update safety policies, as well as to operate controls and trainings. In addition, employees use a lot of tools on a daily basis with some of them being specifically designed to ensure safety. Theses products must be ergonomic, appropriate and reliable. Consequently, technological innovations play an essential role in safety at work. Today, it is a critical duty for any manager to provide its teams with the best safety practices and the best technical solutions.

Voltage Control Alarm - DAA is an autonomous safety device able to measure direct voltage and activate a flashing light as well as a siren in the event of measuring a voltage exceeding a preset threshold. It is used to monitor pot voltage / earth difference.

Threshold could be set up from 10 to 50 VDC (preset to 24VDC). Easily transportable, Nimh battery powered, the DAA assists workers in their grounding works.

Safety Voltmeter - VNAC3K measures up to 2000VDC with a 3KΩ load. It provides safety for the staff in the electrolysis environment. Its design, compliant to the IEC-61010-1 standard, allows safe measurements. It checks hazardous voltages by indicating the presence of dangerous “hard volts” or “soft volts”.

It also allows alternative components measurement in TRMS (True Root Mean Square). �

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SAFETY IN HIGH VOLTAGE INDUSTRIES Serem-Electronics has been specialising in electronics tools for aluminium electrolysis since 1983. The company has since developed an expertise on safety and productivity equipments in high-voltages related worldwide industries (aluminium, energy, coil winding).

Among their various products (which can be found on the website www.serem-electronics.com), there are two products that are essential for safety in the aluminium industry, the voltage control alarm (DAA) and the safety voltmeter (VNAC3K).

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TRIMET FRANCE SAINT-JEAN DE MAURIENNE ALUMINIUM PLANT IS PUTTING SAFETY AT THE TOP OF ITS PRIORITIES Interview with Pierre Laurent Molbert, Lining manager and Olivier Granacher, Electrolysis process specialist WHAT DOES SAFETY REPRESENT FOR YOUR COMPANY? Pierre Laurent Molbert (P.L.M): We work in a complex and risky environment with high voltages. Working near conductors elements requires to know precisely the ongoing voltage. Most of all, we want our workers to feel safe and at the end of the day, go back home unharmed. The safety of us all depends on everyone. It is our number 1 priority.

IN WHICH SITUATIONS DO YOU FACE HAZARDOUS VOLTAGES ?

Olivier Granacher (O.G): There are two types of situations where voltages have to be controlled. “Ordinary” situations related to daily operating works and potrooms maintenance.

And naturally, there are “extraordinary” situations such as a broken pillar, water puddles in potrooms, floor damages, or any unusual event that potentially exposes employees to high voltages.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO PREVENT “ORDINARY” SITUATIONS? P.L.M: All theses situations are ruled by safety norms. But sometimes it is not enough. Anomalies and human errors happen and they are not easily detectable. For instance, when housekeeping under pots, we have a grounding procedure, but it is possible that a pot has leaked and has already been generating a second grounding. Then, the work zone is not safe anymore. To prevent this type of risk, every time we have to make an electrical grounding, we always use a voltage control alarm (DAA) made

by Serem-Electronics to evaluate the tension and, if needed, warn us both visually and aurally about a danger.

AND TO PREVENT “EXTRAORDINARY” SITUATIONS? O.G: By definition, it is complicated to prevent hazardous “extraordinary” events. We have to be aware and anticipate each situation that could lead to a risk. We use Serem-Electronics’s safety voltmeter (VNAC3K) each time

we detect a potential danger. Once we have evaluated the risk, we secure the zone, report and take appropriate actions to eliminate the threat. For example, during work, it happened that a heavy load fell to the ground and damaged a floor slab, showing a piece of conductive metal. In this situation I immediately secured the zone, took the safety voltmeter and quickly measured the risk. I figured out that there was an actual threat of electrocution. I reported the incident and a maintenance team came to solve the problem.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOUR SAFETY HAS IMPROVED WITH THE USE OF THESES TOOLS? P.L.M: Definitely yes. Theses tools are mandatory and reliable. We use them in our daily safety processes and haven’t had a single high voltage related accident. Serem-Electronics is a specialist and we often ask them to design us specific tools or to improve existing ones.

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HAZARDS

Strike Before the Fire is Hot Aluminium is used in hundreds of industries, especially in the fields of transportation, aerospace, packaging, building and construction. For this reason, the protection of the plants and development facilities is vital, to ensure competitive business continuity. The industry directly creates more than 155,000 jobs and is adding more yearly. With growing numbers of employees in the aluminium industry, their safety and well being has long been a commitment. There is a need for comprehensive fire safety measures, specifically the fixed fire extinguishing systems in aluminium production and fabrication, in casthouses, foundries, recycling and reclamation plants.

FIRES: RISK TO LIFE AND FACILITIES When aluminium is burned, it creates a very intense fire. Within the last four months alone there have been several serious fire incidences internationally, at aluminium plants. In Norton Canes, UK in August 2017, there was a serious fire which led to evacuation and over thirty firefighters tackling the blaze. In Wangara, Australia, just last month, there was a huge industrial fire at an aluminium factory, which spread and developed into a wild fire. The protection of lives and assets against the dangers of fire is a priority for facilities managers and plant owners.

Gaseous extinguishing systems protect urgently important infrastructure against special hazards, fundamental for the safeguarding of critical facilities.

However, gaseous extinguishing systems leak because they are active and dynamic systems and this threatens the consistent and reliable safety that they should offer to the space that they protect.

FOLLOWING THE “GOLD STANDARD” In fact, in the regulation ISO 14520, which is the “gold standard” of fire suppression systems, it is clearly stated that gaseous systems leak and need to be periodically checked to counter this issue: 9.2.1.3 - “if a container shows a loss of agent in quantity of more than 5% or a loss of pressure of more than 10%, it shall be refilled or replaced.”

Given that gaseous systems are designed specifically for a protected space or room e.g. one aluminium foundry factory floor, a 5% loss of extinguishing agent may mean that the system would not fully extinguish the fire.

Technology now exists to improve the reliability of fire suppression systems that affects the safety of all who occupies the building it protects in an event of fire.

To ensure that fire suppression systems are always full and that no accidental discharge or leakage has occurred, Coltraco Ultrasonics have developed an ultrasonic liquid level indicator, the Portalevel® MAX and the constant monitoring system the Permalevel® MULTIPLEX. By testing and monitoring fire extinguishing systems for leaking, facilities managers and factory owners are able to exceed standards and ensure that the gaseous extinguishing systems are able to extinguish in the event of the fire.

TEST YOUR FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS – BEFORE ITS TOO LATE The easy to use Portalevel® MAX uses ultrasonic technology to pinpoint the liquid level of suppressant agent in the cylinders of the extinguishing system which makes testing quicker and easier. Liquid level identification takes just 30 seconds, needing only one person. (Compared to traditional manual weighing taking two people an average of 15 minutes per cylinder.) Combined with the Portalevel® MAX, the Portasteele® CALCULATOR is the first of its kind app, that converts the liquid level height of CO2, NOVEC™

1230 and FM-200® found by Portalevel® MAX into the agent weight/mass. Crucially, these results can be recorded and downloaded for value added service reports.

SMART TECHNOLOGY DELIVERS THE SAFESITE To create the Safesite®, more faciliites are moving to increasing sensor remote monitoring 24/7, 365. Fire alarms are largely linked up but there is a gap in the fire extinguishing systems which actually suppress the fire event. Now is the time to introduce smart technology. Permalevel® MULTIPLEX is designed for just this reason to protect aluminium facilities and their personnel.

Using smart ultrasonic technology, Permalevel® MULTIPLEX continuously monitors fixed fire extinguishing systems for leaking agents, 24/7, 365 days a year. With guaranteed systems’ operations, adaptability for purpose, 24/7 remote access to the systems’ status, an interruptible power supply and remote real-time monitoring, Permalevel® MULTIPLEX offers the efficiency that is now a requirement for encompassing protection.

IMPLEMENT AN HOLISTIC APPROACH: CHECK COMPARTMENTATION Coupled with the danger of leaking agents, room integrity is often an overlooked aspect of a suppression

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system installation. Room integrity requires that in the event of a fire, the released fire extinguishant must meets the sufficient “Hold Time”, in order to properly extinguish fires. Buildings age and their internal use changes and because of this, leak sites develop. The likelihood of the gaseous system effectively extinguishing the fire gets lower and lower as the protected area becomes larger than the size that the extinguishing system was designed for.

Coltraco Ultrasonics have provided a smart solution for quick and easy assurance of compartmentation and leak detection. The Portascanner® 520 ultrasonic leak detector uses ultrasonic technology to not only pinpoint precise leak locations, but to determine their

leak size as small as 0.06mm with a tolerance of +/0.02mm, and is proven the most mathematically accurate device for this function.

SOLUTION? With the continuing developments in smart ultrasonic technology, comprehensive fire safety measures are available to aluminium plant owners and facilities managers that are easy to use, affordable and an essential addition to any fire safety management system.

Coltraco Ultrasonics is a leading British designer and manufacturer of ultrasonic technology operating in 109 countries across multiple market sectors for over 30 years. �

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HAZARDS

Gas: Prevention and Detection “Portable gas detectors are versatile solutions, suited to numerous safety applications, although they may seem small and simple, portable gas detectors are robust, with many designed for use in the toughest of industrial environments.” – Gary Collins, Regional Director for Portable Gas Detection at 3M | Scott Safety.

Portable gas detection generally refers to a monitor which is carried by and provides protection for an individual user. Visual, audible, and vibratory alerts notify users when detection of a gas has occurred and then precautionary measures can be taken. Portable units are typically used in confined space entries areas where fixed gas detection is not available or where it is not practical to provide continuous monitoring of an individual, or to verify an atmosphere is not hazardous when servicing a fixed gas detection system.

SOPHISTICATED SOLUTIONS Gas monitor solutions have come a long way since the industry’s early, unsophisticated offerings. A range of intelligent sensor technologies have been designed and developed to detect almost any harmful gas that workers might be exposed to on the job.

RISK ASSESSMENT It is crucial to carry out a risk assessment before any task in order to better understand what you’re dealing with. This will reveal the types of gases that could potentially be present, the quantity and toxicity of the gases, areas that are a confined space or have the

potential to become one, as well as who is at risk.

On evaluating those risks, informed decisions can be made on the precautions required and how to better reduce the risks at hand. This procedure will allow workers to help identify the correct gas monitoring equipment and other protective equipment needed to protect against residual risks.

GAS MONITOR SELECTION There are a wide range of gas monitors available that will detect harmful gases during risk assessment. For example, if a fire officer is performing a non-fire rescue where someone may have collapsed due to the Carbon Monoxide (CO) level in the atmosphere, or performing a home safety visit where the CO level is unknown, a single gas detector is sufficient. However, if working in a confined space, a multi-gas monitor is essential to detect the risk posed by a number of potential gases that could be present.

In almost all cases, consideration needs to be given to the presence of four main gases: methane, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide and oxygen. Monitoring for the presence of one gas will not provide sufficient protection from the potential effects of other gases on the body if present in the atmosphere. These gases are either toxic and

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can affect the lungs, causing illness or poisoning or are combustible, causing risk of explosion in combination with oxygen.

TRAINING As with all safety equipment, unless you know how to use it properly you may not be benefitting from the protection that the equipment can provide. It is important that all personnel that come into contact with gas detection equipment are properly trained. Training should cover general information about the devices, how to handle them, the care, maintenance and calibration, as well

as practical training.

The important thing is that the user understands how to use the equipment and how to react if it alerts them to the presence of gas. As the old adage goes, ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’ and taking the precautions could save a life.

3M | Scott Safety makes the process of keeping people safe at work simpler by investing in new technology that keeps protection efficient and easy to use. Scott Safety products include the Protégé GS, a truly universal portable gas detector that is configurable to detect 13 different gases, with smart plug and play sensors, and replaceable lithium battery that provides unlimited life. �

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SAFETY CULTURE

The Safety Dimension to a Technical Process Audit Innoval Technology Limited carries out technology audits and benchmark studies for a wide range of clients.

While the key objectives are clearly related to machine and operational performance, safety is a dimension that is always visible, regardless of the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request. For all the major aluminium companies safety at work and personal safely of their employees is treated very seriously, so an audit visit is of course a very good opportunity to see how the safety edicts are put into practise and Innoval will always comment on this aspect, whether to praise a company for good safety practices or to suggest improvements that the plant should implement.

The starting point is the safety briefing upon arrival.

Even experienced visitors need reminding on the salient points. Checking that the right personal protection is being used should be both the responsibility of the plant and our own people. Different plants have different requirements even when the machinery involved is the same!

As soon as the real audit starts on the shop floor it becomes very obvious if the route to the machine centre follows the walk-ways and whether these are protected using safety barriers. Swing gates should block the intersections where vehicular traffic passes.

What is really important to us is the way people are working. It is well-known that there is plenty of material movement using both fork-lift trucks and overhead cranes (and self-guiding transporters in some of the bigger plants).

The operators of these devices have restricted views so noting whether good eye-contact is made and the gestures are unambiguous is always included in the daily wrap-up.

There are some further design features that help in the plants. It is not always possible to have the wide corridors that would be ideal, especially in a plant which has been upgraded and where additional equipment has to be placed somewhere and where

the storage for work in progress has expanded as the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s output has improved. The sounding of horns at junctions is frequently heard and the additional auditory warnings when vehicles or cranes are in motion are a clear sign of a management attitude that puts a high emphasis on plant safety.

Over the past decade, the use of blue lights projected onto the shop floor ahead of (and often to the sides of) moving cranes and fork-lift trucks has become much more common-place and gives the pedestrian advance warning of the approach of these dangerous situations.

The usage of distinctive helmets and jackets may help operators to recognise that the person wondering around their areas is perhaps not as familiar with the surroundings as their colleagues and it is never resented when an operator approaches us to check we are aware of the operational activities around a machine centre and we always warn a pulpit operator if we are in areas of the centre that they themselves cannot see directly (or where there are no video cameras covering that portion of the equipment).

Cleanliness and safety are often companion disciplines. Equipment not in use but lying on the floor is a hazard and oil spills or a failure to clean up properly impedes egress from an area should it be necessary to evacuate it for example in the case of a mill fire.

Commissioning is potentially the most dangerous time. Repairs and further construction may be going on the same time so there are lots of additional people in the area, the operators are not fully familiar with the controls and sequences are still being worked through.

What is not easy to reconcile is the need for getting access to parts of the machine and the need to have fencing and interlocks to keep people away from moving equipment.

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Left: In a good plant even the wild animals stick to the rules

Opposite page: Clearly marked walk-way (green) and fencing protecting pedestrians from automated coil movements

www.innovaltec.com Some on-line calibration is always necessary during this period which means personnel may well be within the protective areas. Sequences do not always behave in expected ways (that is why they need to be tested) and it may well require some manual assistance in helping the material through the machine centre. What must always be clear is that the risks have been properly assessed and that manual intervention does not put the safety of individual at risk. No task is worth causing serious injury!

Where it is necessary to bypass the normal production safety features, additional vigilance is essential and there should always be another staff member present and watching when these tasks are carried out. By the time of a site audit, none of these types of operations should be being carried out.

What we usually see, and what we expect on every audit, is that we never observe practices that could be described as a safety hazard, but that we will have the opportunity to see some occasions when we can improve the safety awareness and the procedures being used and so propagate the improvements in safety methodology as we travel from plant to plant. Whereas process practices are proprietary, at least safety is a feature the whole industry subscribes to. ďż˝ SAFETY GUIDE

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SAFETY CULTURE

A Global View An observational perspective on health and safety in primary aluminium smelters.

Nadine Bloxsome* sat down with Dr. Dorreen1 and asked him to share some of his experiences and observations.

NADINE BLOXSOME (NB): “Firstly, Mark how would you compare the environment that we operate in now, compared with when you started consulting 10 years ago”?

MARK DORREEN (MD): “By and large the smelting environment has not changed in the last decade, the hazards and risks are still the same because the process is fundamentally the same. The projections of the Aluminium Industry 4.0 transformation to greater automation, if realised, will bring about a change in the working environment, but we are not there yet.

That said however, in some regions you can see the influence of the wider regulatory environment at work, and it’s also fair to say that there has been general progression along a continuum towards better health and safety.”

NB: “Where do you think we have made significant gains or major improvements?”

MD: “The gains we observe are made where companies have decided to embark on a journey of recognising safety as being one of the pillars of their operating philosophy. This takes time and considerable effort, and only succeeds where the company gains buy-in of all employees. In smelters that have done this, as consultants visiting their sites, we feel very comfortable in the safety systems they have in place.”

NB: “Do you think the gains are real, or are we guilty of both paying lip-service and of shifting the problem away from employees to contractors?”

MD: “In some cases various jobs have been outsourced to external contractors, and then those contractor statistics are not included in the safety KPI numbers, which obviously manipulates the data and does not address real issues. But it’s our view that most smelters are at various stages of improving their focus on health and safety issues, and the efforts they make are absolutely genuine.”

*Editor, Aluminium International Today

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NB: “Do you see health and safety requirements increasing becoming a concern?”

MD: “Health and safety has been part of the operational landscape in primary aluminium smelting for a long time already, so in most cases it’s business-as-usual.

We see it more as a progression as the safety aspect improves through better equipment, work practices and as technology replaces some human tasks. However, the health aspect may come under more scrutiny in the future, as there are still some unknowns as to the effect environmental emissions have on worker

health. That would be the one area where there is potential for the requirement of radical change if new information comes to light.”

NB: “Which regions do you think are leading and which are lagging?”

MD: “In very general terms Chinese smelting operations are not as sophisticated yet when compared to the HSE standards at what we consider to be good western smelter operations.

However, across smelters both inside and outside of China there is a wide range of examples across the spectrum or continuum, if you like think about it in that way. For example, the use of personal respirators is starting to become more common in Chinese potrooms now. In western potlines however, the standards range from fully fit-tested respirators worn on facial hair free (clean shaven) faces, through to no requirement to wear a respirator.

NB: “What do you think are the big drivers of change, or improvement along the continuum as you refer to it?”

MD: Operational experience is a definite trigger for improvement. In some cases near misses and minor incidents become the catalyst for change, to prevent future serious harm or fatalities. But in other cases, it can take the worst-case scenario occurring before any remedial actions, or really reactions, are made.

NB: Where do you see health and safety going, are we doing enough?

MD: There does not seem to be an industry wide focus. What we currently see is that it comes down to individual companies and their level of desire to be able to demonstrate, and be recognised for, performance and excellence in this area. Obviously, industry wide or national level compliance measures are a tool that can force smelters to adapt, but with that there always comes the risk that it becomes compliance, for the sake of compliance. Things such as this safety guide are a good idea, if they can bring about more awareness that as an industry we do still have room for improvement. We also have many great examples within the industry that if shared would help raise the overall standard.

NB: Are there any things that you see some leading smelters doing that the rest of the industry will need to follow suit?

MD: I really like to see operations where the individu-

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1. Dr Mark Dorreen is Director of The Light Metals Research Centre (LMRC) based at the University of Auckland (UoA), a renowned independent research and consulting group focussed on the primary aluminium industry.

LMRC’s consulting experience has taken them to more than 65 smelters in all continents, including more than 20 smelters in China. Dr Dorreen has lead most of LMRC’s forays into China,

HEALTH AND SAFETY HAS BEEN PART OF THE OPERATIONAL LANDSCAPE IN PRIMARY ALUMINIUM SMELTING FOR A LONG TIME ALREADY, SO IN MOST CASES IT’S BUSINESS-AS-USUAL.

as well as visiting over 40 smelters worldwide.

Many smelter and potline managers and supervisors will also be familiar with Dr Dorreen and the wider LMRC and UoA team, as teachers of the Post Graduate Certificate course that has produced 125 graduates in the

www.energiapotior.com al workers, whatever level they are at, from operator through to management, are fully empowered to ensure that everyone and everything are working within the considered and accepted limits of a safe system.

NB: As consultants spending a lot of time in many different smelters, what does the Light Metals Research Centre do to keep its people safe?

MD: Because we spend so much time travelling, getting there and getting home are often the riskiest times, especially road travel in less developed areas or with poorer driving standards. So for the travel part we take care around pre-travel checklists for immunisations, health and civil safety warnings, identifying the location of medical facilities nearby, establishing beforehand that drivers are competent and vehicles are safe, and subscribing to a medical evacuation service should there be anything serious arise.

Once at a client site, we assess the safety standards present and decide if we need to adopt our own, or if we are comfortable working within what they have. This also includes PPE, we carry our own, but

last decade, or via the more than 500 people trained at customised in-smelter courses.

are happy to use client provided gear if available or required as some smelters quite rightfully insist on.

When carrying out any work onsite such as auditing operations, we use tools such as ‘take 2’ or ‘take 5’ to assess situations. For more complex work we will participate in a job safety assessment process or something similar.

NB: Finally, you must have observed some quite frightening things in a smelter over the years?

MD: A couple of incidents stick in my mind. Firstly, an operator crawling into a pot, on top of newly set anodes, to place pieces of crushed bath by hand into the centre channel of the pot. The second, someone delivering, by bicycle, a large bottle of water to a drinking fountain, by riding down the potline, under freshly removed anode butts being moved by the crane, while texting on their phone at the same time.

NB: Thank you Mark, I appreciate you taking time to be involved in this special Safety Guide. � SAFETY GUIDE

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SMART SOLUTIONS

Rockwell Automation discusses advances in modern, smart, connected safety products and systems and elaborates on the tools and support that are available to help you deliver optimum safety, performance and effectiveness.

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Forging a New Paradigm in Smart, Connected Safety Solutions With the advent of Industry 4.0 and contemporary approaches to plantwide communication infrastructures and information paths, real-time operational data is becoming one of industry’s most highly prized assets.

Part of this data-driven paradigm has been the creation of smart devices for use in even smarter factories, which are leveraging concepts such as the Connected Enterprise to help deliver timely and pertinent information to the personnel that need it… in a format they can readily exploit.

These increases in capabilities have not just been in the automation and process arenas; safety has seen a similar shift towards more connected devices that are capable of delivering a whole new range of operational data that further increase the opportunities to optimise operations.

However, in order to exploit these new smart safety devices and their enhanced capabilities, users need to adopt a more holistic approach to their safety designs and infrastructures. This plantwide, top down, connected approach has already demonstrated significant improvements in industries such as metalworking and refineries, where more traditional, disparate automation and safety solutions have been replaced by integrated systems that can deliver data from even the most basic sensor all the way up to enterprise suites.

Rockwell Automation has a strong pedigree of

working in the metals industry and in addition to its comprehensive range of smart safety solutions, it has many tools available to help even the most ‘traditional’ plant streamline and enhance its safety solutions.

In the first instance, its free Safety Automation Builder software is designed to simplify machine safety design and validation, reducing both time and costs. It helps streamlines safety system design and can improve compliance and reduce costs by guiding users through the development of their safety systems – including safety system layout, product selection and safety analysis – in order to help meet machinery safety Performance Level (PL) requirements as outlined by global standard (EN) ISO 13849-1.

Recent integration with RASWin Risk Assessment Software provides users with more consistent, more reliable, documented management of the Functional Safety Lifecycle. RASWin software helps manage the progression through the functional safety lifecycle, organising information from each step of the process and machinery validation. It links the steps of the safety lifecycle to avoid systematic failures, including safety function specifications, Performance Level requirements (PLr) assignment and PLr calculation, safety circuit validation and documentation.

By deploying Safety Automation Builder and RASWin, engineers in the aluminium industry will minimise the time-consuming process of manually designing and documenting safety systems, which can often introduce human error and inconsistency, reducing compliance with accepted standards. And by leveraging the industry’s most complete offering of safety products, the two tools utilise widely accepted best practices to build a complete safety solution. With simulation of application development – including hard guarding, input/output devices, control systems and connectivity – the tool helps its users develop the most effective and productive safety solutions.

Complementing these two software packages, Rockwell Automation also offers a wide range

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of pre-engineered safety functions for machines.

These safety function documents provide guidance for a specific safety function based on functional requirement, equipment selection and performance level requirement; including set-up and wiring, configuration, verification & validation plan and calculation of performance level. The safety functions include presence sensing, access and door guards, emergency stops, position and hand control, process and subsystems. They all cover multiple elements, including sensors or input devices, logic devices and output devices, which together provide a level of protection calculated by performance level as outlined in (EN) ISO 13849-1.

Support for the widely used SISTEMA performance-level calculator tool is also available from Rockwell Automation. This support comes in the form of library files for Rockwell Automation machinery safety products, which can be used within the SISTEMA calculation tool. The combination of the two gives machinery and system designers comprehensive time-saving support in evaluating safety to (EN) ISO 13849-1.

Finally, in addition to numerous guides, tools, white papers and webinars, Rockwell Automation has published the fifth version of its highly popular safety publication – ‘Machinery Safebook 5 – A Guide to Machine Safety’. This free A5 document offers guid-

ance on the principles of machine safety, relevant standards and methods of safety implementation and covers multiple subjects, including: � International and Regional Regulations � Relevant Standards for Machinery Safety � Safety Strategy � Risk Assessment � Protective Measures and Complementary Equipment � Safety Distance Calculation � Prevention of Unexpected Power-up � Structure of Safety Related Control Systems � Functional Safety of Control Systems � System Design According to (EN) IEC 62061 � System Design According to (EN) ISO 13849 1:2008 � Application Examples with Sistema Calculations Safety is no longer a discrete, bolt-on addition to the automation system. Modern companies now see it as a connected and intrinsic value-adding element of any contemporary industrial operation. To exploit a safety system’s potential it must be deployed effectively and correctly; and Rockwell Automation has the products, tools and experience to help you get the best out of your solutions… and make them an essential part of your journey towards true plantwide optimisation. �

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ERGONOMICS

Improvement of Ergonomics and Safety in the Packing Area Packing Department is no doubt the crowed area with the higher turnover. Training is continuous and very intensive, since it has to be performed very often and even to people not familiar with the aluminium industry. Therefore Ergonomics and Safety of the Packing Department are strategic to prevent injuries in an area where all profiles are touched by the operators.

Emmebi has always taken in consideration the ergonomics in its engineering phase to focus on reducing effort for operators when doing manual tasks and increasing safety when there is interaction with automatic machines. The use of pneumatic devices, lifting aids, research in comfortable postures and new machinery to reduce manual tasks developed throughout the years in different packing systems to simplify each customer operation.

Following application of the new safety directives in 2011 in the CE market, the industry was pushed to a higher level in the mechanic, electric and software architecture of protections and safety devices. The implementation of the Safety PLCs led to an improvement of the safety conditions when entering machinery areas either for operation and maintenance tasks.

On the other hand, packing department is the area

where there is the highest rate of interaction between machinery, aluminium and operators. Increasing the safety and keeping dynamic the operations has been a challenge, but with training, interaction with customers and development of new solutions, Emmebi has proudly achieved the target of lay down CE criteria for all its installations without lessen the overall productivity of the packing lines. It has to be mentioned that many extra CE customers to whom CE certifications are not required, have asked the same Safety Architecture as per European installations. This new concept of packing lines can be also integrated to older equipment in order to help customers reduce injuries and increase safety in their operations.

Furthermore, development of Emmebi packing systems for master bundles increased loads stability during transport. The new concept of wrapping the battens without the use of plastic or steel strap has reduced dramatically the issue of unstable master bundles due to the loss of battens caused by the loosing of the strap. When bundles are stored one on top of the other, the battens remain in position thanks to the stretch film, ensuring the stability of the load from the production site to customers docks. ďż˝

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FULL RANGE EQUIPMENT FOR EXTRUSION PLANTS

Fully automatic systems for extrusion plants to handle flows of material, from the ageing oven to the storage area, including Stacker/De-Stacker, Basket Handling Systems, Packing Lines and Automatic Storage Systems with the newly-born company named WeStore.

M A D E I N I T A LY

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Automatic Storage Systems owned by Emmebi and Omav

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RESPIRATORY

Breathing Protection: The Long-Term View The consequences of not taking the long-term view of respiratory protection at work, with the belief that ‘it will never happen to me’, can be dire.

Workers may falsely think that working with asbestos, respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust, or other carcinogens did not do them any harm in the past, and it’s true, at the time, it probably didn’t. However, sadly we now know only too well the devastating effects these substances can have on the respiratory systems and health of those who regularly inhale them when they becomes apparent ten, 15 or even 20 years later.

While asbestos is the biggest killer, silica dust is catching it up. Exposure to this is currently a big issue, exemplified by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)’s ‘No Time to Lose’ www.notimetolose.org.uk campaign, a new, global, cross-industry commitment to tackle silica dust and related workplace cancers.

Exposure to harmful substances can, in the long term, lead to incurable silicosis, lung cancer and other serious lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and tuberculosis (TB).

Cancer from working with carcinogens is the leading cause of EU work-related deaths, responsible for more than 100,000 deaths per year, while 900 workers in Britain get lung cancer from silica dust exposure each year, and at least 666,000 workers a year die from workplace cancer globally.

Quartz is the most common form of silica, found in common workplace substances such as sand, stone, rock, concrete, bricks, clay and mortar. Silica is only hazardous when very small dust particles are inhaled, which penetrate deep into the lungs.

Operations such as cutting, sanding, sawing, drilling, grinding and crushing of concrete, brick, ceramic tiles, rock and stone products can cause airborne silica dust, so that workers in industries such as construction, demolition, excavation, foundries and glass, pottery and concrete products are particularly vulnerable.

While dust control measures such as local exhaust ventilation systems and dust suppression by vacuuming or spraying water are useful, these are not enough on their own. Well-fitting, appropriate and comfortable RPE should also be provided to prevent workers from breathing the dust that inevitably becomes airborne despite these other measures.

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Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), employers must perform an assessment of the risks from silica dust and take any necessary preventative or control measures.

They must keep exposure below the Workplace Exposure Limit of 0.1 mg/m3 respirable dust, averaged over eight hours, and, where necessary, provide workers with, and train them how to maintain and use properly, respiratory protective equipment (RPE), which must also be face fit tested.

The correct type of disposable, or reusable, breathing protection should be selected for the task in hand, according to the level of hazard, to ensure that it performs properly. Disposable masks are designed to keep out dust, and may feature valves to ease breathing, while reusable respirators protect against chemicals, gases and vapours as well as particulates.

Whichever type is chosen, they need to fit properly, be as comfortable as possible over long periods of time to prevent workers taking them off, be super-sealable, reliable, able to fit a variety of head sizes and face shapes, have low breathing resistance and be compatible with other PPE, such as eyewear.

EN149 Standard specifies three types of filtering facepiece respirator: FFP1, the simplest device, FFP2, which offers more protection, and FFP3, which gives a greater level of protection for jobs such as cutting kerbstones, reducing exposure by a factor of 20. uvex offers a selection of all three types of breathing protection mask, all of which perfectly fit all the above criteria.

Providing RPE that does not fit the wearer properly and is therefore ineffective can be worse than not providing any protection, since it may give a false sense of security. The BSIF’s Fit2Fit (Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme) www.fit2fit.org gives helpful advice and lists accredited testers, and aims to raise the quality of fit-testing in the UK. Deaths related to exposure to asbestos fibres are still increasing in the UK, because workers were not protected in the past. In 2014 there were over 2,500 deaths from mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, with a similar number of deaths from asbestos-related lung cancer.

Huge and growing numbers of workers worldwide are equally at risk from silica dust, so employers must think ahead and take sensible precautions to prevent silicosis becoming the new asbestosis in 20 years’ time. �

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RESPIRATORY

Safety in Welding Fume Extraction and Ventilation The definition of welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing fusion. This is distinct from lower temperature metal-joining techniques such as soldering, which does not melt the base metal. Being a welder is a highly skilled job and as it’s directly linked to the building industry it has seen a welcome growth in the past couple of years, following the massive financial crash in 2009 and subsequent halt of many construction industry related projects.

Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to bear safety in mind for welders, not only when considering potential explosions and electric shocks but in terms of fumes and breathing safety. Welding and cutting fumes are potentially very hazardous to those operating machinery and there are strict guidelines in place which must be adhered to in order to protect worker’s health.

Fercell’s Senior Technical Ventilation Engineer, Darren Ray explains in this guide why welding fumes should be avoided, how they can be avoided, what HSE regulations need to be adhered to and all the latest types of ventilation system technology that can be

WHAT SYSTEMS ARE BEST FOR WHAT TYPE OF FUME APPLICATIONS? MOBILE FUME EXTRACTION UNITS For flexible working, when staff are welding across different work stations. At source extraction is always best in order to capture as many of the fumes as possible. Mobile units will be attached to either extraction arms or hoods.

FERCELL RECOMMENDS: � The COMPAK extraction arm for a telescope function for effortless positioning and comes in an array of tube diameters and lengths with a variety of attachments. � The Mini Arm comes with a lightweight aluminium hood which can turn 360°. � The PERMA Arm is flexible and easy to install.

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installed to efficiently and effectively extract welding and associated fumes.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO OPERATE A WELDING FUME EXTRACTION SYSTEM? ‘To put it bluntly, welding fume can kill.’ Darren says.

‘Deadly gases that may be present when welding and cutting include nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and shielding gas such as Argon, helium.’

WHAT SORT OF ILLNESSES COULD I ENCOUNTER IF I DON’T PROTECT MYSELF? ‘Welding creates a mixture of airborne gases and very fine particles, which combined and inhaled can cause serious health problems. These illnesses and diseases are all directly linked to working with smoke and fume.’

COPD was related to approximately 4,000 deaths in the UK in 2014, according to the 2016 HSE report into work-related respiratory disease: � Nausea and dizziness � Eye, nose and throat irritation � Occupational asthma � Pneumonia

� Cancer of the lung and larynx � Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) � ‘Metal Fume Fever’ WHAT SYSTEMS ARE BEST FOR WHAT TYPE OF FUME APPLICATIONS? Much research and has shown that extracting at source is the most efficient way to minimise the risk of welding-fume related diseases. The welder can

safely work over large areas as well as closed off or confined spaces.

Darren explains, ‘There are an array of different systems you can employ. You may need a mobile filter or a static filter. Or perhaps you have the filter but need an arm or a hood. There is so much choice so it is best to be visited by a technical engineer who can evaluate the application type and what would fit the size of your workshop without overcrowding it. Saying that, in brief we can cover what sort of unit would suit the work you are undertaking.’

WHAT LEGISLATION SHOULD I BE AWARE OF? ‘In order to operate legally, companies need to be aware of regulation 9 of the COSHH legislation. In a nutshell, it means that anyone operating with toxic fumes and gases needs to test their Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems every 14 months. The assessment, carried out by a trained engineer will ensure that workers are protected by properly functioning fume ventilation systems.

At Fercell we have engineers that do assessments throughout the country. We also offer training on systems so that staff know exactly how to operate their units and can identify when there is a problem. This helps keep everyone safer. Always ensure you receive a Log Book and the paperwork following your LEV test and you get a User Manual when your extraction system has been installed.

We have customers that didn’t purchase their ventilation from us and we’re happy to LEV test or service their products. But sometimes they call us out when had they been given a manual they would have been able to quickly answer their own questions.’ �

FOR 10% DISCOUNT ON ALL VENTILATION

A. The vented bench is for dust. B. The suction bench is for fume and connects to a ducting.

They are both part of the BSA series WALL-MOUNTED EXTRACTION UNITS These can be hooked up to centralised duct systems or via an extraction arm and are designed particularly for intermittent processes generating low-medium gas concentrations, including electrode welding.

PRODUCTS PLEASE QUOTE: AL18

A

FERCELL RECOMMENDS: � The ICAP Series offers a low operating cost solution from a high power centrifugal fan. � The GFB Series complete with a pneumatic filter cleaning system, ensuring filtration efficiency up to 99.97% down to 0.5 micron.

B SUCTION BENCHES These can be connected to a fan set or centralised ducting and can be used for capturing various fumes and dusts.

FERCELL RECOMMENDS: � BSA Series comes with a removable rear suction wall and hinges to provide optimal capture efficiency. The heavy duty removable steel worktop can be modified to match specific working processes.

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HEARING PROTECTION

The AMS Noise School Noise is and will be an integrated part of our industry.

Hearing damage is therefore a threat in our work environment. Hearing damage is a permanent state, with its “social isolation” of the person affected and safety risks do to lack of hearing, e.g. alarms.

There are two types of hearing damage. The traditional one comes with prolonged exposure, the rule of thumb is exposure to 85 dBA or higher, without any hearing protection. Importantly; a lower level exposure can develop into hearing damage, for vulnerable individual (biologically). The other type is an instantaneous damage from impulse noise, this is a scary thought.

Impulse noises often occur in areas that are otherwise quiet. In this kind of area, it often tempting to take off the hearing protection, such as for talking to a colleague or taking a phone call. If the impulse occurs when not wearing the hearing protection then the person can get a permanent hearing damage, after only 1 second of exposure.

We have worked constantly through the years to minimize the noise by limiting or eliminating noise sources. Putting up barriers and isolating machinery, we have noise-proved the break and control rooms, and adjusted the acoustics as much as possible to help prevent hearing damages. We have mapped and put up signs to indicate the noise trouble zones, but at the end of the day it is the correct use of hearing protection that will give the positive end results.

When we have assured us that all barrier that are feasible are in place and operating correctly, then we stand up with the areas or noise sources that needs the last barrier of protection and that is correct noise personal protective equipment (PPE). For any PPE to work then it needs to be used and worn correctly.

The problem we face with hearing protection as an end barrier is that the damage that the workers are standing in front of is usually something that occurs over long period of time and not noticeable in our day to day operation. It is easier to remember to protect ourselves against something that is immediate or has a higher acute potential of harming us. This is where

By Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir, Aluminium Industry Environment Secretariat

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the AMS Noise school (from now on “the school”) comes in. It was developed in 2013 by Kjetil Vold (physiotherapist) and Michael Schou (doctor) at the Hydro Aluminium Karmøy - Bedriftshelsetjenesten (BHT) or the Corporate Health Services. Most of AMS member plants go through the school annually with all their staff and young summer workers.

The purpose of the school is to create a curriculum on the subject that is motivating and easy to understand. There is nothing revolutionary in its content, this subject has been taught for many years. However, we have aimed to do it in a way that makes it more interesting and hopefully in a way that the topic will sit with the audience and helps them to understand the risk that is at hand and know how to protect themselves. We have tried to make it more fun with the help of video and audio clips, and also using a noise meter in the room so the audience get an “hands on” or “ears on” how noise is measured and felt. It is our experience that the noise meter has created involvement and interest of the audience. More detailed instructions on the use of the noise meter is in the school itself.

There will not be an illustration on the content of the school here, sins we have opened the school to anyone that wish to use it (see link below). It is open for editing so that each company or division can adjust it to there needs and audience, input their own statistic and local regulation. We recommend having a health personnel conducting the school, to be able to answer any questions. Also if possible to ask an employee that has hearing damage to come and say few words about there experience and answer questions.

Each overhead (slide) has information to the conducer on how to explain the topic and get the audience involved. There are also three follow up mini courses that can be used at shift start-up meetings or on display monitors throughout the plant.

It is our hope that by sharing the AMS Noise School that we are spreading a good “noise culture”! �

ABOUT AMS AMS Aluminium is a project-oriented organisation, seeking to achieve its goals/mission for the members by initiating projects in the areas of work environment, emissions and effects on humans and ecosystems.

The members are four companies with 10 primary aluminium smelters in Iceland, Sweden and Norway and 1 aluminium refinery in Norway.

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FATIGUE

The Effects of Fatigue at Work Physical and mental fatigue costs the UK between ÂŁ115 and ÂŁ240 million per year in terms of work accidents.

Fatigue is very common, and can occur in all types of working environments, from manufacturing and engineering to maintenance and materials handling.

The long-term effects can be serious and debilitating to both the individual and the organisation, with overtired workers being the direct or indirect cause of accidents, injury and even death.

However, use of the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace can go a considerable way towards reducing the risk of fatigue and controlling its consequences.

CAUSE AND EFFECT Fatigue can be defined as extreme tiredness, resulting from mental, emotional or physical exertion, rendering the person temporarily unable to respond to a situation in an appropriate manner. It is difficult to measure accurately, but that should not prevent efforts being made to tackle the problem.

In the workplace, fatigue may be caused by many factors, including heat or cold stress, excessive vibration, overexertion, noise, musculoskeletal problems, long or night shifts, or uncomfortable working conditions. Individuals working in safety-critical jobs are particularly vulnerable.

Mentally, excessive tiredness results in slower reactions, reduced ability to think clearly and make good decisions, forgetfulness, poor communication, stress, anxiety, irritability, depression and hormonal disturbances.

Lost production, increased absenteeism, job dissatisfaction, muscle fatigue, back and neck pain, sleeping disturbances and deprivation are other effects of fatigue. Long-term consequences can include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders and lower fertility.

THE RIGHT PPE CAN HELP Wearing appropriate PPE can keep the wearer com-

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fortable, alert and productive, improving their health and promoting their well-being.

First, safety footwear plays a large role. Lightweight, comfortable, breathable, well-fitting and supportive footwear, without pressure points, spreads body weight evenly and reduce back pain and stress and therefore tiredness. Avoiding swollen or painful feet is especially important in jobs where workers are on their feet all day, such as on assembly lines, or pickers and packers.

Technological materials such as uvex climazone keep feet at the optimum temperature of 31-32 degrees C, while pivot points minimise strain on joints during repetitive twisting motions. Correct footwear can do a surprising amount, including helping to mitigate the risks associated with diabetes.

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Second, safety eyewear is equally important. Fatigue can be lessened through good quality, panoramic eyewear that does not limit the field of vision.

Adjustability and soft components that mould to the wearerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face help too, while prescription inserts make life easier for those who need glasses. Hightech, permanent, lens coatings improve vision, reduce eyestrain, and enable employees to work for longer periods without loss of concentration.

Third, respiratory protection can help to reduce heat stress through anatomically-shaped face masks with central exhalation valves that ease breathing.

The use of thinner membranes in respiratory devices eases air transfer, while good quality materials remove the risk of collapse when inhaling strongly. PPE that perfectly integrates with masks such as eyewear is also beneficial for maximum efficiency and comfort.

Fourth, debilitating stress from noise can be reduced by using comfortable, perfectly-fitting ear plugs or earmuffs. Oval is the best plug shape to match the ear canal, reducing pressure and indentation.

Finally, the right safety glove can decrease fatigue through efficiency, a perfect fit, and ensuring grip and dexterity without effort. The glove should be durable, breathable and supple. Gloves in a range of sizes, closely fitting both men and women, allow maximum all-day comfort, dexterity and avoidance of hand fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS Fatigue in the workplace can kill, but there is a lot that can be done to mitigate this via the provision of the correct protective equipment for hands, feet, eyes, ears, lungs and body. ďż˝

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SAFEGUARDING

Suzannah Robin, alcohol and drug safety expert at AlcoDigital, highlights the often-overlooked dangers of employees taking prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Legal Drugs – Are You Safeguarding Your Employees?

It’s a scenario any employer could imagine. A trusted employee – let’s call her Ellie – has been absent with a slipped disc but is now back at work. She’s still in some discomfort, but she’s taking codeine tablets prescribed by her doctor to control the pain, and seems to have returned to her usual reliable self.

As an employee, would you question Ellie’s fitness to work? The disturbing fact is that many bosses wouldn’t – yet by failing to implement a drugs and alcohol policy which includes testing for prescription and some over-the-counter drugs, they could be laying themselves open to prosecution, not to mention risking the safety of employees and customers.

If Ellie was a coach driver or a machine operator, the dangers are clear. Codeine is an addictive opiate-based substance which can cause drowsiness, even when taken at the recommended dosage. Under government rules which came into force in 2015, it’s an offence to drive with legal drugs such as codeine in your body if those drugs impair your driving, whether they are prescription drugs or certain overthe-counter medicines. But it’s not just Ellie who could be liable for prosecution if she was found to be unfit to drive. Her employer could be scrutinised for breaching health and safety legislation, leading to fines or even a jail sentence for failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure staff members are fit to work.

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL TESTING – WHAT’S THE LAW? Drugs and alcohol testing is subject to legislation in certain transport sectors, such as the aviation, rail and shipping industries. Although there is no legal obligation for most other employers to adopt a specific testing policy, they do have a duty of care to maintain a safe working environment under the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act. If methods for detecting misuse are not implemented and an accident occurs, it’s clear that employers could be held liable. The risks are present in almost any working environment, however there are obvious ramifications for companies that employ commercial drivers or machine operators.

WHAT DRUGS SHOULD EMPLOYERS TEST FOR? It’s no surprise that illegal substances such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine should be included in any testing regime. Alcohol should also be tested for. But the implication of the 2015 UK drug-driving law is that other ‘everyday’ drugs which many think of as innocuous should also be considered. Legal drugs

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cited in the 2015 law include: � Antihistamines such as chlorphenamine, diphenhydramine, loratidine or cetirizine � Diazepam � Morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs such as codeine, tramadol or fentanyl � Termazepam As previously discussed, there is no law that states employers must test for these substances, whether or not their staff are driving or operating machinery as part of their role. But employers ignore the dangers at their peril. Along with prosecution and the immeasurable emotional impact of an accident, the damage to a company’s reputation if an incident occurs can be immense.

And it’s worth noting that there doesn’t have to be an accident for legal drug-taking to impact negatively in the workplace – drowsiness and other side effects can lead to lower productivity, costly mistakes and absenteeism. A study in the US this year revealed that 71 percent of employers have been affected in some way by employees’ misuse of legally prescribed medications, including opioids1. Yet the survey of 501 HR decision-makers found that 41 percent of those that drug test employees are not testing for synthetic opioids.

SETTING UP A DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY While many larger corporations have policies in place, smaller businesses may feel daunted by the sensitive task of setting up a screening procedure. However the process can be relatively simple and not as expensive as many imagine. Technological advances have transformed the quality and accuracy of testing hardware, and high-quality police-grade testing kits can now be bought at a reasonable price, offering instant and reliable results. It’s important that personnel are trained in the correct use of the kits and accurate interpretation of results, ensuring that any evidence provided is irrefutable if ever challenged in a legal action.

You may be wondering how employees react to the news that they are to be tested, whether that’s on a random or regular basis. In our experience, the vast majority of staff actually welcome the introduction of alcohol and drug testing, recognising that it’s in the interest of all employees and the company’s wider customer base. Many will be surprised to learn of the possible side-effects of common drugs like anti-his-

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tamine or codeine, but again they understand the importance of securing a healthy and safe working environment for all.

Over the last decade, huge progress has been made in terms of tackling illegal drug use and alcohol abuse in the workplace. Now it’s time for employers to direct their attention towards the problems caused by legal drugs – problems which may be lesser known, but can have equally catastrophic effects. �

THERE IS NO LAW THAT STATES EMPLOYERS MUST TEST FOR THESE SUBSTANCES, WHETHER OR NOT THEIR STAFF ARE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERY AS PART OF THEIR ROLE

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WORKING TOGETHER

Supporting Members Towards Safety Excellence Safety in the workplace is a top priority for all industrial sectors, and requires constant commitment, investments and attention at all levels. The European aluminium industry is no exception, and most companies put in place ambitious programmes to constantly improve their safety performance, no matter what is their current status.

However, new challenges always arise due to a broad range of reasons, be it technological innovation, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and so on.

In this context, an industrial association can be extremely instrumental in complementing, supporting and disseminating these efforts, also ensuring that lessons learned and best practices are shared across the membership.

In fact, the guiding principle is that safety is a non-competitive area, meaning that competitors can help each other in improving their safety performance without any negative effect, if not with positive ones, on their competitiveness.

Naturally, the confidentiality of the information provided, be it quantitative or qualitative, is always ensured, in line with the indications of the submitter.

European Aluminium represents the entire aluminium value chain in Europe, from alumina refineries to primary production, semi-fabrication and recycling.

This diversity within the membership, combined with the great number of installations covered, gives a very broad view on the safety challenges for the entire sector. Furthermore, it allows the collection of enough data to develop representative statistics and, last but not least, gives the chance for a rich exchange of experience and best practices.

In addition, as part of the European aluminium industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sustainability Roadmap towards 2025, our sector voluntary committed to reduce the Total Recordable Incidents rate by 50% in 2025, compared to the 2012 levels.

In order to support the members in achieving this ambitious target, which reflects the forward-looking approach of our industry, European Aluminium put in place for the common benefit a number of tools, described in this article: a dedicated Task Force of experts, detailed safety statistics, expert workshops, a Safety Solutions competition and accidents reports.

SAFETY TASK FORCE A group of experts, coming from all segments of the value chain, is the main platform of exchange on safety within the association. The group, open to the entire membership, meets on a regular basis to re-

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view the latest statistics, discuss joint activities and reinforce the exchange of best practices. Considering the broad spectrum of operational challenges, special attention is devoted to common aspects such as the development of a safety culture within organisations, and the behavioural-based safety management.

The distribution list of the Safety Task Force is also used to collect expert input on specific questions raised by the members, in an anonymous way where requested.

Additionally, one meeting per year is hosted by a member at an industrial facility, coupled with a plant visit, to illustrate the specific safety approach adopted by the location, and receive expert feedback from the participants.

The Safety TF holding its meeting at the Sapa facility in Hungary (April 2017) SAFETY STATISTICS European Aluminium started already in the early 2000s to collect on a yearly basis plant-by-plant safety statistics, and to distribute them internally in a de-identified way. For this purpose, dedicated questionnaires were developed with the help of experts from the member companies to consistently collect parameters such as Lost Time Incident rates (LTI), Total Recordable Incident rates (TRI) - both referred to 1 million hours worked -, fatalities and severity rates.

The way the data collection is performed allows to represent industry averages, but also to zoom in on specific processes, e.g. alumina, smelting, recycling, semi-fabrication, and monitor over time the development of the related performance.

The laggards for each segment are contacted bilaterally by the staff of European Aluminium, to better discuss and understand the reality behind the numbers, ensure their engagement in the joint activities and exchange ideas on possible ways to improve the performance.

The detailed statistics per each segment of the value chain are made available internally to the reporters, for comparison and benchmarking. This always happens in a de-identified way, with the only exception of the plants which have reported zero incidents, whose names are disclosed upon approval by the company.

On the other hand, only indicators averaged across the industry are made available to the general public, together with a broader set of Sustainable Development Indicators.

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tionnaires also collect qualitative information from the members on the main causes of incidents, in order to tackle them with dedicated activities. Not surprisingly, “slips, trips and falls”, “contacts with sharp objects” and “contact with moving machinery” always appear among the main causes of incidents, together with molten metal for the segments for which it is relevant.

SAFETY WORKSHOPS European Aluminium organises, since the early 2000s, a 1.5 days Safety Workshop in Brussels every two years. These events, focused on the prevention of fatalities and high-risk incidents, gather about 70 experts from all segments of the value chain, including guests from outside Europe and even from other industrial sectors.

The sessions of the workshop, which engage the participants in lively debates and exchanges, cover a broad range of topics: the latest European safety statistics, with a view to the global picture and from other “aluminium regions” (e.g. US, Gulf); the ex-

A BREAK-OUT SESSION OF THE SAFETY WORKSHOP 2017 SAFETY SOLUTIONS COMPETITION In connection with each Safety Workshop, European Aluminium organises another extremely effective tool to support the exchange of best practices among its members: the “Safety Solutions Competition”.

The main objective of this competition is to award effective, relatively simple and not-too-expensive ideas to improve safety in the workplace. Additionally, they need to be easily implementable in other industrial facilities.

These solutions are based on creative thinking and the use of innovative technologies, and cover all sort of areas of safety, from protective tools, to equipment all the way to safety behaviour.

In practical terms, the entries to the competition are collected from the membership with a common 1-page template in the months preceding the Safety Workshop, and the entire collection is distributed in

The Safety TF holding its meeting at the Sapa facility in Hungary (April 2017)

EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM ORGANISES A 1.5 DAYS SAFETY WORKSHOP IN BRUSSELS EVERY TWO YEARS. THESE EVENTS, FOCUSED ON THE PREVENTION OF FATALITIES AND HIGH-RISK INCIDENTS, GATHER ABOUT 70 EXPERTS FROM ALL SEGMENTS OF THE VALUE CHAIN, INCLUDING GUESTS FROM OUTSIDE EUROPE AND EVEN FROM OTHER INDUSTRIAL SECTORS. post assessment of real incidents, presented by the concerned companies and discussed in break-out groups; practical safety tools (e.g. equipment, PPEs) to prevent incidents or minimise their effects; methodologies to assess incidents ex-post and gather lessons-learned; programmes to develop a strong safety culture within organisations.

Though most of the presentations are handled by representatives of the member companies, in particular on the assessment of real incidents occurred, external experts are also often invited to give a different perspective on the safety challenges, which stimulates alternative approaches and new ideas.

advance to the registered participants, in a de-identified form, for pre-assessment.

All of them are also displayed during the event itself, so that the participants to the workshop, safety experts themselves, can further assess and discuss them during the breaks, before voting for their favourite three entries.

The three solutions gathering most preferences are then awarded at the end of the Safety Workshop, and only then the names of the submitting companies are disclosed.

Shortly after, and upon approval from the submitters, all entries are made publicly available on the SAFETY GUIDE

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1ST PLACE

Kubal: Solution aimed at preventing squeezing of fingers in case of equipment malfunctioning Description:

The solution secures the rotation through a rotary guard, which gives alarm when it does not rotate as it should, so that the operator can immediately take precaution and secure the billets, avoiding the risk of clamping the fingers.

Kubal’s Safety Manager Gunnar Nyberg receiving the award from the Chairman of European Aluminium, Kjetil Ebbesberg (Hydro)

A break-out session of the Safety Workshop 2017

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association’s website, to ensure their maximum dissemination.

Considering that the last edition of the competition, in 2017, gathered 75 entries and the previous one, in 2015, gathered about 50, it is easy to see how this simple exercise quickly creates a very big database of good ideas, available free of charge, and fosters a virtuous circle of exchange of best practices within the membership.

Below are some examples of winning entries of the last edition, held in 2017 (see boxes): ACCIDENT DESCRIPTIONS Last but not least, European Aluminium receives from the members concise though effective descriptions of accidents occurred, especially linked to fatalities or high-risk events, including pictures, drawings and anything that can help to better describe the case.

In order to make the reports timely and straightforward, companies are free to use either their own template or one provided by European Aluminium.

These documents are then made available to the membership, in a de-identified way if preferred, with the objective to share lessons learned, trigger risk assessment campaigns and, in a nutshell, avoid that similar situations can occur again in other facilities.

In conclusion, the journey towards a 100% injury-free industry is a very challenging one, and needs full and constant commitment of all actors involved, from the top management of the companies all the way down to the shopfloor operators.

As we have seen, an industrial association can put in place a number of effective tools to support the companies in this journey, and can help creating a virtuous circle of mutual support, healthy competition and, where needed, peer pressure.

New ideas can always be tested and introduced, if deemed beneficial, and an open dialogue and exchange within the aluminium industry, and with other industrial sectors, is extremely useful in this sense. In the end, everyone will benefit from an improved safety performance! �

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2ND PLACE Rio Tinto:

Solution aimed at preventing collisions between mobile equipment and pedestrians.

Description:

A light projector with gobo (a specific form to project on a surface – here a forklift on the floor) was installed.

The vehicles are equipped with RFID Tag and an antenna in the building detects the presence of the vehicle. The light switches on when a vehicle enters the area. The form projected on the floor informs the pedestrians of the vicinity of the vehicle. The system is also connected to a pedestrian signal installed outside.

Rio Tinto Aluminium’ Simon Pelletier, General Manager Global Metal Sales, receiving the award from the Chairman of European Aluminium, Kjetil Ebbesberg (Hydro)

3RD PLACE (TIED)

Constellium’s Ludovic Piquier, plant manager at Neuf Brisach, receiving the award from the Treasurer of European Aluminium, Simon Baker (Alcoa)

Hydro’s Pascal Wagner, Senior Vice President Global Products, receiving the award from the Treasurer of European Aluminium, Simon Baker (Alcoa)

Hydro: Solution providing optical, acoustical and vibration signals to prevent collisions of mobile equipment Description:

A “Beeper-Keeper-System” is used in addition to other measures. This system includes 2 devices (“Beeper” and “Keeper”). The “Keeper” is installed on the forklift truck (FLT). The “Beeper” is worn by the truck driver. If the truck driver with “Beeper” draws nearer to the FLT with the “Keeper”, both devices will alarm with optical, acoustical and vibration signals. The alarm is regulated by the defined safety distance. This helps both persons (truck driver and FLT driver) to hold a safe distance (in our case 4,5 m) during the loading process.

Sapa: Solution aimed at increasing safety when working at heights Description:

A new movable fall protection – portable roof anchor, was installed. The fall protection is movable, and can be used everywhere on the roof, wherever needed during occasional work at height. Installation of the anchor system is simple, fast and efficient. Due to its modular design, the installer will never have to lift more than 25kg (12x25kg).

Constellium: Solution aimed at protecting operator’s hand when manual work is needed.

Description:

A visual hand is being trialed on lifting devices. The hand shows the operator a safe position for their hands to be placed if touching the load is necessary.

www.european-aluminium.eu SAFETY GUIDE

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WORKING TOGETHER

Mahmood Daylami, Secretary General, Gulf Aluminium Council, offers advice on developing safety across the supply chain.

Beyond Policies and Procedures The aluminium industry in general and GCC producers in particular have been associated with the need for the highest standard of safety, not only because their reputation is at stake but their growth and success depend on it.

What distinguishes one organisation from another, when it comes to safety standard, is the consistency in application and going beyond what is stipulated by a set of regulations from the authorities.

Generally speaking in any industry, despite spending large sums of money on safety related activities, there seems to be no agreed method or understand-

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ing of what level of safety performance is acceptable and who should define acceptable performance.

In contrast, when it comes to the financial performance of the company it is relatively easy, not only there is an agreed method, the results are regularly produced and discussed at management and board levels. The current financial situation, the future position, and what actions are needed to improve the financial preference of the organization is extensively debated.

Arguably, producing a safety audit criteria or safety policies and procedures are an easy task and are available in a number of books or the internet. Surely no one is assuming that once the policies and procedures are written, the place can be considered safe and that no accident will take place. Nevertheless, having a safety audit, policies and procedures are an essential step but only the first step.

Unfortunately and regardless of how well the policy is written and how comprehensive it might be, if the people ignore it, all the efforts are wasted and let us not assume that no-one will. We therefore need a creative approach to emphasize quality and the building of personalities who appreciate the requirements of modern technology and respect the safety law. This, of course, is not just a question of following a set of rules, because rules and regulations themselves are not adequate. It is like driving a car. There are a lot of regulations about how to drive but there are still bad drivers.

High standard of performance whether related to safety or doing any other job at an individual level, depends to a large extent on what our conscience tells us is an acceptable performance. This, in turn, depends on the environment, on knowledge and training. Institutions such as family, schools and organizations have an impact on our lives and they all aim to build a high standard of performance among their employees while the employees raise their standard provided they are highly motivated to do so.

To develop safety ethics within the work force and to make safety part of the everyday life of the individuals regardless of their position in the hierarchy will take time, effort and considerable expense. To facilitate the best technology and techniques that safeguard the people and the business are important, so is developing the minds and attitudes of people who work in the industry so that concern for safety becomes part of their daily life whether at work or anywhere else. ďż˝

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SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

For safety first and always

EGA is the largest industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas, and focused on safety, first and always. Our top priority is that every day each of us leaves work as fit and healthy as we arrived. We have spent decades developing our safety culture and practices to make this possible. Nothing makes us prouder than our longest-ever time without a lost time incident - the equivalent of one person working safely for more than 7,000 years.

Learn more at www.ega.ae

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SUPPLIERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

3B Training Ltd Lancashire, UK T: +44 (0) 1204 554888 E: training@3btraining.com W: www.3btraining.com We deliver specialist training nationally and offer a huge range of courses including First Aid, Health and Safety and a variety of CITB accredited courses such as SSSTS, SMSTS and Health and Safety Awareness.

3M Personal Safety Division 3M Centre, Bracknell, UK T: +44 (0) 870 60 800 60 W: www.3m.com 3M Safety products provide the health and safety protection you and your workers need, including both disposable and reusable respirators, protective eyewear and hearing protection A - Safe (UK) Ltd West Yorkshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1422 331133 E: sales@asafe.com W: www.asafe.com A-SAFE is the inventor and manufacturer of fixed polymer-based safety barriers, designed to protect people, property, profits and enhance

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The following alphabetical list presents contact information for companies dedicated to Health & Safety equipment and services, as well as those working across the aluminium value chain.

performance in industrial workplace environments.

ABC Health and Safety Consultancy Ltd T: +44 (0) 1483 821452 E: andrew.rustell@abchealthand safety.co.uk W: www.abchealthandsafety. co.uk ABC Health and Safety Consultancy Ltd. provides a wide range of bespoke and affordable health and safety services to all sectors of business and industry.

ACT Associates Ltd West Midlands, UK T: +44 (0) 1384 447915 E: actsales@actassociates. co.uk W: www.actassociates.co.uk ACT provides flexible solutions to your health, safety and environmental training needs together with support through our audit and consultancy services.

Active Skills Matrix East Yorkshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1482 762102 E: enquiries@activeskillsmatrix. co.uk W: www.activeskillsmatrix.co.uk Active Skills Matrix is a powerful training management system. It constantly monitors training needs, accounting for changes in skills profile, staff moving roles, personal training objectives, refreshers, and more.

Advanced Handling Limited Peterborough, UK T: +44 (0) 1778 345365 E: sales@advancedhandling. co.uk W: www.advancedhandling. co.uk We are a UK based manufacturer of materials handling lifting equipment.

AJ Charnaud South Africa T: +27 11 794 6040 E: quotes@charnaud.co.za W: www.charnaud.net Clothing and accessories to protect metal workers.

ALMEX USA California, USA T: +1 800 528 0557 E: info@almexusa.com W: www.almexusa.com Almex USA is a leading supplier of billet and slab casting equipment and technology for the aluminium industry.

Alpha Solway Dumfriesshire, Scotland T: +44 (0) 1461 202 452 E: sales@alphasolway.com W: www.alphasolway.com A leading UK manufacturer of PPE products including protective clothing, disposable respirators and hearing protection solutions.

Aludium W: www.aludium.com Aludium is a new entity, which comprises three former Alcoa mills in Spain and France and

a state-of-the-art aluminium research and development centre in Spain.

Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA) Kingdom Of Bahrain T: +973 17 830000 W: www.albasmelter.com Aluminium Bahrain has been consistently ranked as one of the largest aluminium smelters in the world and is known for its technological strength and high quality aluminium.

Aluminium International Today Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, RH1 1X, UK T: +44 (0) 1737 8755000 E: aluminium@quartzltd.com Aluminium Stewardship Initiative T: +61 3 9857 8008 E: fiona@aluminium-stewardship. org W: www.aluminium-stewardship. org The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global, multi-stakeholder, non-profit standards setting and certification organisation.

Aluminiumindustriens Miljøsekretariat (AMS) Oslo, Norway T: +61 3 9857 8008 E: ams@ams-aluminium.no W: www.ams-aluminium.net AMS Aluminium is a project-oriented organisation, seeking to achieve its goals/ mission for the members by initiating projects in the areas of work environment, emissions and effects on humans and ecosystems.

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Aluminum Association Arlington, USA T: +1 703-358-2960 W: www.aluminum.org The Aluminum Association is the industry’s leading voice in Washington, DC. It provides global standards, industry statistics and expert knowledge to member companies and policy makers nationwide.

Highly engaged in public policy and technical forums, the Association is committed to advancing aluminium as the sustainable metal of choice around the world. asecos GmbH Germany T: +49 6051 9220 0 E: info@asecos.com W: www.asecos.com Your safety and the protection of your health are our incentive to develop products, that offer you the highest degree of protection and comfort in your daily work.

ATC Risk Management Services Ltd Nottingham, UK T: +44 (0) 115 984 9940 E: stacey.hallam@atcrisk.co.uk W: www.atcrisk.co.uk Here at ATC Risk Management, we are providers of comprehensive health and safety training and consultancy services.

Avon Protection Maryland, USA T: +1 (888) 286 6440 E: customerservice@avonprotection.com W: www.avon-protection.com Avon Protection is a world leader in Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), providing complete solutions for Air, Land and Sea based

personnel in Military, Law Enforcement, First Responder community, Firefighting and Industrial sectors globally.

Blackline Safety Europe Ltd Essex, UK T: +44 (0) 1787 222684 E: eusales@blacklinesafety. com W: www.blacklinesafety.com Blackline is a wireless location leader that develops, manufactures, and markets products and services for worker safety monitoring, covert tracking, and consumer applications.

BOPLAN UK LTD Wolverhampton, UK T: +44 (0) 1902 824280 E: sales@boplan.co.uk W: www.boplan.com BOPLAN designs, develops and manufactures durable and extremely effective safety barriers for demanding environments.

Brady Oxfordshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1295 228288 E: csuk@bradycorp.com W: www.bradyeurope.com Safetrak and Scafftag are part of Brady Corporation, international manufacturer of complete innovative identification solutions to improve safety, security, productivity and performance for customers worldwide.

British Safety Council London, UK T: +44 (0) 20 3510 8355 E: customer.service@britsafe. org W: www.britsafe.org The British Safety Council is dedicated to making sure no one is injured or made ill at work.

Bruck Textiles Australia T: +61 2 9366 3311 W: www.brucktextiles.com.au Bruck Textiles is a privately owned Australian company that has been developing quality fabrics since 1946.

BTTG Leeds, UK T: +44 (0) 113 259 1999 E: info@bttg.co.uk W: www.bttg.co.uk BTTG™ is the leading independent organisation for the testing of Personal Protective Equipment and Construction Products.

Cardiac Science Holdings (UK) Ltd Cheshire, UK T: +44 (0) 161 926 0000 E: sales@cardiacscience.co.uk W: www.cardiacscience.co.uk Cardiac Science is a global leader in developing Automated External Defibrillator (AED) technology.

Casella Bedford, UK T: +44 (0) 1234 844100 E: info@casellasolutions.com W: www.casellasolutions.com UK based Casella is a renowned leader in the development, manufacture and supply of industrial hygiene, occupational health and environmental monitoring instrumentation.

Centurion Safety Products Ltd Norfolk, UK T: +44 (0) 1842 754266 W: www.centurionsafety.eu We're here to protect the judgement and creativity that shape our world. We give workers the confidence to think clearly and deliver their best.

Chemstore London, UK T: +44 (0) 208 704 1807 E: sales@chemstore.co.uk W: www.chemstore.co.uk As a business that handles hazardous materials, safety will be right at the top of your agenda. At Chemstore, we leave nothing to chance.

Cirrus Research plc North Yorkshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1723 891655 E: sales@cirrusresearch.co.uk W: www.cirrusresearch.co.uk Cirrus Research is a world leader in the creation of noise measurement instruments.

Since 1970, Cirrus’ mission has been to make monitoring noise simple.

Clad Safety Knaresborough, UK T: +44 (0) 800 161 36 61 W: www.cladsafety.co.uk Clad designs, manufactures and sources PPE, workwear and uniforms. No matter what the conditions, your staff will be safe, comfortable and more productive in the workplace.

Coltraco Ultrasonics 46 Mount St, Mayfair, London, W1K 2SA, UK T: +44 (0) 20 7629 8475 E: sales@coltraco.co.uk W: www.coltraco.com Coltraco is transformational in the areas of fire safety and watertightness, notably monitoring liquefied and non-liquefied gaseous extinguishing systems, and water-/air-tight integrity.

Coltraco delivers Safesite™ & Safeship™ technologies at critical infrastructure on land & at sea. Our world-leading brands include Poratlevel™ MAX, Portascanner™ Watertight & Permalevel™ Multiplex.

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Combilift Gallinagh, Monaghan, Ireland T: + 353 47 80500 E: info@combilift.com W: www.combilift.com Materials handling can be a risky business, and even more so when you need to lift and manoeuvre very long and bulky loads. Combilift’s 4-way forklifts, sideloaders and straddle carriers guarantee safer handling of long length products, containers and oversized loads to protect the workforce and reduce risk of damage to loads. Sideways travel with Combilift’s 4-way models enables long loads to rest on the platform during transport, avoiding risky high level manoeuvres necessary with less manoeuvrable forklifts.

Extremely versatile and robust, Combilift’s products work inside and out and are available with 1.5t – 80t capacities and various power options.

Delta Plus UK Lancashire, UK T: +44 (0) 1254 686100 E: enquiries@deltaplus.co.uk W: www.deltaplus.co.uk Deltaplus are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of Head to Toe PPE under one name, one brand - Deltaplus.

DeltaNet International Ltd Leicestershire, UK T: +44 (0) 1509 611019 E: enquiries@delta-net.co.uk W: www.delta-net.co.uk DeltaNet International provides solutions for Health & Safety training needs.

Derma Shield Skincare Gwent, UK T: +44 (0) 1633 877569 E: info@dermashield.co.uk W: www.dermashield.co.uk Forget anything you know about traditional barrier or prework creams. Derma Shield is the next generation and it will help you, your colleagues and your organisation.

Diadora Utility E: peter@ppe-specialist.com W: www.utilitydiadora.com 84

Diadora Utility is a leader in the Italian safety clothing and footwear industry.

DuPont W: www.dupont.com In the face of the ever-increasing global industrialisation, DuPont continues to improve upon its materials and standards that help keep all of us safe in the toughest conditions.

E-Tradeway Buckingham, UK T: +44 (0) 1280 875200 E: hello@e-tradeway.co.uk W: www.e-tradeway.co.uk We provide stock control and dispensing solutions designed for all businesses within the Health and Safety sector.

Effective Software London, UK T: +44 (0) 203 411 0092 E: info@effective-software. com W: www.effective-software. com Effective are driven to provide the world's smartest, most flexible, and cost effective, compliance management system.

Ejendals AB Sweden T: +46 247 360 00 E: info@ejendals.com W: www.ejendals.com Ejendals are specialised in high-quality products that Protect Hands and Feet.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) P O Box 3627 Dubai, United Arab Emirates T: +971 4 884 6666 W: www.ega.ae EGA is one of the world’s largest ‘premium aluminium’ producers and the biggest

industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas.

Emmebi S.r.l Via della Tecnologia, 12 Pavia di Udine, Italy T: +39 0432 675936 E: emmebi@emmebi.net W: www. emmebi.net Our technologies for finishing, packaging and handling aluminium profiles are the advanced evolution of our sophisticated prototypes, devised so they adapt to any kind of productive reality.

Energia Potior T: +64 274 426 750 E: geoff@energiapotior.com W: www.energiapotior.com EnPot is a patented new mechanical technology that can be cost effectively retro-fitted to 90% of the world's aluminium smelters. EnPot breaks the restraints of the current cell design by opening up the operating energy-use window, fundamentally transforming the way aluminium smelters consume energy during the smelting process.

Ergomat AS T: +44 (0) 7827 139073 E: info@ergomat.dk W: www.ergomat.com Ergomat delivers innovative safety and productivity solutions for the contemporary workplace.

EssentialSkillz Galway, Ireland T: 0844 448 4414 E: info@essentialskillz.com W: www.EssentialSkillz.com EssentialSkillz is a leading global supplier of online safety training and risk assessment software.

European Aluminium Brussels T: +32 2 775 63 63 E: info@european-aluminium. eu W: www.european-aluminium. eu Founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the entire aluminium industry in Europe.

FERCELL Engineering Ltd Unit 1 Old Mill Lane, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7DT, UK T: +44 (0) 1622 791414 E: info@fercell.com W: www.fercell.com Fercell provide complete industrial recycling systems for environmental waste reduction and industrial ventilation equipment to control pollutants in the manufacturing process.

Fives Group Paris, France T: +33 1 45 23 75 75 W: www.fivesgroup.com As an industrial engineering Group, Fives designs and supplies machines, process equipment and production lines for the world’s largest industrials including the aluminium, steel, glass, automotive, aerospace, logistics, cement and minerals, energy and sugar sectors.

GFG Europe Ltd Essex, UK T: +44 (0) 1376 561463 E: sales@gfgeurope.com W: www.gfgeurope.co.uk A subsidiary of GfG GmBH, GfG Europe Ltd are focused on supplying and supporting our range of personal and fixed point gas detection equipment to the UK and Ireland.

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Granco Clark 7298 N. Storey Road, Belding, MI, 48809, USA T: +1 616-794-2600 E: gcinfo@grancoclark.com W: www.grancoclark.com GRANCO CLARK continues to develop and refine extrusion equipment for the industry.

With the combination of the two companies, it has become one of the rare “single source” suppliers available to extruders for all ancillary equipment around the extrusion press.

Gulf Aluminium Council Dubai, United Arab Emirates T: +971 4 457 2051 E: info@gac.ae W: www.gulfaluminiumdubai. com The GAC is a coordinating body that represents, promotes and protects the interests of the aluminium industry within the Gulf.

Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill (GARMCO) Kingdom of Bahrain T: +973 1773 1000 E: cc@garmco.com W: www.garmco.com Bahrain-based Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill (GARMCO) is the first and one of the largest downstream aluminium facilities in the Middle East for rolling, cutting and fabricating aluminium. GARMCO specialises in producing high-quality flat rolled aluminium products in various sizes and alloys.

GVS Filter Technology UK Lancashire, UK T: +44 (0) 1524 847600 W: gvsuk@gvs.com GVS are proud UK manufactures of a new and highly innovative range of half mask respirators.

H C Slingsby PLC Shipley, UK T: +44 (0) 1274 535030 E: sales@slingsby.com W: www.slingsby.com For more than 120 years Slingsby have been helping organisations run smoothly and efficiently, offering great choice, value and expertise.

HAVI Nottingham, UK T: +44 (0) 115 932 7002 E: info@thehavi.com W: www.thehavi.com HAVi is leading the way in protecting against the harmful effects of vibration in the workplace.

Honeywell Safety Products (UK) Ltd Basingstoke, UK T: +44 (0) 1256 693 200 E: info-uk.hsp@honeywell. com W: www.honeywellsafety.com Provides high quality personal protective equipment & safety gear designed to protect workers in all types of industries.

Hydro Extrusions W: www.hydroextrusions.com With over 50 years of aluminium extrusion expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and continuous improvement, we lead the industry.

IBIS Packaging Solutions Berkshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1639 890609 E: sales@ibispackaging.co.uk W: www.ibispackaging.co.uk IBIS Packaging Solutions Ltd. are an end of line packaging machine and consumable Company.

Impacto Protective Products Inc Belleville, Canada T: 0800 0280 243 E: impacto@impacto.ca W: www.impacto.ca Impacto Protective Products Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of specialised personal ergonomic protection for over 25 years.

Industrial Safety Inspections Ltd Warwickshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1675 481 779 E: info@isisafety.com W: www.isisafety.com Independent engineering inspection organisation, helping commercial and industrial customers across the UK to meet their statutory obligations and protect their staff, plant and assets.

Industrial Safety Products Cleveland, USA T: +1 800 824 4266 E: customerservice@indsaf. com W: www.indsaf.com Safety Equipment Distributor servicing all industrial companies throughout the state of Ohio.

Innoval Technology Ltd Beaumont Cl, Banbury, OX16 1TQ, UK T: +44 (0) 1295 702800 E: enquiries@innovaltec.com W: ww.innovaltec.com Innoval Technology’s experience and technical ability are known worldwide. Our aluminium consultants have experience of working throughout the world, so we know better than most people what constitutes ‘world-class’.

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Leicester, UK T: +44 (0) 116 257 3100 E: reception@iosh.com W: www.iosh.co.uk At IOSH, we're committed to creating a safer and healthier world of work. We're not just the biggest health and safety membership organisation in the world, we're also the only Chartered body for health and safety professionals. And because we're a world leader in health and safety training, every year over 179,000 people take our courses.

International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) Arlington, USA T: +1 (703) 525 1695 W: www.safetyequipment.org ISEA is the leading association for personal protective equipment and technologies that enable people to work in hazardous environments, and an ANSI accredited standards developing organisation.

Intersafety (Industrial Protection) Limited Cheshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1625 858008 E: sales@intersafety.co.uk W: www.intersafety.co.uk Independent distributor of PPE and protective clothing in the UK, specialising also in the supply of workplace safety products – signs, PVC strip door kits, spill equipment and safety matting.

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Legislation Update Service Blackburn, UK T: +44 (0) 1254 265163 E: info@legislationupdateservice. co.uk W: www.legislationupdateservice. co.uk Newground’s Legislation Update Service is a straightforward way to stay up-to-date with changing legislation and give you peace of mind that you won't miss any vital new laws.

Liebherr Training Services Biggleswade, UK T: +44 (0) 1767 602222 E: training.services@liebherr. com W: www.liebherr.co.uk Liebherr is internationally recognised as a world-class manufacturer of high technology construction equipment and cranes.

Lone Worker Solutions Ltd Rochdale, UK T: +44 (0) 161 885 2122 E: info@loneworkersolutions. com W: www.loneworkersolutions. com The most comprehensive solution to protect lone workers.

LoneAlert Birmingham, UK T: +44 (0) 121 501 2288 E: sales@lonealert.co.uk W: www.lonealert.co.uk LoneALERT is one of the UK’s leading providers of lone worker protection solutions, delivering a range of lone worker alarms, devices and apps to protect people who work alone, remotely or are vulnerable in their work.

Microlin Cooper Ltd Hertfordshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1442 248797 E: sales@microlincooper.co.uk W: www.microlincooper.co.uk Microlin Cooper is a well-established supplier of safety gloves and footwear.

Moldex Nottingham, UK T: +44 (0) 115 9854288 E: info@uk.moldex-europe.com 86

W: www.moldex.co.uk Moldex is a leading manufacturer of hearing and respiratory products.

specialist safety eyewear manufacturer focused on providing solutions for end users in all industries.

NordSafety Ltd Helsinki, Finland T: +44 203 6378383 E: contact@nordsafety.com W: www.nordsafety.com At NordSafety, we want to engage everyone in occupational safety, and make it easier for you to manage site information.

Pyrotek 705 W. 1st Ave., Spokane, Washington, 99201, USA T: +1 509-926-6212 W: www.pyrotek.com For over 60 years, Pyrotek has been helping the aluminium industry improve performance.

Norsk Hydro ASA Oslo, Norway T: +47 22 53 81 00 W: www.hydro.com Hydro is a fully integrated aluminium company with 35,000 employees in 40 countries on all continents, combining local expertise, worldwide reach and unmatched capabilities in R&D. PGS Training Pickmere, UK T: +44 (0) 1606 873864 E: Admin@pgstraining.com W: www.Pgstraining.com Nationally Accredited Safety training for users of Compressed & Liquefied Gases.

Protect Hear Lincs, UK T: +44 (0) 1507 604322 E: sales@protecthear.co.uk W: www.protecthear.co.uk ProtectHear® are leading edge custom moulded earplugs that provide maximum comfort in addition to an effective acoustic barrier.

Pyramex Safety Products Newbury, UK T: +44 (0) 1635 254220 E: info@pyramexeurope.com W: www.pyramexsafety.com Pyramex Safety products are a

QRIMS Ltd Wiltshire, UK T: +44 (0) 845 054 9988 E: info@qrims.com W: www.qrims.com Software for safety and compliance has been expensive, hard to use, and lacking integration. Q-RIMS breaks that pattern, with aggressively priced applications that are easy to learn and use, with powerful integration and full support.

RAMS Boards Ltd Barnet, UK T: +44 (0) 203 532 0639 E: sales@ramsboards.com W: www.ramsboards.com RAMS Boards are modular – compact, self-assembly plastic information boards.

REEL NKM Noell/REEL Alesa Ltd Rudolf-Diesel-Straße 1, 97209 Veitshoechheim, Germany/ Max Högger Strasse 6, CH-8048, Zurich, Switzerland E: sales@nkmnoell.com/infoREEL-Alesa-ch@reel-alesa.com W: www.reel-alesa.com/ www.nkmnoell.com REEL, with its companies NKM Noell, REEL Alesa and COH, is a leading independent equipment supplier of special cranes and handling equipment for Primary Aluminium

Smelters.

For more than 40 years on the market through its constitutive companies, with more than 1,000 cranes in operation worldwide, REEL Group companies develop their mission for the Primary Aluminium Smelters: be a global supplier of handling systems, process equipment and solutions and integrate the client’s process objectives in design of products.

NKM Noell has built a strong technical force for Electrolysis (Pot Tending Machines, Cathode Cranes, Transfer Gantry Systems), Carbon Area (Furnace Tending Assemblies, Stacker Cranes, Anode Handling Systems), as well as Rodding Shops.

REEL Alesa designs, installs and maintains complex handling solutions based on specific technologies including aluminium electrolytic cells power supply, HDPSTM (Hyper Dense Phase System) and systems developed by Alcan Pechiney such as ALPSYS®, JIBS (Jet Induced Boosted Suction).

Regain Materials PO Box 6919, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia T: +61 3 9514 8600 E: info@regainmaterials.com W: www.regainmaterials.com Regain is a green technology and mineral trading enterprise, using its own proprietary technology to transform hazardous waste materials from the aluminium smelting industry into valuable by-products.

Resmar LTD Cheshire, UK T: +44 (0) 845 803 3399 E: sales@resmar.co.uk W: www.resmar.co.uk

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RESMAR LTD specialises in the supply of fire fighting, gas detection and respiratory protection equipment to a diverse range of Industries including: Marine, Petrochemical, Pharmaceutical, Civil Engineering, Construction and The Public Sector.

Respair Buckinghamshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1296 434 334 E: info@respair.co.uk W: www.respair.co.uk Respair are specialist manufacturers of respiratory and allied products. Formed in 1986 Respair distributes in Europe and the Far East.

Rockwell Automation W: www.rockwellautomation. com We have the expertise to meet your unique industrial automation challenges anywhere in the world.

Rostaing S.A. France T: +33 7891 646550 E: rlloyd@calzadoseguro.com W: www.rostaing-glove.co.uk Rostaing Gloves: Rostaing S.A. is a manufacturer well known in Europe for its protective gloves and sleeves.

Safety Cloud West Midlands, UK T: +44 (0) 345 257 4015 E: hello@southalls.com W: www.southalls.com One of the UK’s fastest growing providers of cloud-based health and safety management.

Safety Culture Salford, UK T: +44 (0) 161 768 1124 E: uk@safetyculture.io

W: www.safetyculture.com SafetyCulture empowers workers to make safety and quality a priority and improve workplace standards.

Safety Industrial and Maintenance Essex, UK T: +44 (0) 1708 524524 E: simltd@btconnect.com W: www.safetyindustrial.co.uk Provide a single source enabling clients to purchase personal protection equipment, industrial supplies and maintenance equipment.

Safety Media Ltd Clwyd, UK T: +44 (0) 1745 535000 E: sales@safetymedia.co.uk W: www.safetymedia.co.uk With over twenty years in the Health & Safety training market, Safety Media have become an established and trusted company providing cost-effective and innovative solutions on a global scale.

Safety Unlimited Essex, UK T: +44 (0) 845 450 1415 E: sales@safetyunlimited.co.uk W: www.safetyunlimited.co.uk Safety Unlimited has been manufacturing and distributing products for the safe handling, storage and containment of highly flammable liquids and other hazardous materials for over 36 years.

SAP T: +1 800 872 1727 W: www.sap.com SAP is at the centre of today’s technology revolution. The market leader in enterprise application software, SAP helps organisations fight the damaging effects of complexity, generate new opportunities

for innovation and growth, and stay ahead of the competition.

Scott Safety Ltd Lancashire, UK T: +44 (0) 1695 727171 E: scott.sales.uk@tycoint.com W: www.scottsafety.com Scott Safety is one of the world’s premier manufacturers of innovative respiratory protection, thermal imaging technology, personal protective work wear, portable gas detection and innovative decontamination equipment for the fire and rescue services, industrial workers, police, and military and civil defence organisations.

Serem Electronics France T: +33 0 4 79 64 14 44 W: www.serem-electronics. com Since 1983, SEREM Electronics researches and manufactures high quality electronic products for conversion, measurement and instrumentation dedicated to complicated environments in worldwide industries.

SGS Cheshire, UK T: +44 (0) 151 350 6666 W: www.sgs.co.uk Leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

SHE Software Ltd Lanarkshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1355 272 444 E: sales@shesoftware.com W: www.shesoftware.com SHE Software is your expert partner for health & safety management.

SPI Health and Safety T: +1 866 861-8111

W: www.spi-s.com The company’s mission is to be the single most valuable partner for companies that value health and safety in their work environment.

Stanley Handling Limited Bedfordshire, UK T: +44 (0) 800 298 2980 E: sales@stanleyhandling.com W: www.stanleyhandling.co.uk Stanley handling is a health and safety business. Since 1948, Stanley handling have been providing solutions to the workplace, which ensure companies operate in their fields with both safety and compliance in mind.

Step on Safety Limited Essex, UK T: +44 (0) 1206 396 446 E: info@steponsafety.co.uk W: www.steponsafety.co.uk Step on Safety is an ISO9001 accredited supplier of composite (GRP) slip resistant access structures and flooring.

Strata Sales Warwickshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1926 338 547 E: info@stratasales.com W: www.stratasales.com With Health and Safety as an important issue in today’s industry, we take pleasure in providing matting and floor safety products for your standing workers.

Svantek UK Ltd Bedford, UK T: +44 (0) 1234 639551 E: sales@svantek.co.uk W: www.svantek.co.uk Svantek will be exhibiting its range of innovative and technically excellent noise and vibration monitoring instrumentation.

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SW Safety Solutions 19 rue de L’industrie, Bertrange L-8069, Luxembourg T: +1 510 429 8692 E: sales@swsafety.com W: www.swsafety.com Founded in 1984, SW Safety Solutions (SW) innovative developments have changed the way people think about single use gloves.

T Cards Direct Limited Kent, UK T: +44 (0) 1732 871417 E: sales@tcardsdirect.com W: www.tcardsdirect.com T Cards are the proven management tool to help keep track, allocate and improve efficiency.

The Rack Group South Yorkshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1226 784488 E: info@therackgroup.com W: www.therackgroup.com The Rack Group Ltd have been around for 40 years providing everything you need to keep your pallet racking safe and in supreme condition.

The Safety Supply Company Ltd Wembley, UK T: +44 (0) 845 384 0845 W: www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk Workwear specialists offering industrial safety equipment.

Tornado Safety Gloves Nottingham, UK T: +44 (0) 115 961 9555 E: sales@tornadogloves.com W: www.tornadogloves.com Innovation, technology and design have remained at the forefront of the Tornado Safety Gloves' core strategy since manufacturing our first pair of gloves in 2001.

Traka Buckinghamshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1234 712345 E: marketing@traka.com W: www.traka.com Traka is a leading worldwide specialist in intelligent key and asset management solutions.

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Triax Technologies, Inc. Norwalk, USA T: +1 (203) 803-9879 E: info@triaxtec.com W: www.triaxtec.com Spot-r by Triax enables total jobsite visibility, providing worker and equipment location, utilisation, interaction, and safety data - all in real-time.

More information at www.triaxtec.com.

Tusker Industrial Safety Plymouth, UK T: +44 (0) 1752 201000 E: sales@tuskerindustrial.com W: www.tuskerindustrial.com Manufacturer and supplier of safety solutions for industry including PPE, welding curtains and frames, fire barrier, construction safety and more.

UC RUSAL Moscow, Russia T: +7 (495) 720 51 70 +7 W: www.rusal.ru RUSAL is one of the world’s major producers of aluminium and alumina. The company

was founded in 2000 and, following its merger with SUAL and the alumina assets of Glencore, became the global aluminium industry leader in 2007.

Ultimate Ear Ltd Kent, UK T: +44 (0) 1689 876 885 E: sales@ultimateear.com W: www.ultimateear.com Ultimate hearing protection produces the most superior high quality hearing protection on the market. Using soft silicone for ultimate comfort.

Uvex Safety UK Limited Surrey, UK T: +44 (0) 1252 731200 E: safety@uvex.co.uk W: www.uvex-safety.co.uk uvex is an internationally renowned manufacturer of personal protective equipment recognised world-wide for its research and development in order to broaden its already comprehensive portfolio of products.

Warwick IC Systems Ltd Derbyshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1332 781882 W: www.warwickicsystems. com Warwick International Computing Systems specialises in Occupational Health and Health & Safety management solutions.

Wagstaff, Inc. Corporate Headquarters, 3910 North Flora Road, Spokane Valley, WA, 99216, USA T: + 1 (509) 922-1404 E: info@wagstaff.com W: www.wagstaff.com Founded in 1946, Wagstaff, Inc., a Spokane, Washington based manufacturer, provides machinery, technology, and service to enable aluminium producers to transform molten aluminium into solid shapes – “billets” (rounds) and “ingots” (slabs) using “direct chill” casting.

Yaplex Ltd Derbyshire, UK T: +44 (0) 1246 857355 E: sales@yaplex.co.uk W: www.yaplex.co.uk Yaplex Ltd is a new name in the materials handling industry offering what the company claim is the most comprehensive range of equipment in the market.

ZoneSafe (Avonwood Developments Ltd) Dorset, UK T: +44 (0) 1202 868000 E: sales@avonwood.co.uk W: www.zonesafe.net ZoneSafe is a safety solution designed to reduce the risk of accidental collisions and near miss occurrences around vehicles and personnel.

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8-9 MAY • HOTEL MICHELANGELO MILAN • ITALY

Applying Industry 4.0 to the aluminium industry What does Industry 4.0 mean to the future of the aluminium industry and how can it assist in the quest for greater efficiencies?

The Future Aluminium Forum is a live discussion that will examine how Industry 4.0 and ‘smart manufacturing’ will revolutionise aluminium manufacturing and processing and analyse the benefits that can be gained from doing so.

Speakers from academia, across the aluminium supply chain and technology providers will explain key concepts behind the digitalisation of aluminium manufacturing; as well as covering the importance of cyber security, the role of human beings in the factory of the future, autonomous equipment and the all-important process safety and control. Join us to find out how and where Industry 4.0 will be applied across the aluminium value chain and the impacts.

GET INVOLVED: If you are interested in finding out more, please contact us TO SPONSOR/EXHIBIT: Ken Clark International Sales Director +44 (0) 1737 855 117 kenclark@quartzltd.com

John Lane Business Development Manager (Europe) +44 (0) 1737 855 014 johnlane@quartzltd.com

TO SPEAK: Nadine Bloxsome Programme Director +44 (0) 1737 855 115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

Official Media Partner

@alu_forum

Organised by:

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