News

Combustible dust hazards are being given more attention, thanks to the NFPA 652 mandate that all industrial facilities complete a dust hazard analysis by September 7, 2020. This emphasis on process safety in industries handling combustible dust suggests that a crisis did not exist until recently, when fire and explosion reports across the globe indicate otherwise.

Dust Safety Science, which has been recording dust-related incidents since 2016, publishes a yearly Combustible Dust Incident Report that reviews loss history, materials and equipment involved, industries affected, and known causes. The 2019 report highlighted the following statistics:

In March 2020, the HSE updated its Protecting Lone Workers: How to Manage the Risks of Working Alone guidance document, which advises employers and employees on the factors that need to be considered when assessing and managing the risks to lone workers’ health, safety and wellbeing. 

This updated guidance has proven particularly well timed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen hundreds of thousands of organisations adapting to these uncertain times by facilitating many of their employees working from home, or instructing them to carry out isolated activities on sites in order to comply with social distancing guidelines if they cannot work from home.

Hikvision, a world leading IoT solution provider has used its expertise to design a range of innovative solutions to support the industry in returning to work whilst mitigating the risk of staff safety. To bring the new range of thermal measurement and temperature monitoring equipment to the UK and Ireland, Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment, has been selected as the ideal partner to gain traction within the region.

Building on its impressive portfolio of products to help business navigate to a new normal in the workplace, Altus is pleased to add Hikvision to its list of preeminent suppliers to offer safety solutions.

Altus will be stocking the Minmoe thermal measurement terminal as well as the very capable thermal measurement gate offering customers a capability regardless of budget for investment. 

At a time when air quality is never far from the news headlines, Shawcity is delighted to announce the latest multi-function environmental monitor on the UK market.

The 6-channel TSI Bluesky^TM air quality monitor is a key new product as it offers simultaneous measurement of PM1, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10 mass concentrations as well as temperature and relative humidity – all in real time and a low cost.

Integrated technology and inspection company, MCS, has launched a new system which allows an entire offshore inspection campaign to be delivered remotely.

The Remote Inspection System (RIS) utilises sophisticated data compression and transfer as well as 3D imagery and data capture to move all work completed from an offshore vessel inspection container onshore.

The solution overcomes travel restrictions and ensures safety of people by allowing work to be completed anywhere, including at home, with live video feeds and clear voice communication.

Specifically formulated for use in high temperature and high-pressure environments, LOCTITE® NS 5540 and 5550 sealing compounds cure in the presence of heat to form a mechanical seal on metal-to-metal flanges and fittings. 

Whenever a mechanical failure occurs outside the schedule maintenance window it has the potential not only to disrupt production but cost money.  And as an Asian manufacturer of tyres will testify, the financial impact can be substantial.  In one year, the company recorded no less than 284 maintenance emergencies that were attributed to bolts self-loosening on tyre moulding presses.

Each incident resulted in two hours of downtime which, in total, amounted to over £400,000 of production losses in the 12-month period.

The nuts kept loosening through thermal expansion during the machines’ operation.  The initial response was for maintenance engineers to re-torque the nuts regularly to correct the clamp load but without any method of locking the thread against loosening, the problems prevailed.

Remote alert system in place for University of Oxford lab

Remote monitoring specialist Omniflex has supplied an SMS alert system to the University of Oxford’s Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research. The remote module allows the lab’s researchers to receive 24/7 alerts directly to their mobile phone in the event that freezers holding samples deviate from the critical temperature window. It is understood the laboratory is holding Covid-19 samples as part of the effort to develop a vaccine.

Omniflex has supplied the Medawar Building with its Teleterm M3 GSM remote terminal unit (RTU). The device connects using a serial ModBus port to the labs’ Eltek Monitoring system that controls a number of liquid nitrogen and -80 degrees Celsius freezers.

With fleets of vessels and aircraft forced into cold lay-ups and grounded due to the COVID-19 crisis, companies need to consider the risk of long-term damage due to uncontrolled humidity levels.

With the pandemic having a marked effect on demand for non-commercial shipping and flights, more aircraft and vessels than ever are being grounded or moored for cost-effective preservation. However, without an adequate moisture control strategy to protect their critical components, electrical technology and structures, the condition of these vehicles could soon deteriorate, according to Aggreko.

Field service technicians can benefit from a new app that calculates the liquid level in fire extinguishers. Using knowledge of the fill weight, the app indicates the fill level of liquid CO2 in the cylinder so that technicians can easily locate the exact liquid/gas boundary using a level checking device.

The level checking device could be a temperature sensing strip for example or an ultrasonic liquid level indicator like the Link Instruments’ ULLC2001.