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“In 2019, 1,082 workers per 100,000 were diagnosed with a work-related, respiratory condition many of which could have been prevented by a properly fitted mask,” says Mark Smith, technical director of Simon Safety who is also an accredited face fit tester. “Ten years earlier (1999), that number was 3,418 so we’ve come a long way but 1,082 per thousand is still too many. The majority of those workers work in hazardous engineering environments.

“Whichever way you look at it, that number is unacceptable. It’s criminal that lives are still being lost and compromised by people’s work. It’s criminal that our health service is having to treat patients who have been made sick by their work. And it’s criminal that some employers are still not taking their responsibilities seriously enough and may end up in prison for that negligence,” says Mark Smith.

HSE now on the face mask case

During Covid, the Health & Safety Executive visited circa 1,700 engineering businesses and gained a deep insight into the state of UK engineering sector’s health and safety.

Given how much attention face masks were given thanks to the Covid pandemic, you would think that people who use masks professionally would know how to wear them but that’s not the case from what the HSE saw in the engineering frontline.

More often than not, the HSE inspectors saw people wearing masks which weren’t the right size, weren’t the right fit, leaked all around, didn’t take into consideration both facial hair and how long they were being worn.

Engineers - and those responsible for their safety – thought it was OK to wear a mask for an entire job, no matter how long that job took ie several hours. A mask’s effectiveness decays fast once it becomes water-logged with condensation after prolonged wear. Masks need to be regularly refreshed to work efficiently.

Why so many masks are wrong

“There’s a hierarchy of control and respiratory control is at the bottom of that list, which means that your mask and other PPE is your last line of defence,” says Mark Smith of Simon Safety, which is a registered member of the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and the Registered Safety Suppliers Scheme (RSSS).

“As soon as a toxin is inhaled, it’s in your system because that’s how breathing works.

“And if a mask doesn’t fit someone’s face - and we’re all different – it’s never going to protect you.”

Getting masks fit for purpose

In a Hazardous Engineering Solutions exclusive, Simon Safety shares a simple guide to help you stay safe – both employee and employer – if you follow four steps:

• Get the right mask.
• Fit the mask and train.
• Maintain the mask.
• Regularly review.

Step 1: Get the right mask

The right mask is the mask you’ve identified which meets your needs through a risk assessment.

Type of mask:

• Disposable half masks.
• Reusable half mask.
• Full face masks.
• Powered air purifying respirators (PAPR).
• Breathing apparatus.

What’s right for the worker and their:

• Type of task.
• Face shape.
• Physical build.
• Facial features eg scars/warts.
• Facial hair (only certain equipment will work with beards).

Does the mask need to work with:

• Prescription spectacles (it’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure the operator’s spectacles fit inside the mask).
• Eye protection.
• Ear defenders.
• Helmet/other head protection.

When several vulnerabilities need PPE – e.g. eyes, ears, head and respiratory – combined protection is best because it’s easier and faster to use which aids productivity. Where a combination of different items of PPE is used, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the combination is effective.

What’s right for the work environment:

• Duration of task e.g. how long will the task take? If the task involves wearing a close-fitting mask, the worker should take a break at least every hour. Different PPE is needed for day or night operation and inside or outside.
• Work rate - does the task involve movement/perspiration? That may mean the mask could loosen over time.
• Nature of the toxins – eg they may be flammable, explosive, aerosol, vapour, dust etc.

Your compliance obligations:

1. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
2. Fit testing is referred to in HSG53 – the HSE’s guide for employers to know (pages 19/20) and table 20 lists what type of mask employees need to wear.
3. Fit testing brochure INDG479 – describes the methods you should use unless you have a process that’s as good or better. If you’re deviating from this guidance, you’ll need to prove good or better practice, which can be tricky so it’s usually best to stick to INDG479.

Step 2:  Fit the mask and train

A competent person must conduct the fit test.

Find out exactly how the HSE defines ‘competent’ on their website. It’s easier to prove that someone’s incompetent than to prove they are competent.

The HSE and the BSIF (British Safety Industry Federation) define ‘competence’ as an individual fit tester that has been accredited to the Fit2Fit scheme. Accredited testers have proven an extensive knowledge of respiratory protective equipment in conjunction with demonstrating a high level of competence in one or more of the accepted fit testing methods.

Quantitative test methods – eg in a lab test chamber or using a portable device, how effective is the mask at filtering contaminants? Does the performance comfortably exceed the minimum expected pass rate?

Qualitative test – eg wearing the mask under a testing hood, can you discern bitter vs sweet smell?

Step 3: Maintain the mask

• Every time you use it, check it over.
• Before every use, perform a ‘fit check’ as shown during your formal fit test.
• Closely inspect and keep a written record of the check at least once every month.

Step 4: Regularly review the mask and its fit

• A competent person must conduct tests.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Appropriate frequency: when a person’s face changes eg due to significant weight gain/loss or significant dental work.
• Recorded appropriately for the candidate’s training / HR records.
• Remind everyone of best practice of properly fitting masks on notice boards so malpractice can be called out.
• Review every one to two years to ensure all protection is suitable for the people and the environment.

Conclusion

In 2024, the Health & Safety at Work Act will be 50 years old.

The appeal from Mark Smith from Simon Safety: “We must all continue to learn from our mistakes if we’re to cut work-related respiratory illness and death in the hazardous engineering industry.

“Independent and authoritative research suggests if your average DIYer breathes in a small amount of spray-paint, two weekends a year, it might have no detrimental impact. But if you’re doing that every working day, it has a cumulative effect. Slow and incremental daily doses often lead to debilitating chronic, long-term health conditions or can be killers and contribute to premature death,” says Mark Smith of Simon Safety.

“Today’s filtering technology means respiratory masks efficiently trap and protect your lungs from the smallest particles providing they fit correctly.

“The mistakes made in the past – such as the tragedy of asbestos – were due to ignorance. But we now know better. The internet puts all the appropriate information at our fingertips. It’s criminal not to act on it,” says Mark

“If you’re concerned about face masks or other piece of PPE call 01646 600750 or visit website. Take advantage of our expertise and let’s make 2024 a reason for celebration of how far we’ve come rather than regret.”

“In 2019, 1,082 workers per 100,000 were diagnosed with a work-related, respiratory condition many of which could have been prevented by a properly fitted mask,” says Mark Smith, technical director of Simon Safety who is also an accredited face fit tester. “Ten years earlier (1999), that number was 3,418 so we’ve come a long way but 1,082 per thousand is still too many. The majority of those workers work in hazardous engineering environments.

“Whichever way you look at it, that number is unacceptable. It’s criminal that lives are still being lost and compromised by people’s work. It’s criminal that our health service is having to treat patients who have been made sick by their work. And it’s criminal that some employers are still not taking their responsibilities seriously enough and may end up in prison for that negligence,” says Mark Smith.

HSE now on the face mask case

During Covid, the Health & Safety Executive visited circa 1,700 engineering businesses and gained a deep insight into the state of UK engineering sector’s health and safety.

Given how much attention face masks were given thanks to the Covid pandemic, you would think that people who use masks professionally would know how to wear them but that’s not the case from what the HSE saw in the engineering frontline.

More often than not, the HSE inspectors saw people wearing masks which weren’t the right size, weren’t the right fit, leaked all around, didn’t take into consideration both facial hair and how long they were being worn.

Engineers - and those responsible for their safety – thought it was OK to wear a mask for an entire job, no matter how long that job took ie several hours. A mask’s effectiveness decays fast once it becomes water-logged with condensation after prolonged wear. Masks need to be regularly refreshed to work efficiently.

Why so many masks are wrong

“There’s a hierarchy of control and respiratory control is at the bottom of that list, which means that your mask and other PPE is your last line of defence,” says Mark Smith of Simon Safety, which is a registered member of the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and the Registered Safety Suppliers Scheme (RSSS).

“As soon as a toxin is inhaled, it’s in your system because that’s how breathing works.

“And if a mask doesn’t fit someone’s face - and we’re all different – it’s never going to protect you.”

Getting masks fit for purpose

In a Hazardous Engineering Solutions exclusive, Simon Safety shares a simple guide to help you stay safe – both employee and employer – if you follow four steps:

• Get the right mask.
• Fit the mask and train.
• Maintain the mask.
• Regularly review.

Step 1: Get the right mask

The right mask is the mask you’ve identified which meets your needs through a risk assessment.

Type of mask:

• Disposable half masks.
• Reusable half mask.
• Full face masks.
• Powered air purifying respirators (PAPR).
• Breathing apparatus.

What’s right for the worker and their:

• Type of task.
• Face shape.
• Physical build.
• Facial features eg scars/warts.
• Facial hair (only certain equipment will work with beards).

Does the mask need to work with:

• Prescription spectacles (it’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure the operator’s spectacles fit inside the mask).
• Eye protection.
• Ear defenders.
• Helmet/other head protection.

When several vulnerabilities need PPE – e.g. eyes, ears, head and respiratory – combined protection is best because it’s easier and faster to use which aids productivity. Where a combination of different items of PPE is used, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the combination is effective.

What’s right for the work environment:

• Duration of task e.g. how long will the task take? If the task involves wearing a close-fitting mask, the worker should take a break at least every hour. Different PPE is needed for day or night operation and inside or outside.
• Work rate - does the task involve movement/perspiration? That may mean the mask could loosen over time.
• Nature of the toxins – eg they may be flammable, explosive, aerosol, vapour, dust etc.

Your compliance obligations:

1. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
2. Fit testing is referred to in HSG53 – the HSE’s guide for employers to know (pages 19/20) and table 20 lists what type of mask employees need to wear.
3. Fit testing brochure INDG479 – describes the methods you should use unless you have a process that’s as good or better. If you’re deviating from this guidance, you’ll need to prove good or better practice, which can be tricky so it’s usually best to stick to INDG479.

Step 2:  Fit the mask and train

A competent person must conduct the fit test.

Find out exactly how the HSE defines ‘competent’ on their website. It’s easier to prove that someone’s incompetent than to prove they are competent.

The HSE and the BSIF (British Safety Industry Federation) define ‘competence’ as an individual fit tester that has been accredited to the Fit2Fit scheme. Accredited testers have proven an extensive knowledge of respiratory protective equipment in conjunction with demonstrating a high level of competence in one or more of the accepted fit testing methods.

Quantitative test methods – eg in a lab test chamber or using a portable device, how effective is the mask at filtering contaminants? Does the performance comfortably exceed the minimum expected pass rate?

Qualitative test – eg wearing the mask under a testing hood, can you discern bitter vs sweet smell?

Step 3: Maintain the mask

• Every time you use it, check it over.
• Before every use, perform a ‘fit check’ as shown during your formal fit test.
• Closely inspect and keep a written record of the check at least once every month.

Step 4: Regularly review the mask and its fit

• A competent person must conduct tests.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Appropriate frequency: when a person’s face changes eg due to significant weight gain/loss or significant dental work.
• Recorded appropriately for the candidate’s training / HR records.
• Remind everyone of best practice of properly fitting masks on notice boards so malpractice can be called out.
• Review every one to two years to ensure all protection is suitable for the people and the environment.

Conclusion

In 2024, the Health & Safety at Work Act will be 50 years old.

The appeal from Mark Smith from Simon Safety: “We must all continue to learn from our mistakes if we’re to cut work-related respiratory illness and death in the hazardous engineering industry.

“Independent and authoritative research suggests if your average DIYer breathes in a small amount of spray-paint, two weekends a year, it might have no detrimental impact. But if you’re doing that every working day, it has a cumulative effect. Slow and incremental daily doses often lead to debilitating chronic, long-term health conditions or can be killers and contribute to premature death,” says Mark Smith of Simon Safety.

“Today’s filtering technology means respiratory masks efficiently trap and protect your lungs from the smallest particles providing they fit correctly.

“The mistakes made in the past – such as the tragedy of asbestos – were due to ignorance. But we now know better. The internet puts all the appropriate information at our fingertips. It’s criminal not to act on it,” says Mark

“If you’re concerned about face masks or other piece of PPE call 01646 600750 or visit website. Take advantage of our expertise and let’s make 2024 a reason for celebration of how far we’ve come rather than regret.”

Hazards 32
18–20 October 2022, Harrogate, UK

The Institution of Chemical Engineers’ (IChemE) annual Hazards conference returns in person this year, taking place in Harrogate, UK on 18–20 October.

Hazards 32 will help to advance the understanding of and application of managing major hazards and provide valuable networking opportunities. This industry-focused event is aimed at anyone who is active in process safety and hazard management for chemical process facilities or other facilities dealing with hazardous materials, at all levels and in all sectors.

What to expect from Hazards 32

The programme features over 80 technical presentations from industry practitioners, researchers and regulators covering a wide range of topics in the functional areas that are key to managing and reducing process safety risk effectively. Presentations will share examples of good practice, new approaches and valuable lessons learned in process safety and hazard management that attendees can transfer to their own operations, as well as exploring the emerging challenges and major hazard implications of new technologies and applications. There will also be a workshop on bowties delivered by Gold Sponsor, Wolters Kluwer.

Facilitated discussion time has been built into the programme to encourage attendees to share experiences and learn from each other, whilst helping to identify the common issues facing industry practitioners. There will also be a panel discussion where attendees can share their thoughts on meeting the major process safety challenges in industry.

Speaker line-up

The programme includes contributions from key international players in the process industries including Atkins, DEKRA, INEOS, Sellafield Ltd, Shell, the Health and Safety Executive, Wood and many, many more.

The technical presentations will be complemented by an impressive line-up of plenary speakers. Dame Judith Hackitt will speak on the challenges of learning lessons in the industry and the importance of ethics in engineering during a lecture created to honour the memory of process safety pioneer, Trevor Kletz. Joining Hackitt are various leaders within the major hazards industry. Jane Lassey, Director of the Health and Safety Executive’s Chemicals, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division, and Michelle Roberson, General Manager, Process Safety at Shell, US will explore the emerging challenges in hazard management; Lassey from a regulatory perspective, and Roberson from the viewpoint of the operator making the energy transition. The Tank Storage Association’s Executive Director, Peter Davidson, will present on the role of leadership in managing major hazards. Jasper Clark, Risk Engineering Hub Leader at Marsh Energy & Power, will share insights from an insurance industry perspective on turning good practice into common practice. And the Chemical Industry Association’s Chief Executive, Steve Elliott, will present on the importance of cross-sector learning.

Trade exhibition and industry support

A trade exhibition will run alongside the conference, showcasing products and services to support the major hazards community. Several leading companies in the industry are sponsoring Hazards 32 including Wolters Kluwer, BakerRisk, ESR Technology, MES and ABS Group. There are more packages available to suit all budgets, and companies interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at Hazards 32 can learn about the opportunities that are available on the event website.

Networking opportunities

Hazards was last held in-person in May 2019. Virtual conferences have continued to facilitate knowledge-transfer and learning since, but they couldn’t replicate the valuable networking opportunities available at an in-person event. This year’s in-person event offers the chance for the major hazards community to rebuild networks and make new contacts, with plenty of social and networking time built into the programme.

To view the Hazards 32 programme and register to attend on 18–20 October, visit www.icheme.org/hazards32

Midas Safety, the safety solutions company, has today published its first sustainability report for the year 2021, which documents its progress towards better management of its economic, environmental and social impacts and commitment to “Making Safety Sustainable”.

Please click the link to read the report

When the time comes to purchase safety lighting, it is vital to understand the difference between Explosion-Proof (Ex) and Intrinsically Safe (IS) lighting products. 

What does Explosion-Proof mean?

EX and IS equipment are both certified by nationally recognized testing laboratories for use in hazardous areas, but there are some key differences. EX lighting is typically built using heavy enclosures made from rugged materials such as stainless steel or aluminum alloys, and EX equipment is designed to both contain an explosion and survive an explosion. 

What does Intrinsically Safe mean?

IS equipment is designed to prevent an explosion rather than contain it. It is light weight and limits the energy and temperature in the device to prevent it from producing a spark or reaching a temperature that could ignite a hazardous environment. Using the IS protection method is why these devices require much lower energy levels than EX-protected equipment.

IS and EX are often used interchangeably but are entirely different in how they work. EX contains the explosion and releases the resulting gases from the device at a safe temperature but IS devices reduce the risk of explosion by managing available energy, which eliminates sparks and thermal effects in a hazardous environment before they happen.

Other benefits of IS equipment are cost savings, reduced weight, and portability. The quality of IS equipment is vital in potentially explosive environments, and one must ensure their lighting is manufactured by a reputable company with documented experience in creating IS products. Because of the knowledge, time, and expense required to engineer and produce IS products, a very limited number of companies can achieve this.

Nightstick is a global manufacturer of IS portable LED lighting products that exceed industry standards in performance, quality, and user safety. From penlights to floodlights, above ground or below ground, Nightstick has you covered. Focus on completing your job with confidence, knowing your equipment was designed and rated for the highest safety levels.

When Life Depends on Light^TM, choose Nightstick! Visit nightstick.com for more information

DuPont (NYSE:DD) has partnered with a leading UK fashion design university to develop Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that is fit for today’s changing workforce. The collaboration between Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design and DuPont Personal Protection aims to innovate protective clothing in line with evolving worker needs. 

The demographic makeup of the workforce is evolving. The share of European women in employment rose from just over 58% in 2009 to over 64% ten years later,^[1] and is continuing to grow^[2]. The workforce is also undergoing demographic ageing (1 in 5 workers in the EU are over 55^[3]) and is becoming more diverse due to migration^[4]. These trends call for a new approach to PPE design that maximises variety, comfort, and ease of use. This is where DuPont’s collaboration with Heriot-Watt University comes in.

 “We are committed to continuing innovating our materials and PPE design to address the changing needs of workers around the world,” comments Valérie Pierret, Global Market Development Leader, DuPont Personal Protection. “We decided to join forces with one of the leading fashion and textile research institutions in Europe to bring new, disruptive ideas to our garment design process.” 

The project already generated over 500 pages filled with ideas, more than 20 prototype concepts and preliminary evaluations of the performance of the concepts.

The School of Textiles and Design, located in Galashiels (Scotland), is a centre of excellence for fashion, design and textiles that brings together talented students from across the globe.

The partnership between the School and DuPont paved the way for a new research project involving a group of around 20 students and led by industrial and fashion technology expert, Assistant Professor Bruce Munro Roberts.

“Working on this collaborative project with DuPont provided the BSc Fashion Technology students with real life industry experience,” comments Roberts. “The support for the students in terms of learning materials, sample PPE, fabrics and feedback exceeded our expectations, and overall, we were delighted to be working with this international company”.

DuPont provided the team with a thorough overview of its current solutions, relevant market information including voice of customer research findings and key regulatory requirements for PPE. With this information at hand, the students then received a detailed brief, including information on target applications, specific parameters for success, key requirements and desired deliverables.

The students quickly got up to speed with the subject and took inspiration from sportswear and outerwear to develop innovative PPE design solutions. 

“I was amazed by the volume and quality of the ideas the students were able to generate,” comments Pierret. “Despite the challenging task they faced, the students were able to think outside of the box while complying with the stringent requirements that PPE typically entails.”

A panel of DuPont experts reviewed the project and selected three concepts, which will be implemented in existing and new product designs. DuPont will continue collaborating with Heriot-Watt University on new design projects to continue innovating PPE.  

www.dupont.com

NIGHTSTICK ,

Life Depends on it 

EXPERT CONTENT SERIES 

Common Intrinsically Safe questions answered 

By Derek Box Marketing Manager of NightStick 

click the below for more Common Intrinsically Safe questions answered 

Nightstick Expert Content series

Carrying out inspections with testing equipment certified to a suitable protection level is crucial to ensuring the testing operation does not jeopardise the safety of hazardous environments. This article explains the key details to understand in regard to the correct equipment to use, and where.

Zones & Division

Under ATEX, IECEx and UKEX (to name but a few) Hazardous Areas that contain explosive gasses, must be identified and categorised into a Zone according to the severity of risk.

• Zone 0 for locations where the risk of explosion is permanent
• Zone 1 when the risk is likely to occur
• Zone 2 when the risk may occasionally occur

In North America, a two Division system is used,

• Division 1 = Zone 0 or Zone 1
• Division 2 = Zone 2

Equipment
All equipment taken into and used in these hazardous areas must be certified to a suitable equipment protection level (EPL) for that Zone. For example,

• Zone 0 requires the highest level of protection - “Ga”
• Zone 2 requires a lower level of protection - “Gc”

This equipment must be designed such that it cannot generate conditions that could ignite the explosive atmosphere, for example, by a spark or a hot surface.

Finally, this equipment must be inspected, tested, and certified safe by a notified body, and the equipment manufacturer must commit to regular audits to ensure product is being built to the certified design. Then the equipment may be marked with a ‘Ex’ Marking label showing its group, protection level and protection concept used.

Protection Concepts
Depending on the type of equipment there are various Protection Concepts used to design a product and obtain an ‘Ex’ certification.

Intrinsically Safe
For equipment that contains electronic components including batteries, the intrinsically safe protection concept ensures that under both normal use and with applied fault conditions, no arc or spark can be generated, and no component can heat up enough to cause an explosion.

Some intrinsically safe design criteria,

• The output energy at the terminals is limited so a spark cannot ignite an explosive atmosphere.
• The equipment must be anti-static and not be able to hold a static electricity charge.
• Voltages must be electrically ‘clamped’ to safe levels.
• The use of redundant safety components.
• If a battery or component fails, it should not produce high temperatures that could be incendiary.

In both IECEx, ATEX and North American systems, intrinsically safe equipment can be used in any Zone or Division with the correct equipment protection level.

Explosion-proof or Flame-proof
Explosion-proof is generally a North American term, but it has the same meaning as flame-proof as used by IECEx and ATEX.

This protection concept assumes that the surrounding explosive atmosphere can enter into the equipment enclosure and internal explosions are likely. The equipment enclosures are constructed in such a way that an internal ignition of a flammable atmosphere cannot get outside of the enclosure, thus preventing the ignition of surrounding flammables gasses. The enclosure effectively quenches the flame.

Under the IECEx and ATEX systems, flame-proof equipment cannot be used in Zone 0 areas, regardless of equipment protection level.

In North America, explosion-proof equipment may be used in both Division 1 and Division 2 areas with the correct equipment protection level.

Cygnus 1 Intrinsically Safe Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Cygnus 1 Intrinsically Safe ultrasonic thickness gauge is the only one of its kind in the world certified to Zone 0 for ATEX, IECEx and UKEx, and Class 1, Division 1 for CSA-US - specifically designed for measuring metal thickness to determine wastage or corrosion in Zone 0, Zone 1 hazardous and potentially explosive environments. This heavy-duty unit boasts an extremely rugged, dust-tight and splash-proof construction with IP65 rating. It is supplied ready to use and comes with two rechargeable battery packs, offering up to 12 hours continuous operation. NO plant shutdown or hot work permit is required.

Like all Cygnus gauges, Cygnus 1 employs the Multiple-Echo technique to read through coatings - giving accurate remaining metal thickness; and guaranteeing crucial savings in time and money as it eliminates the need to remove and re-apply coating. What’s more, it avoids the risk of exposing the material under test to further corrosion.

For more information visit www.cygnus-instruments.com, call +44 (0) 1305 265533 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Quote HES2022 fo­r 10% off a gauge.

It is essential when evaluating a vacuum cleaner for industrial and commercial cleaning tasks that consideration is given to the relevant hazards and that the equipment is therefore specified appropriately.

Hazards from dusts and spilled product fall in to two distinct categories; the first is dusts that are hazardous to health. This category includes obvious products like asbestos and silica dust, but any dust that can be breathed in by the operator or other personnel in the workplace is likely to be hazardous to health to a degree.

The second category is dusts that are hazardous in the environment. The obvious category is dusts that can potentially cause an explosive atmosphere, particularly organic products like sugar and flour. Some products fall in to both categories such as wood dusts, which are both hazardous to health and potentially explosive.

Selecting an appropriate Industrial Vacuum Cleaner requires consideration of the potential hazards which then informs the specification of the machine. BVC – British Vacuum Cleaners is the leading brand of British manufactured industrial vacuum cleaners. Manufactured by Quirepace in Fareham, the range includes both M-Class and H-Class machines for dusts hazardous to health and ATEX rated equipment suitable to operate in potentially explosive environments.

BVC equipment is manufactured to order to match the specific requirements of individual customers. One of the principal considerations is the choice of filter material used for the primary filter. This can be constructed from several different materials including PTFE coated, fire resistant and anti-static materials in addition to standard filter materials. Within machines designed to recover hazardous materials there is always a second stage filter, usually a 3^rd stage filter, and sometimes a 4^th stage filter, with each stage designed for a specific purpose to ensure the hazardous product is collected safely and that the exhaust air is as clean as possible.

The range of BVC Industrial Vacuum Cleaners extends from 1kW single phase units to 15kW 3 phase machines. In addition Quirepace supply both compressed air and petrol/diesel powered units. The smaller machines in the range; the IV40 and IV60, are both available as several different versions rated as either M/H Class or ATEX, or indeed both, for when dusts are both hazardous and require rating for ATEX rated environments.

The standards that describe the specifications to conform to M/H Class are not appropriate for the largest machines in the BVC range; the Ti60 and Ti80 Centurions. These machines, typically with 4-15kW 3 phase multistage exhausters are available in ATEX versions, and can also be supplied with HEPA filtration to a similar specification to M/H Class units. Again, machines can be configured with filtration against dusts hazardous to health and with specifications suitable for ATEX rated environments.

The choices available to the potential customer are not just related to the specification of the vacuum cleaner itself; the specification of the hoses and tools must also be considered to ensure that they are appropriate for the use the machines will be put to.

Quirepace’s extensive knowledge combined with our experienced sales team, UK manufacture, and local service and spares support, means that BVC UK manufactured Industrial Vacuum Cleaners, with their 5 year parts warranty, deliver excellent durability and value for money in the industrial environment.

In addition to portable equipment, Quirepace also design and install fixed installations for Central Vacuum Cleaning, where multiple outlets are served by central plant through a network of fixed pipework.

Contact us today to arrange an initial consultation meeting.

www.quirepace.co.uk www.bvc.co.uk
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
023 9260 3700

For smart devices, use in the oil industry, for example on an offshore oil platform, represents a real endurance test. The Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments subjected the Visor-Ex® 01, the first system consisting of smart glasses and smartphone certified for use in hazardous areas, to this endurance test during its development phase. The practical test reveals great potential for rollout in future applications.

Inhospitable environmental conditions, confined spaces and limited WLAN connectivity – the offshore oil and gas industry with its remote drilling rigs is not the easiest place for digitalization. The stringent requirements for hazardous areas further restrict the choice of smart devices that can be used. This is a reason why, up to now, the staff on oil platforms often works with pen and paper. For example, to provisionally document inspection results before manually transferring the data to digital files at a computer desk. For mobile workers, this practice is associated with traversing long distances along the multilevel oil platforms. So, there is great efficiency potential waiting to be tapped in the oil and gas industry, particularly in the area of knowledge management.

Smart devices for extreme conditions

Another special feature of drilling rigs is that the hazardous areas can change depending on current conditions. So the highest level of protection is essential for the equipment used. Since crews on an oil platform should be kept to a minimum for safety, cost and time reasons, remote support solutions for maintenance and repair are becoming increasingly attractive. Currently, oil and gas Industry is looking for suitable digitization solutions to ensure real-time knowledge transfer for employees and to accelerate the first-time fix. With up to 10,000 maintenance activities per month on the oil platform, streamlined processes are a significant factor to ensure efficiency.

That's why a company in the oil and gas value chain started its search for suitable smart devices to help digitize processes. In addition to remote support, the most important application scenarios included data harvesting, for example during inspections or for the upcoming general storage system overhaul. Potential devices had to meet a number of requirements in order to make it on the shortlist. Wearables were of interest because they allow hands-free work – this is essential, since mobile workers must be able to safely navigate long distances along steep staircases. Global certifications such as ATEX or IECEx are mandatory to enable safe use. In addition, the devices had to be comfortable to wear, i.e. not too heavy or bulky.

Visor-Ex® 01 smart glasses in a practical test

The company also subjected the explosion-proof Visor-Ex® 01 smart glasses from the Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments to an extensive practical test on a drilling rig. The lightweight wearable (180 g) combines high camera quality and reliable communication features in an ergonomic design. Coupled with the intrinsically safe smartphone ECOM Smart-Ex® 02 as computing unit with reliable LTE connectivity and a pocket device with replaceable battery for power supply, the smart glasses become part of an intelligent ecosystem. A total of three integrated and suitably positioned cameras transform the Visor-Ex® 01 smart glasses into a bionic eye, with the help of which remote support workers can observe the situation from a natural perspective and an unrestricted field of vision. All these features help to implement remote support scenarios without unnecessary complication, even under challenging environmental conditions. During the field test, the company was in close contact with the development team at ECOM Instruments, and the feedback contributed the smart glasses development.

Experience and future application scenarios

Visor-Ex® 01 was able to demonstrate its strengths during the field test, particularly in the area of data harvesting. With the help of cameras and image processing, QR codes from devices and machines can be read to gain access to sensor data such as pump pressure. This opens up a wide range of possible IoT application scenarios. But smart glasses are already scoring points because they improve the documentation of incidents not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively. Mobile workers can not only note down the causes of malfunctions, but also enrich the information with photos or video recordings. The digitized information can then also be shared with external support experts or employees on other rigs or at the company's headquarters – for comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge management. They also don't have to rush from the scene back to the computer or decipher handwritten notes.

The freedom of movement and vision that mobile workers gain from using smart glasses proved to be one of the other advantages. Because their hands are free, employees can move safely and freely up and down the stairs of the multilevel rig while fully concentrating on their task. Furthermore, they can make all the configurations they need on the associated smartphone and use the smart glasses as an optional augmented reality layer. When not in use, users can conveniently fold the OLED display of the Visor-Ex® 01 out of their field of vision and gain an unobstructed view of analogue reality.

Overall, the testing company attests the Visor-Ex® 01's versatility and good usability, even at the prototype stage; the intuitive operation was particularly emphasized. In the short term, the most obvious use scenario for the smart glasses is remote support during inspection and maintenance.

The stable LTE connectivity of the ECOM devices facilitates communication with external experts. This point is particularly worth emphasizing, since WLAN cannot be relied upon in every area of a drilling rig. In the medium term, the augmented reality functions could also significantly facilitate the onboarding of new specialists on the drilling rig. During a tour of the most important areas, for example, the relevant information or efficient routes could be shown on the OLED display of the Visor-Ex® 01 – or a connected expert could communicate via the integrated loudspeaker and describe what to look out for in certain areas. The ability to retrieve data quickly and easily from various sources (data harvesting) lays the foundation for sophisticated application scenarios for smart glasses.

Short portrait ECOM Instruments

The Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments is one of the top addresses internationally for holistic solutions for mobile computing and industrial communication in potentially explosive atmospheres. As an industry pioneer, ECOM has played a key role in the development of explosion protection for mobile devices since 1986 and has demonstrated its technological expertise with a large number of innovations. ECOM is the preferred brand for explosion-protected mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, wearables as well as peripherals that meet the highest requirements in industrial use. As part of the Pepperl+Fuchs Group, technology leader for industrial sensor technology and intrinsically safe explosion protection, customers benefit from a seamless portfolio with technologies for conventional and Industry 4.0 applications.

In the five core disciplines of mobile computing, communication, digital products and services, measurement and calibration technology and mobile luminaires, ECOM offers an enormous variety of innovative and field-proven mobile solutions, peripherals, services and intelligent software. Each individual solution combines uncompromising safety with maximum functionality - with all the necessary approvals and certificates for the specific application. Worldwide support, with service centres in Germany, the USA, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, rounds off the range.

For more information on ECOM, please visit: www.ecom-ex.com and www.pepperl-fuchs.com