News

In alignment with Scottish Government guidance on the coronavirus situation, the organisers of SPE Offshore Europe have made the difficult decision to postpone the event on 1-4 February 2022 at P&J Live, Aberdeen.

Jonathan Heastie, Portfolio Director – Energy & Marine at RX (Reed Exhibitions), co-organiser with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) of SPE Offshore Europe said: “The health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees and staff is our priority. We were excited for the return of SPE Offshore Europe to Aberdeen in February 2022, but it is clear that it would not be in the best health and safety interests of our community to go ahead. The decision is made with a heavy heart and thanks for the wonderful support from exhibitors and all those who had been working so hard to make the show a success. The full conference and exhibition will be postponed to 5-8 September 2023.

“It is a complex process to postpone such a large event and we will be in touch directly with our exhibitors and stakeholders in  the coming days. Bookings for exhibition space for February 2022 will be guaranteed for September 2023.”

Mr Heastie signalled that a smaller, themed event may be staged later in 2022 if industry demand is sufficient: “We will have discussions with industry and our stakeholders about the possibility of holding an event focused on the energy transition in Aberdeen later in 2022. This would build on the extensive, high-quality content that we had lined up for February to support a fair energy transition.”

www.offshore-europe.co.uk

Local manufacturer Pratley has a range of products capable of supporting the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy, especially in terms of infrastructure development and energy savings, notes Marketing Director Eldon Kruger. These include Pratliperl®, an aggregate for plaster and screeds that can assist the construction industry in meeting quality standards such as SANS 204, which specifies the design requirements for energy efficiency in buildings. The product is a perlite-based, lightweight, thermally insulating and fireproof cement aggregate that is used instead of ordinary building sand.

Unlike ordinary Perlite, Pratliperl® is unique in that it is ideal for use with cement. This is because, unlike traditionally brittle and friable Perlites, Pratliperl® has a strong surface structure. “The end result is a unique, eco-friendly, and lightweight building material that is both fireproof and thermally-insulating,” comments Kruger.

During processing, Perlite ore is crushed to sugar-grain size and passed through a specially developed furnace. The perlite grains soften as a result, and the water trapped within their structure turns to steam, which escapes by diffusion. These grains, in turn, expand or inflate into a multitude of well-sealed lightweight glass beads with a vacuum inside. Expanded Pratliperl® is best described as comprising millions of tiny ‘vacuum flasks’, hence its unrivalled insulating and fireproofing properties.

Pratliperl® has a conductivity (K) value in a loose state of 0.05 W/mK, which is 20x more than ordinary sand. This property is derived from the low density and the ‘vacuum flask’ structure of the Pratliperl® beads. A mere 16 mm of Pratliperl® plaster on each side provides the same thermal insulation as a double-brick (220-mm-thick) wall, essentially meaning that the wall’s thermal insulation is doubled. “This incredible insulation value means architects have peace of mind that they can comfortably comply with energy-saving regulations such as SANS 204,” stresses Kruger.

The loose density of Pratliperl® is about 100 kg/m³. When mixed with cement, the practical concrete densities range from 300 kg/m³ to 1 100 kg/m³, depending on the mix, which is essentially concrete that floats on water. In addition to the almost refractory melting temperature of 1 250°, Pratliperl® concrete also maintains its high-temperature structural integrity due to its incredible thermal insulation.

The latter ensures a very high thermal gradient on the heated surface during fire conditions, resulting in low temperatures immediately below the surface.  A mere 30-mm-thick Pratliperl® plaster will assure a fire rating of two hours and will release no smoke or fumes during a fire, giving it a distinct advantage over expanded polystyrene-based insulation products that may give off harmful fumes.

Pratliperl® concrete does not rely on air entrainment, and can be cured under any vibratory conditions. Once cured, it exhibits superior strength when compared to other lightweight concretes. The strength varies with density, but a practical strength from 1 MPa up to 15 MPa is possible. This far exceeds the strength of aerated or other similar light weight concretes of a similar density.

Applications for Pratliperl® range from plaster (internal and external thermal insulation) to lightweight floors for high-rise buildings, roof decks, fire barriers, precast mouldings, fireproofing for tunnels in mines, screeds, bathtubs, underfloor heating, tile adhesive filler, bricks and boards, pizza ovens, cryogenic tanks, loose-fill, a paint texturing agent, aggregate for refractory cements and as an insulating surface for molten metal.

www.pratleyminerals.com

UK Safety Expert advises on managing workers comfort in winter

When workers are uncomfortably wet, cold or hot, it’s not only a wellbeing issue, but a safety risk. Arco, the UK’s leading health and safety expert, has launched a campaign to help workers and business owners to understand the critical factors that impact thermal comfort and compromise safety.

As we move into the winter season, people who spend time working outdoors will face freezing temperatures, heavy rain and strong winds which can cause irrational or unsafe behaviour as ill-equipped employees can make mistakes and take shortcuts to avoid being exposed. Studies show that accidents can increase by up to 35% as a result so it’s essential that employers ensure workers are protected from the effects of working outdoors, in order to prevent cold stress and cold related injuries. To support, Arco has created an expert advice page, where you can access guidance, download material or explore their range of winter clothing.

Individual needs

Thermal comfort is affected by many factors, some environmental and some of them personal to individuals. A person’s physical characteristics should always be considered when reviewing thermal comfort; factors such as their size and weight, age, physical fitness level and gender can have an impact on how they feel, even if environmental factors such as air temperature and humidity are constant. For instance, some people may feel uncomfortable carrying out the same task as others in the same environment. This means workers will need to be able to adapt what they wear to achieve their own optimum level of thermal comfort.

The Layers

Wearing layers is the perfect way to ensure outdoor clothing is suitable for the conditions.  A breathable base layer sits next to the skin and wicks away moisture keeping the body warm and dry. A mid layer, known as the ‘insulating layer’ should provide warmth. This layer should be fitted to allow minimum air movement, which ensures that maximum heat is retained, while still letting perspiration escape from the base layer. Workers undertaking high aerobic activities may only need a base layer and outer layer if the weather is bad as they will be generating a high level of warmth, but they may still need a warmth layer for periods of rest.

An outer layer is the shield against wind, rain and abrasion. Employers need to ensure this layer is fully waterproof, windproof, breathable and durable. This includes hazard protective clothing, such as high-visibility jackets and over trousers, which should be worn when hazardous environments or situations arise. The wearer should also look for an outer layer that is breathable enough for their chosen activity, so they don’t overheat. Comfortable workers can stay outside longer and work safely.

Arco’s outdoor clothing range provides a high-quality selection of outer coats and jackets, mid-layers including fleeces, bomber jackets and softshell jackets, specifically for the winter months. For more information on these products and to download Arco’s free expert resources, visit Arco’s expert advice page on winter weatherwear.

About Arco: What they do and how they’re different

Arco is the UK’s leading safety products and services company. Its core purpose is to keep people safe at work. It distributes a world-class range of over 170,000 quality assured, branded and own brand products, including personal protective equipment, workwear, safety footwear, gloves, workplace safety and hygiene products. It is unique.

Arco Professional Safety Services provide consultancy, training, services and equipment to manage the most complex and high-risk, high hazard scenarios. Specialising in working at height, confined space and respiratory management, they deliver solutions for those working in situations with the highest risk of serious injury or irreversible damage to health.

Headquartered in Hull, Arco reaches its customers through its extensive product catalogue, website and national network of retail stores. The company has sales of over £320m and employs more than 1600 people nationwide. Its 400,000 sqft National Distribution Centre distributes products to 25k customers in the UK and Ireland, dispatching 150 pallets and 8000 parcels a day. Arco makes it easy for customers to procure and issue PPE with services such as digital procurement, vending, a mobile issue unit, wearer packing and branded workwear from their in-house Clothing Centre based in Preston.

As the market leader, Arco is committed to helping shape the UK’s safety agenda in order to ensure workers go home safe every night. Through an extensive public affairs programme, Arco experts have contributed to some of the key debates on health and safety regulation, product quality and standards, PPE procurement and emergency planning.

Arco is committed to providing safety equipment that is genuine and compliant with relevant standards and regulations, Arco tests both its own product range as well as carrying out surveillance on other products in the market to ensure compliance. With a five-step product assurance process, Arco remains the only safety distributor with an independently accredited testing laboratory, this assisted by a team of specialists in their Xiamen, China office who support with sourcing, quality control and factory inspections. Additionally, it is a member of the BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers Scheme, and Arco experts sit on numerous Standards Boards.

Arco was the first member within the H&S industry to join the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) incorporating its internationally recognised code of labour practice into its own ethical policy and in 2010 became a member of Sedex, the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange. To ensure ethical standards are met throughout its supply chain, Arco carries out regular independent supplier auditing. Working with the ETI and other regulatory bodies, the company plays a leading role in helping to educate and eliminate modern day slavery across the globe.

Principles of sustainable development have long been embedded in the way Arco does business. Arco’s Sustainability Action team has committed to ensuring the business behaves responsibly in all areas, investing significant time and resource to identify ways to reduce plastics, packaging and recycling.

Founded in 1884 and with a heritage spanning five generations, Arco demonstrates traditional family values and is dedicated to its Corporate Social Responsibility policy. Arco is committed to help keep communities safe, inspire young people to achieve their full potential and to enhance local life, making the communities they serve better places in which to live, work and invest. It does this through charity and community support, donating 1% of pre-tax profits each year. Arco also gives colleagues two days’ paid leave each year to volunteer in the community and the opportunity to partner with and sponsor community groups and charities, forming lasting relationships that support them in the vital services that they offer.

For more information, visit www.arco.co.uk

Winter is not the safest season. Slips & falls increase dramatically, especially when working outdoors, or simply walking to an office from the parking lot. When the cold and dark seem to conspire against health and safety, highlight your new safety communication to lower the risks. Discover safety solutions from Brady and make the winter safe!

Winterproof your safety signage

Discover safety identification solutions to support your Go for Zero programme throughout winter:

• clearly identify winter slip hazards and other risks on your premises, and easily guide employees, even in the dark, using ISO-compliant ultra-visible reflective signs with excellent outdoor reliability.
• easily apply reliable pipe markers to wet, rainy and cold outdoor pipe surfaces to make them compliant with any regulation or standard.
• quickly re-paint or create new, straight outdoor floor marking with PaintStripe stencils
• immediately highlight ice patches and other emerging winter hazards with outdoor safety cones and A-board floor stands

Snowball your safety messaging

While you can order any solution preprinted to your specifications, we can also offer full flexibility to get through winter. With the BBP37 Multicolour & Cut Sign & Label Printer at your premises, you can quickly update safety and facility identification to reduce risks.

• create reliable, industrial-grade outdoor safety signs, labels and pipe markers in any shape
• use in stand-alone mode, or add Brady Workstation apps to design an even wider range of signs, pipe markers and safety labels
• a few blank label supplies, requiring minimal storage space, can sustain your safety identification needs throughout winter

Make the winter safe with Brady >>

Brady Corporation

Tel: +44 (0) 1295 228 288

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.brady.co.uk

ASAP Innovations says demand for face masks and gloves is partly due to emergence of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus  

ASAP Innovations has reported a huge surge in demand for its PPE products, in particular gloves and face masks, partly due to rising concern about the Omicron variant of Coronavirus, but also citing other factors. At the same time, continuing issues affecting the global supply chain are causing shortages and price rises. 

 Adding to the demand is the recent mandate from the UK Government for face masks to be worn in most indoor environments, driven by the urge to keep retail and hospitality venues open and safe. 

 However, shortages of materials, such as nitrile, and rapidly rising cargo prices from China and Malaysia, are further compounded by exponential growth in demand for testing kits. 

TÜV SÜD improves efficiency and safety by deploying more than 100 RealWear HMT-1 Devices for remote inspections

RealWear, the world’s leading provider of assisted reality solutions for frontline industrial workers, today announced that TÜV SÜD, a trusted partner of choice for safety, security and sustainability solutions has deployed RealWear assisted reality devices across its nuclear business. The international company with its headquarters in Germany is using the devices, running remote expert support software oculavis SHARE to remotely test, inspect and certify technical systems, facilities and objects of all kinds to minimise hazards and prevent damages. 

The Nuclear Power and Decommissioning Business Line of TÜV SÜD, which has roughly 500 experts, has been providing support to the nuclear industry and innovating within the nuclear science field for more than 50 years. Under its remit, the division is tasked with inspecting the components for nuclear plants and its overall operations and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The division continually inspects power plants and facilities throughout their entire life cycle.

Winn & Coales International Ltd are proud to announce that the Marketing & Sales Director of Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd, Mr Andrew Stuart has been appointed to the IPLOCA Board of Directors.

IPLOCA, the International Pipe Line & Offshore Contractors Association has members in more than 40 countries, and represents around 250 of the key players in the onshore and offshore pipeline construction industry worldwide. IPLOCA is governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of 25 owners and senior executives of major pipeline contractors and service companies.

Mr Andrew Stuart joined the Winn & Coales International Group in 1990 at Denso South Africa (Pty) Ltd as a Production Manager in the factory. In 2015 he moved to the U.K. to take up the position of Export Sales Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. On the 1st of January 2021, Mr Stuart was appointed as the Marketing & Sales Director of Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd.

Mr Stuart stated, “It is a privilege to be elected to the IPLOCA Board, I am looking forward to representing the Associate Members and contributing to this prestigious association over the next two years.”

For more than 90 years, the Winn & Coales International Group of companies has been creating bespoke and off-the-shelf solutions that provide enduring protection against corrosion and chemical attack to buried and exposed pipes, valves, fittings, steelwork, marine structures, tanks, and concrete bunded areas.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish Mr Stuart every success in his new appointment.

 RealWear Navigator 500’s Slim, Lightweight, Rugged, and Modular Design, Stunning Camera, and Other Innovations Enhance Worker Safety, Comfort, Agility and Productivity.

Unique Next Generation Extended Reality Wearable Helps Industrial Companies Accelerate Adoption of Cloud-Based Remote Collaboration, Workflow, and AI Apps, Enabling a ‘New Way to Work’ in the Post-COVID Economy -- 

Category Pioneer RealWear Again Delivers on the Promise of Assisted Reality at Scale for Businesses as They Look Forward to a New Reality for Industrial Work –

RealWear, the leading provider of assisted reality solutions for frontline industrial workers, today unveiled RealWear Navigator™ 500, the next generation of the company’s industrial-strength wearables. Building on the global success of its flagship RealWear HMT-1™ head-mounted display, RealWear Navigator 500 represents a new family of assisted reality products for RealWear, with a new modular platform, improved user experience, and comfortable ergonomics that empower frontline workers to perform work tasks while keeping these workers’ hands and fields of view free to more safely perform tasks for longer amounts of time in the “new way to work” hybrid work environment. RealWear will be introducing RealWear Navigator 500 at a special interactive event today at 9:00am PT (join here).

Explosive atmospheres usually occur in process engineering plants such as silos, elevators, mixers, mills and conveyors. In the presence of effective internal or external ignition sources, there is a risk of explosion in the respective plant as well as a risk of propagating of the explosion into connected plant components. Explosion protection is concerned with reducing the effects of an explosion and is the central, most frequently applied explosion protection concept. The explosion protective measures include conventional explosion venting using explosion vents, flameless venting, explosion isolation and explosion suppression. But which protective measure is applied to which plant component?

Plant example 1: Filters

The risk of explosion is particularly high in filter systems. The very fine dust is distributed in the filter and can trigger an explosion if an ignition source is present. Filters indoors are therefore protected with flameless venting, filters outdoors with explosion vents. If there are traffic routes for people and vehicles in the vicinity of explosion venting, add-on modules for explosion vents such as the TARGO-VENT are used. TARGO-VENT limits the opening angle of the explosion vent and directs explosion pressure, flames and heat into defined areas. In this way, safety areas can be reduced.

Explosive atmospheres usually occur in process engineering plants such as silos, elevators, mixers, mills and conveyors. In the presence of effective internal or external ignition sources, there is a risk of explosion in the respective plant as well as a risk of propagating of the explosion into connected plant components. Explosion protection is concerned with reducing the effects of an explosion and is the central, most frequently applied explosion protection concept. The explosion protective measures include conventional explosion venting using explosion vents, flameless venting, explosion isolation and explosion suppression. But which protective measure is applied to which plant component?

Plant example 1: Filters

The risk of explosion is particularly high in filter systems. The very fine dust is distributed in the filter and can trigger an explosion if an ignition source is present. Filters indoors are therefore protected with flameless venting, filters outdoors with explosion vents. If there are traffic routes for people and vehicles in the vicinity of explosion venting, add-on modules for explosion vents such as the TARGO-VENT are used. TARGO-VENT limits the opening angle of the explosion vent and directs explosion pressure, flames and heat into defined areas. In this way, safety areas can be reduced.

Plant example 2: Spray dryers

Dust, which is often flammable, and oxygen are always stirred-up in spray dryers, whether in the food, chemical or pharmaceutical industry. The most frequent ignition sources in spray dryers are glowing embers, damage to rotary nozzles, hot bearings or sparks due to an imbalance.

Take particular care to protect yourself from “overengineering”. Which protection measure makes sense for your plant depends on the volume of the spray dryer to be protected, its respective installation site and strength.

Spray dryers are usually protected with a combination of explosion isolation systems and conventional venting using explosion vents. Flameless venting is used when free venting is not possible.

The special EGV HYP and ERO explosion vents are used in hygienically demanding processes. The connecting pipelines are usually isolated. The aim is to close these pipelines in the event of an explosion in order to prevent the propagation of pressure and flames and thus protect adjacent plant components.

Plant example 3: Conveyors such as elevators

There are various venting options for the wide range of conveyors. Due to the functional and design-based conditions, elevators represent a special source of danger. Conveying a large amount of (combustible) bulk material carries a high risk of explosion. As with the previously mentioned plants, the elevator legs are usually protected outdoors with explosion vents and indoors with the REMBE Q-Box or the REMBE Q-Ball.

Depending on the conditions at the installation site, a combination of conventional and flameless venting can also be the right safety concept. Quench valves can be installed to prevent explosion propagation via connected aspiration lines. The REMBE Q-Bic extinguishing barrier is usually used to isolate the conveyors upstream or downstream.

Plant example 4: Silos

Silos, in particular, are critical plant components when it comes to explosion protection. An explosive dust-air mixture prevails when filling a silo.

If it is not possible to exclude all potential ignition sources, silos must be protected constructively. Outdoors, silos are generally vented with explosion vents – different types can be used depending on the type of filling. Indoors, the REMBE Q-Box or the REMBE Q-Rohr will be installed for flameless venting.

As a rule, explosion isolation is implemented using quench valves. These completely close the pipelines within a few milliseconds; the explosion cannot propagate further.

Conclusion: The explosion protection concept can only be safe and economical if the entire system is observed and the individual protective measures are coordinated. This requires a systematic approach as well as observance of system-specific boundary conditions and knowledge of methods for assessing safety-related parameters.

www.rembe.de

Visualisation of safety-relevant faults in the control room are only half the battle. In order to appropriately react to such faults, pre-defined counter measures have to be initiated – what sounds simple is a true challenge for plant operators in practice. Although protective systems and plant components react autonomously, the right behavior of employees in critical situations is mandatory. Given the risk of human error, the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit was developed and launched:

Similar to a process control system, the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit offers an overview of all relevant protective and equipment system status, which can also be monitored in real time from any location remotely via smart phone. However, in addition to the PLC, detailed and automatic and semi-automatic action plans can be linked and initiated: In case of an event in a certain area, sending an email or an SMS to a pre-defined distribution group can be automated to bring the incident to their attention. Such a scenario could for example be, that in the event of an explosion the responsible safety officer might be informed by text message via his service phone, the surveillance cameras in the affected area could be activated or set to a different mode and the management would receive an email. Nevertheless, more importantly, the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit guides the logged in user through the pre-defined plan of action.

Forced guidance thereby would ensure that all desired and necessary process steps are followed in the event of a disruption. Those applications and process scenarios of the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit can be individually configured for each plant; both analog and digital signals can be processed. In addition to the REMBE autonomous protective systems, GreCon spark extinguishing systems, camera systems or even fire detectors and other plant components can be combined and connected to the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit.

Learnings from incidents and systematic root cause analysis are subject to be implemented in improved safety concepts. REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit supports as all data recorded during the emergency plan are compiled and archived in a comprehensive log. This data can be practically expended or adjusted via the various end devices. When the location of the accident is inspected, photos can be conveniently taken and loaded into the log (via app) for subsequent evaluation.

In the end, this means, that all conventional autonomous protective systems from REMBE have become smarter without sacrificing their actual strength, the fast and reliable function.

In the age of digitization, it is just as important to ensure a fast response time and the resulting high availability. The REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit also enables optimal integration of other interfaces through the individually coordinated visualization of each process. Faults or, in the worst case, explosions not only require a regulated emergency plan, but also a predictive maintenance that is not only possible through the pure workforce of the employee on site. By detecting the operationally relevant components such as explosion vents, quench valves for explosion protection or pyrolysis gas and fire detectors or grounding systems for explosion prevention, all these can be registered and connected to a material management system.

With the GSME and HotSpot detectors from REMBE, an artificial intelligence has been created that detects fire and explosion events at an early stage. The GSME detector is an artificial nose, "trained" for pyrolysis - popularly known as smoldering gases, while the HotSpot detector represents an artificial eye that already detects surface temperature changes of 1 ° C.

Connected to the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit, the two explosion prevention systems can evaluate changes in state and bring the system into a safe state either automatically or via precise instructions to the operator.

If an event, such as an explosion occurs, the system recognizes which areas are affected and provides information about which spare parts are required in order to restore the system to a safe state as quickly as possible. These functions can be submitted in the operator's system as a "suggestion" or sent directly to the manufacturer as a non-binding request. This creates the option to reduce, the time of plant downtime.

In a nutshell: REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit is nothing else than a smart home control or driver assistance system in the automotive industry. Those are used to improve the efficiency and safety of driving a car and enable, in the right mix of auxiliary sensors and smart detectors, autonomous driving.  Staying in that picture, simply spoken, REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit, such as an driver assistance system for plants will allow autonomous operation and push safety and efficiency to the highest possible level in the industry 4.0.

www.rembe.de