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The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) is a pivotal UK regulation overseeing the management, storage and disposal of dangerous substances. In sectors like engineering and manufacturing where chemicals and hazardous materials are frequently used, adhering to COSHH isn't just a legal requirement but crucial for safe and efficient operations.

This piece looks into COSHH, shedding light on its critical role in the engineering and manufacturing industries, and how abiding by these rules influences the safety and prosperity of businesses in these sectors.

Duties of employers

COSHH rules aim to protect both individuals and the environment from potential dangers posed by hazardous substances. These rules set clear standards for risk evaluation, the introduction of control strategies and the provision of adequate training and emergency preparedness. Following these regulations isn't just about legal compliance but also embodies responsible business conduct.

Employers are tasked with executing detailed risk evaluations to pinpoint potential dangers, introducing suitable control strategies to lessen risks, offering extensive training to their workforce and setting up solid emergency protocols.

Why adhering to COSHH matters

The possible risks and repercussions of neglecting COSHH are grave, spanning from health threats to workers due to exposure to harmful agents, to legal sanctions and even potential harm to machinery and the environment. Given the complex nature of engineering and manufacturing operations, which often involve substances that can be disastrous if mismanaged, COSHH compliance becomes an essential facet of operational soundness.

COSHH in the engineering and manufacturing sectors demands a pragmatic and systematic strategy. This encompasses correct storage - COSHH cabinets - accurate labelling, proper disposal techniques for dangerous substances, routine checks and updates of control methods, and continuous staff training.

By adhering to these regulations, businesses ensure the implementation of adequate safety protocols. For instance, in a factory utilising toxic chemicals, abiding by COSHH directives guarantees the installation of effective ventilation, safety gear and correct handling procedures. This not only reduces accident risks but also creates a safer workspace for the workforce.

COSHH adherence also holds weight in shaping a company's image. Firms recognised for their dedication to safety regulations, COSHH included, may draw and retain more clients and employees. In sectors like car manufacturing, meeting safety benchmarks often becomes a pivotal criterion in clinching deals with top brands, highlighting how COSHH compliance can boost a firm's market position.

Environmental conservation is another domain where COSHH plays a pivotal role. The disposal and containment methods outlined by COSHH prevent hazardous agents from polluting the environment. A case in point is a chemical engineering firm that adopted a COSHH-aligned waste management system, thereby curtailing environmental pollution risks.

While introducing COSHH in engineering and manufacturing can be challenging, given the intricacies of risk evaluations for diverse substances, the necessity for specialised training and the costs tied to compliance, these hurdles can be navigated with meticulous planning, expert collaboration and a dedication to ongoing enhancement and industry best practices.

Upholding COSHH compliance in operations

Grasping and abiding by COSHH is indispensable for the engineering and manufacturing sectors. It's a linchpin of ethical business operations, protecting workers, the environment and the enterprise itself. Whether you're an employer, a supervisor, or a worker in these fields, a profound understanding of COSHH is paramount. It guarantees not just legal adherence but also the thriving and sustainable functioning of the enterprise.

Having just spent a week at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen and a week at the Global IECEX Conference in Edinburgh there is no doubt ‘Hydrogen’ is firmly on everyone’s agenda…. Apparently, the future is ‘Hydrogen’!

People who have been working in or around potentially explosive atmospheres will be aware that Hydrogen is nothing new…its just another ‘IIC’ Gas and we have been classifying hydrogen zones and certifying equipment for hydrogen environments for 30+ years. The use of Hydrogen isn’t new, but the number of areas that will be classified as IIC is increasing dramatically.

So- what is special about Hydrogen? Below is a very simplified list (I have tried to be as non-technical as possible!) just to make people aware of some of the issues with Hydrogen that may affect risk assessment, area classification or product certication.

• It’s very light, can pocket in ceilings and high areas. Gas detection positioning may be affected.
• It can leak more easily than other gases if not properly sealed and may cause embrittlement and other issues
• It is very easy to ignite with energy/sparks (very susceptible to static ignition for example)
• It has a very wide flammable range so mor of the ‘leak’ will be ignitable.
• It is very volatile (can detonate even in open air, produces very high pressures etc.)

Given this list, it’s fair to say that Hydrogen presents more of a ‘risk’ (in terms of both likelihood of ignition and consequence) than most other gasses, but that existing systems (ATEX, IECEX etc.) already take account of this for IIC Gasses.

There are also many new technical working groups working on Hydrogen specific standards, hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen dispenser for example. In addition to new types of equipment there are many new retrofit issues (hydrogen generators forklift trucks etc.) which will have a knock on effect to the installed equipment.

Sites or processes that introduce Hydrogen as a new gas will need to reconsider the consequence analysis, classification and equipment EPLS as a minimum, even issues such as antistatic PPE may need to be considered.

 Given that the use of Hydrogen is increasing dramatically, Certification Bodies will no doubt get more requests for IIC Certification. Equipment Manufacturers will need to be aware that in some case (intrinsic safety, flameproof etc.) Hydrogen certication can be far more difficult (or even not possible) for some types of equipment, so start early if you think you will be involved in the Hydrogen boom!

This article was written by Sean Clarke @  Exveritas

A key focus for EEMUA is helping owners and operators of industrial assets to avoid damaging and costly incidents – by providing practical resources that support the industrial engineering community as it works with real-life’s range of ageing and new plant.

EEMUA’s many resources include ‘how to’ guidance publications, seminars, webinars, e-learning, classroom, live online, in-house and blended training throughout the year. For instance:

Mechanical Integrity Practitioner Certificate (MIPC^®) training keeps practitioner-level engineers on top of the latest industry developments and good practice in primary containment of hazardous substances, including for pressure systems.

The blended learning (live online classes, 1-1s, e-learning, with mentor support throughout the course) covers on-site application of EEMUA 177, 231 and 232 guidance, and the PSSR ACOP.

Certificated for 5 years via exam and portfolio assessment, the course adapts to the engineering needs of each learner and their site or sites through a 2-hour induction that can be fitted to diaries from September 2023.

The next MIPC course runs from 23 October 2023 for 27 weeks, 4 hours per week. Open to all practitioner-level engineers, the MIPC course is discounted for EEMUA Members and Associates.

EEMUA 194 Subsea Engineering Basics blended online learning is for practical design, specification, commissioning, operation, repair, maintenance, and refurbishment of ageing or new underwater energy production equipment.

Course Tutors’ incorporate decades of expert materials corrosion experience with the distilled know how of industry captured in the ‘how to’ guidance of EEMUA Publication 194 to capture reality in online learning.

The course’s live online classes, e-learning and 1-1 tutorials provide real-time interaction that ensures Learners immediately grasp the correct understanding and make the learning experience time-efficient.

Open to all and discounted for EEMUA Members, the next EEMUA 194 Subsea Engineering Basics course has a 2-hour Induction to fit diaries from October 2023, with learning starting 6 November 2023.

EEMUA TankAssessor course in Rotterdam, NL from 9 October. Given in Dutch, the four-day course provides understanding of: the design, material and fabrication aspects of tank construction with respect to repair or restrictions of use after degradation in service; principles, output and limitations of inspection methods and techniques; making sound assessments of storage tanks and their foundations’ integrity; offering guidance on repairs. With an exam to earn or renew a five-year certificate of competence, the course is open to all with the correct experience and discounted for EEMUA Members.

Next Seminar… The EEMUA Storage Tanks Seminar in Rotterdam, NL on 30 November is open to all for a whole day’s focus on: Current research projects relating to tank storage; Robotic tank cleaning; EEMUA Publications; Mothballing of storage tanks; Guidance for statistical analysis for tank floor inspection (New EEMUA Publication).

Free from shareholders and owners, EEMUA is the industrial engineering community’s not-for-profit association that invests all its revenue into sharing practical guidance resources, events, training, and more ~ all developed ‘for industry, by industry’ and proven by engineers in everyday use over more than 70 years. 

All EEMUA’s resources are free or discounted for EEMUA Members, and new corporate Members and Associates are always welcome, so please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to make EEMUA’s many resources work best for you and your team.

It is widely accepted that any electrical equipment for use in Ex hazardous locations needs to be “intrinsically safe” and therefore incapable of igniting an explosive atmosphere. Obvious hazardous locations include flour mills, coal mines, petrochemical plants, fuel transfer facilities etc. However, some not so obvious hazardous locations include wastewater treatment plants or anywhere a build-up of naturally occurring flammable material (such as methane or dust) could occur.

In many of these locations there is a need for condition based monitoring (CBM) equipment, for example to measure the temperature or vibration of rotating machinery. This CBM equipment must therefore be certified as “intrinsically safe”. This is where things can become confusing however, as there are various certification routes. The main one is the International Electrotechnical Commission’s IECEx, which applies Worldwide. However, some regions also require “local” approval, such as the EU’s ATEX (Atmospheres Explosives) certification. Although this is basically an additional layer of bureaucracy on top of IECEx and the two are effectively identical. However, North American approval (USA & Canada) can appear slightly different, as explained below.

The whole concept of intrinsic safety is based on probabilities, including the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere existing in the first place. For IECEx & ATEX this is dealt with by the definition of the following zones, which put very simply, define the probability of an explosive atmosphere existing as: Zone 0: most of the time, Zone 1: occasionally and Zone 2: not very often. The North American system has previously used a classification system known as NEC500 that defines Class 1, Division 1 (equivalent to Zones 0 & 1) and Class 1, Division 2 (equivalent to Zone 2). However, this is gradually being replaced by NEC505 that uses identical zones to IECEx & ATEX.

The concept of intrinsic safety being based on probabilities is taken a stage further whereby equipment suitability for use in hazardous locations is based on the probability of a fault occurring:

E2S Warning Signals, the world’s leading manufacturer of safety critical warning signals will return to ADIPEC between October 2^nd and 5^th 2023 to showcase again its class-leading range of signalling products.

Featuring on the stand will be the industry’s most up-to date range of Alarm Sounders, Beacons, Loudspeakers and Manual Call Points, all designed to provide the most efficient and effective method of initiating and providing audible and visual warnings to ensure the safety of personnel and assets in onshore and offshore hazardous area installations, as well as for marine, industrial and commercial applications.

E2S Warning Signals modern and efficient products, allow systems designers to employ high performance signalling products whilst reducing the overall power requirement from their control systems; potentially enabling significant system cost savings. E2S Warning Signals also provide flexible, customer focused solutions to best meet end user specific requirements, all with a class-leading 10-year warranty and multiple global approvals with such as ECASEx, ATEX, IECEx, UL, PESO, CCCEx and DNV.

On the stand this year E2S will be showing the innovative D1x, STEx and GNEx range of explosion proof Beacons, Sounders, Loudspeakers Manual Call Points and Configured Assemblies.

The LM6 Alloy D1x, GRP GNEx and SS316L STEx ranges utilise common electronics to ensure the best possible performance whatever the material of choice, all configured for use in SIL 2 approved systems as standard.

The Ex d range of beacons/strobes features the highest light output available with LED and Xenon sources all with very low power consumption. Our Ex d Sounders offer highly configurable multi-stage alarms at outputs up to 128dB(A), the highest output of any Ex d electronic alarm sounder.

Our Status Lamp Assemblies and Alarm Bars showcase the flexibility and modularity of design inherent in E2S modern range of signalling and are perfect for use in wireless Fire and Gas systems and as part of rig packages in combination with our safe area products.

Visit E2S Warning Signals at Stand 8630 in the UK Pavilion

E2S Warning Systems – Signals For Your Safety

www.e2s.com

Peppers Cable Glands is a name synonymous with quality within the industries in which we work. It is a mark recognised as the ‘engineers’ choice and a name that has a reputation for being the market leader when it comes to not only the product, but the service that comes with it.

Designed by engineers, for engineers. Our research and development department is manned by the highest calibre of experts within our industry and the onus is on producing quality of which they too would be happy to work with, out in the field. Our customers know this, and that is why they trust in our name.

No better example could be the use of our own cable glands in our newest and most significant investment, the QRC. We bought the Quick Response Cell to provide customers with faster lead times on orders and enhance overall delivery. It is a significant investment into our business and one that we needed to know would not let us down. The use of our own cable glands gives us the reassurance that this is a machine that will not fail, ultimately meaning it will not let our customers down.

Not just a cable gland

While our engineers design the highest calibre of cable glands, our sales department has the industry knowledge to ensure our customers are ordering the necessary, and vital accessories that will be needed to ensure a prompt start and successful project.

Peppers range of enclosure accessories are the essential components that if missed, could delay the start of your project leading to excess costs and longer lead times. Whether you need stopping plugs, breather drains, adaptors or reducers, not only will we know what you need and make sure you have it, but these parts will be up to the job in hand because we take as much pride in the manufacturing of our accessories as we do in our cable glands.

Peppers knowledge in terms of what a project needs is indisputable. Over the course of the last 75 years, we have made it our business to work with the very best engineers to ensure we are always the industry choice.

www.cableglands.co.uk

Teledyne FLIR will use its appearance at SPE Offshore Europe 2023 (Aberdeen, UK, 5-8 September) to shine the spotlight on its comprehensive and industry-proven array of optical gas imaging (OGI) camera solutions for the oil and gas market

These advanced cameras help users to detect methane, sulphur hexafluoride and hundreds of other industrial gases quickly, accurately and safely, without shutting down systems. Teledyne FLIR OGI cameras can scan broad sections of equipment rapidly and detect leaks from a safe distance, displaying these invisible gases as clouds of smoke.

Also with a notable presence on the stand (2L84) will be Aberdeen-based Inspectahire, Teledyne FLIR’s authorised regional distributor and training provider for OGI. All Inspectahire instructors are FLIR ITC (Infrared Training Center) approved and have a minimum of 10 years working in oil and gas environments, using FLIR OGI camera systems extensively for applications such as baseline surveys and LDAR (leak detection and repair). Inspectahire courses are ideal for any LDAR technicians who inspect valves, connectors, flanges, compressors and closed vent systems, for example.

At SPE Offshore Europe, Teledyne FLIR and Inspectahire will not only be answering any questions about OGI inspection and training, but also providing insight into some of FLIR’s most pertinent and proven solution for the oil and gas market.

For instance, FLIR G-series OGI cameras such as the Gx320, G620 and Gx620 feature gas quantification analytics to measure leak type and severity, eliminating the need for a secondary device. G-series cameras detect hydrocarbons, methane (CH₄) and other VOC emissions from multiple stages of the oil and gas supply chain using a thermal resolution of up to 640 × 480 (307,200 pixels).

For those seeking a fixed-mount, continuous monitoring solution, SPE Offshore Europe 2023 will provide an opportunity for visitors to see a system that combines the FLIR GF77a uncooled autonomous leak detection camera and ADGiLE technologies. With multiple lens options, this affordable, fixed camera solution provides upstream and midstream gas processors, producers and operators with the features they need to monitor for potentially dangerous, invisible methane leaks on a continuous basis.

Also on the stand will be a FLIR Cx5 thermal camera rated for use in hazardous locations. Certified for deployment in many explosive (ATEX) environments, the Cx5 eliminates the need to acquire hot work permits due to gas, vapour and dust, while making T-Class surveys fast and straightforward. The 3.5-inch touchscreen interface is easy to navigate, while a thermal resolution of 160 × 120 offers precise temperature measurement of nearby targets. The integral FLIR Ignite™ cloud service provides direct data transfer, storage and back-up so that images remain constantly available from all user devices.

Ultimately, visitors to SPE Offshore Europe will learn how advanced Teledyne FLIR solutions can help the oil and gas industry maintain valuable capital equipment, avoid product loss, meet emissions reduction metrics and ensure safer work practices.

HAIX, a global functional footwear specialist, announces its first major sports sponsorships with German football team SV Darmstadt 98 and VfL Wolfsburg Women.

The first sponsorship makes HAIX the primary jersey sponsor for SV Darmstadt 98 for the 2023-2024 Bundesliga season. The blue and white jersey with HAIX logo on the chest was worn by the SV Darmstadt players, in a recent friendly against Liverpool FC on the 7^th of August at the Deepdale stadium in Preston.

As the new ‘top partner’ of the VfL Wolfsburg women’s team until 2025, the HAIX branding will be advertised around the AOK Stadium during Bundesliga, DFB Cup, Champions League games as well as during the “player of the game” announcements.

Based in Mainburg Germany, HAIX started out as a family business manufacturing firefighting boots. It now supplies the armed forces, policeman, firefighters, special units, forestry and industrial workers around the world and is the first choice when it comes to high-quality, high-tech footwear.

These partnerships mark a huge step in HAIX’s story as it is the first time the company has ventured into major sports sponsorship. Promoted to the Bundesliga this season, SV Darmstadt 98 will face teams like FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund wearing the HAIX branded kit. VfL Wolfsburg Women will play top Bundesliga teams as well as those in the Champions League, where they have played teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona in the last few years.

Christian Rebrovic, Head of Sales Division, B2B & International Markets at HAIX commented, “We are delighted to embark upon this journey of our first professional sport sponsorships with SV Darmstadt 98 and VfL Wolfsburg Women. HAIX, and both of our new partners share common values of teamwork, leadership, equality and serving communities, making them a perfect fit for our sponsorships.

“HAIX boots are made for Heroes, our mission is to make great equipment for great people, doing great things. Being promoted to the Bundesliga seemed like the perfect time for HAIX to partner with SV Darmstadt 98 and we’re looking forward to seeing their performance this season. Similarly, VfL Wolfsburg Women have been the top club in the Bundesliga for many years and we’re proud to be supporting them as the Women’s game grows.”

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