News

As part of its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) agenda, Hi-line Industries, a UK-based leader in the design, manufacture and installation of energy-efficient compressed air purification equipment, provides extensive support for the sporting community in the Burton upon Trent area. The company is a main sponsor at both Burton Albion Football Club and Burton Rugby Football Club.

Hi-line Industries, which has its headquarters in Burton’s Green Street, is a member of the British Compressed Air Society and also supports the ‘Made in Britain’ campaign, highlighting the passion around British brands and UK manufacturing. The company’s broad range of energy-efficient compressed air equipment includes air dryers, nitrogen/oxygen generators and filtration equipment. 

A local and national success story, Hi-line showed 27% growth in like-for-like sales at its recent year-end (31 July 2022), underpinned by a record 12 months for the company’s N2 nitrogen generator systems and HPSA desiccant dryers. Hi line feels it has a responsibility to return some of its profits to the local community, and what brings people together more than sport? 

At Burton Albion Football Club, Hi-line is currently sponsoring defender Tom Hamer, the club’s highly popular 22-year-old right back, for the second season in a row. The company also provides match sponsorships at Burton Albion, which was formed in 1950 and currently plays in League One of the Football League. In addition, Hi-line regularly sponsors the ‘man of the match’ and takes an executive hospitality box at the club’s Pirelli Stadium, providing yet more income for the club. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Continued ……

Hi-line’s extensive sponsorship and support programme is similar for Burton Rugby Football Club, which has origins dating back to 1870 and is currently Staffordshire and Derbyshire’s highest ranked senior rugby club, playing in the Midlands Premier division. The company is the main shirt sponsor for the first team, a Patron member and has an advertising board at the club’s Battlestead Croft ground.

“We take our corporate and social responsibilities very seriously at Hi-line,” states Managing Director Steve Smith. “The company is very proud to be based here in Burton, which has been the perfect location to grow our flourishing business. It’s only right, therefore, to show our gratitude and commitment to the town by supporting some of its community treasures. The town’s football and rugby clubs provide pleasure to thousands of local people on a weekly basis, but they need funds. Hopefully our support goes some way to ensuring that our local sporting heritage is maintained for many years to come.”

To keep pace with growing order levels, Hi-line is currently in the process of expanding its Burton production facility with a new building extension. The company has several six-figure projects to complete before year-end. They also participate in the BCAS apprenticeship scheme and are currently looking to take on more apprentices from the local area, with positions available immediately.

Further information is available from: Hi-line Industries Ltd,

Green Street, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire  DE14 3RT

Telephone: 01283 533377                    ​​Fax: 01283 533367               

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.​​www.hilineindustries.com

Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments announces its recent partnership with #1-rated workforce transformation platform for the industrial deskless workforce. A joint solution consisting of the Visor-Ex® rugged smart glasses, the Smart-Ex® intrinsically safe smartphone, and the Onsight Connect platform opens up a whole new way of collaboration in harsh industrial environments, with remote access to all the needed data as well as real-time support, even in hazardous areas. With the rampant shortage of skilled workers in many industries, plant operators need more powerful communication and knowledge transfer tools to maintain expertise and ensure process quality. 

Advanced solutions for collaboration in the field

ECOM Instruments’ Visor-Ex® smart glasses support Librestream's Onsight platform thanks to the partnership. This powerful combination of intrinsically safe hardware, advanced software, and a next-generation collaboration platform allows mobile workers to work hands-free in harsh environments while accessing all the data, information, and communication features they need to safely navigate complex mission scenarios. At the touch of a button, they can call in experts via Onsight without the need for time-consuming travel to the scene of the incident and stream the current situation via the integrated camera of the smart glasses. Moreover, the joint solution from ECOM and Librestream enables the mobile workers to collect a wide range of data and information on their missions: photos, audio recordings, as well as video recordings of the missions in the field for documentation, analysis and training purposes. This real-time knowledge management facilitates onboarding of new workers in the field, remote support, and the development of digital solutions to save time in installation, maintenance and repair in the long term, minimize the risk of errors, and ensure compliance with norms and standards.

“Today’s industrial businesses require mobile solutions that not only increase productivity but also stand up to the harsh elements of industrial workplaces,” says Carl Henderson, Global Account Manager - Enterprise Mobility at Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments. “The partnership with Librestream supports our vision to digitally supercharge the frontlines enabling people to be safer, more productive, and better connected to co-workers and information.”

“From oil and gas to chemical processing, field workers demand rugged hardware and reliable software that can endure and perform in extreme weather, terrains, and challenging network conditions,” says Marieke Wijtkamp, SVP of Product at Librestream. “With this new integration of our remote connectivity capabilities and ECOM Instruments’ advanced ex-certified wearable solution, we are able to provide workers in potentially hazardous environments with a full toolset that supports their unique needs.”

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

SICK has developed the flexLock, an RFID-monitored safety lock with an innovative 180° actuation radius, creating a versatile protective device for safe locking of doors, flaps and gates. The SICK flexLock has been designed with a high locking force to achieve a performance level up to PLe/SIL3, all in a rounded, slim, and rugged housing.

The SICK flexLock is a Type 4 safety locking device (according to EN ISO 14119) providing PLe (EN ISO 13849) and SIL3 (EN IEC 62061) protection for personnel and processes through physical locking of moveable safety equipment such as doors, guards and screens to prevent access to, or interference with, machinery in a hazardous area. 

Flexible Machine Integration

The SICK flexLock has an open locking head, together withan infinitely-variable actuation radius of 180° which makes for easy and flexible machine integration. This unique innovation provides a flexible entry point for the actuator,useful, for example, for sliding doors, or doors with small radii. It allows a high tolerance to misalignment, even when a door or gate is sagging. There is a choice of either a flexible actuator with a spring-loaded tongue for when the door guidance is imprecise, or a rigid actuator which allows a side approach to the locking head.

The SICK flexLock’s open locking head and rounded housing make cleaning easy. With its IP67/IP69K housing, the flexLock is resistant to dust and water, making it suitable for tough environments. The three LED status indicators areclearly visible from three sides, enabling maximum machine availability and quick trouble shooting. 

RFID Transponder Technology

The safe locking RFID transponder in the actuator offers the highest level of prevention against tampering, saving the time and expense of installing additional measures for manipulation protection. With low and high coded variants available, devices can be selected such that defeating in a reasonably foreseeable manner is prevented (EN ISO 14119). Thanks to a high locking force of up to 3150 N, the door remains safely and reliably locked until there is no more risk to humans or the production process.

Rapid machine integration is also aided by the ability to mount multiple flexLock devices at short distances from each other without interference. The flexLock devices can be safely cascaded either using simple T-connectors or used in combination with a SICK controller utilising Flexi Loop safe series connection, which also provides complete diagnostics. A safe cascade can contain up to 30 devices in large installations with minimal cabling and connection costs.

An optional escape release function is available to protect personnel in whole body applications, allowing the device to be unlocked from the inside and stopping the machine, should a person be accidentally located in the hazardous area.

For more information, please contact Andrea Hornby on 01727 831121 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

www.sick.co.uk

Enerpac announces the new EMLS/EMV Series Battery-Powered Machine Skates for moving heavy industrial machinery in confined spaces where conventional methods are either labour intensive or unsafe. Designed especially for industrial machine movers and millwrights, the Enerpac Skates allow a single operator to safely and remotely position loads of up to 55 tons. 

The EMLS/EMV Series Machine Skates are self-propelled, eliminating the need to manually push or pull the load. They also ensure the safety of the operator by allowing them to work at a safe distance away from the load. Single user operation allows machine movers to tackle more projects with fewer resources, therefore more quickly recouping their initial investment.

Fully compliant to the ASME B30.1 standard, the battery- powered machine skates keep the load close to the ground, reducing the overhead clearance required to move the load through a facility, and more importantly, increasing safety.

High manoeuvrability, precise control

The EMLS/EMV Series dual-drive motors and a 360-degree tilt swivel saddle provide agility in small areas and around tight corners. Precise control is enabled with the wireless remote-control including two joysticks to advance and steer the load, and variable speed control for changing conditions.

The onboard battery power source makes it easier to move the load when the condition of the floor isn't perfectly smooth or level. It provides the capability to travel over inclines of up to 3% and across ground gaps of up to 14mm. The setup process is easy, as the wireless controller automatically pairs with the machine skates immediately on start-up.

Up to 4 times faster

According to Enerpac, the EMLS/EMV Series Battery-Powered Machine Skates allow moves to be completed up to 4 times faster than conventional methods. Fully loaded, the skates travel up to 8m per minute and run for up to an impressive 3 hours on a single charge - giving you the potential to move loads over 1200m without the need to switch the battery.

The EMLS/EMV Series 55-ton model makes it possible to both lift and transport from the single unit, significantly speeding up the load moving process by reducing the number of tools involved.

For more information on the Enerpac EMLS/EMV Series Battery-Powered Machine Skates, visit www.enerpac.com.

In the face of pressures following Covid and in light of a worsening economy, British Safety Council is offering any organisation employing up to 500 staff the chance to get free support to improve the wellbeing of their workplace. 

Through its campaign on workplace wellbeing, Keep Thriving, the health, safety and wellbeing charity is inviting SMEs and micro-sized employers to apply to attend one of a series of free 3-hour workshops to help them develop a wellbeing strategy. Applications are currently open until 30 November.

The sessions, delivered by experts from British Safety Council’s Being Well Togetherprogramme, will help employers explore why wellbeing matters to them, their people and their business, and ways they can improve their wellbeing. The session will help small, medium and micro-sized employers to develop a strategy which works and to track and evaluate their progress.

On launching the offer, Peter McGettrick, Chairman of British Safety Council, said:

“We’ve been seeing more and more pressures piling onto businesses, especially smaller ones, both following the Covid pandemic and with the rising cost of energy, and as a charity we want to do something to help. That’s why we are offering SMEs and micro-sized employers the chance to improve the wellbeing of their staff, completely free of charge. 

“Employers will be able to meet other like-minded organisations to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and best ways of developing a wellbeing strategy and find out how improving wellbeing boosts their organisational performance and reduces the likelihood of accidents and ill-health among their staff. This is a great chance to take a fresh look at how you, your staff and your business can succeed and thrive together.”

Any employer with to up to 500 staff can apply here. 

As well as the free workshops, British Safety Council is offering all employers who attend the opportunity to apply for a cash award to fund activity they decide to do as a result. The charity wants to make up to £10,000 available to one or more organisations.

A water jetting contractor has devised a method to remove render from concrete surfaces using reduced water pressures to control client costs and ensure project deadlines are met during a major university refurbishment project.

Sabre Jetting Services has been commissioned by construction and civil engineering specialist McLaughlin & Harvey to support the new-build and refurbishment project for Coventry University.

Its water jetting teams are carrying out surface preparation work on the university’s seven-storey Graham Sutherland Tower, part of the university’s faculty of arts and humanities.

A key priority has been the need to preserve the tower’s large aluminum windows. They are being retained, but could have been damaged by the conventional technique to removing render from concrete.

This led Sabre Jetting Services, a member of the Water Jetting Association, the UK trade association for the water jetting industry, to rethink its approach.

Managing Director David Malin explained: “Surface preparation is usually carried out at pressures of at least 2,500 bar, which is 36,000 psi. But at that pressure, the windows were at greater risk of being damaged.

“This meant a team of operatives would have had to put in extensive protection measures, such as boarding and taping, before our teams could start work.

“Instead, I thought perhaps we could try lowering the water pressure and increasing the flow rate. We did a series of trials and found a suitable technique that worked.”

Sabre Jetting found the ideal pressure and flow combination was water pressure at 1,150 bar (17,000 psi) while increasing the water flow rate from 25 to 45 L/min.

At those levels, jetting operatives could remove the cementitious render, which included a grit surface coating, without the windows needing substantial protection.

David Malin said: “It has turned out to be very effective. Technical know-how, a willingness to try something new, and the skill of our operatives has contributed to a good solution. The method of removing the render in this manner has substantially reduced costs for the client.

“It’s an example of how we try to think outside the box on behalf of our clients, whether that’s to improve safety, productivity, sustainability, or protect surfaces and control costs, which was the primary factor in this case.”

Sabre Jetting has had to overcome other challenges as it has carried out the work over the last nine months. The works required a significant amount of extra-long jetting hoses to be laid around the work area to ensure access around a complex site and to work at height.

Its teams have been able to remove around 50m² of render a day working on the historic Graham Sutherland Building, which opened in 1967.

Water jetting has been the ideal technique to prepare the concrete surfaces for the paint finish required by the design plan. Using mechanical tools would have damaged the concrete, risked damaging the windows, and taken longer.

Founded in 1984, Sabre Jetting delivers a wide range of water jetting services, including hydrodemolition, surface preparation, pipe cleaning, tank cleaning, pile cropping and heat exchanger cleaning.

It is the winner of the 2021 Construction News Training Excellence Award after developing a custom-built water jetting training facility and an internal training programme that breaks down learning and language barriers, ensuring inclusion for all employees.

www.waterjetting.org.uk

Simon Ash, UK Sales Manager at HAIX, shares how selecting the right safety footwear can help reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls in the workplace 

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that slips, trips and falls cost Britain £800 million annually, with the direct cost to employers at around £300 million. Falling victim to such accidents can increase the likelihood of workers developing serious injuries or debilitating longer-term health conditions such as Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) - the leading contributor to disability worldwide.  

The burden slips, trips and falls put on worker health, organisational finances and the UK’s economy is devastating, yet it is preventable in many instances. Employers can take a proactive approach to prevent this kind of injury by ensuring their workforce wear supportive, high-quality, comfortable footwear as advances in safety footwear design have resulted in smarter, lighter and stronger materials that can combat the risks.  

Safety boot sole units are often made from composites like Rubber/Polyurethane mixes that enhance durability and grip, providing stability and reducing chances of slipping even on surfaces covered in oil or petrol. Coupled with advanced ground impact cushioning that reduces strain on joints and muscles, designing safety footwear from ‘the sole up’ will be as integral to future Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) design as it is in today’s products. 

HAIX, specialist manufacturer of functional safety footwear, understands that wellbeing starts from the feet up and investing in quality, compliant protective footwear can prevent accidents in the workplace.  

Selecting the right footwear 

Where floors cannot be kept clean and dry, slip-resistant footwear can help prevent slip accidents. When selecting safety footwear, the wearer should consider the level of slip resistance needed for their specific situation. For example, footwear that performs well in wetter conditions might not be suitable on oily surfaces. This can be determined through a proper risk assessment. Different models provide varying levels of resistance, for example, some models incorporate a special heel cup to offer extra stability.  

Manufacturers should design safety footwear with a variety of surfaces in mind.  HAIX footwear, for example, can help to maintain a secure grip when faced with steep slopes, wet roads or oil-covered floors in workshops because the outsoles are manufactured in a special abrasion-resistant rubber compound with a bold tread. In addition to selecting footwear with the right features, all footwear should be trialled to ensure it meets the need of the environment and the wearer. 

HAIX safety footwear undergoes a series of over one hundred material and quality assurance tests, replicating the day-to-day challenges of its wearers, who spend most of their time on their feet. To ensure footwear is anti-slip, it is tested according to the main safety standard, EN ISO20345:2011, with specific codes for certain conditions: 
    •    SRA – tested on ceramic tile wetted with dilute soap solution 
    •    SRB – tested on smooth steel with glycerol 
    •    SRC – tested under both the above conditions 

Waterproof, breathable materials  
Water-resistance and breathable, insulating materials are key because wet or hot feet may cause concentration levels to drop as the wearer becomes more concerned about their comfort than the job in hand. Distraction at work can lead to an accident, so providing waterproof, breathable footwear can reduce this risk. Waterproof boots adhere to the EN ISO standard: 20345/20347, the minimum European standard manufacturers should achieve. Boots that incorporate a Gore-Tex membrane with microscopic pores that are 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water exceed this standard and ensure footwear is watertight. To keep feet ventilated when working hard, uppers - the part of the shoe covering the top, sides, back and toes of the foot, should be made from appropriate leather or breathable material.  

 
Anti-fatigue properties and comfort 
A recurring complaint from those who wear safety footwear at work is plantar fasciitis, an acute pain in the heel caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is prevalent among people who stand for long periods while at work, such as factory line workers. Damage to the plantar fascia is the leading cause of heel pain in adults and if left untreated, can lead to long-term health effects and pain that can negatively affect work concentration, increasing the likelihood of an accident.  

Using advances in design influenced by biomechanics, footwear manufacturers can address such issues. A support system that supports the natural curvature of the foot, for example, can maintain a more natural foot position. This helps to reduce wearer fatigue, especially when boots are worn over long working periods, ensuring better overall bodily posture and acting to minimise long-term injury risk associated with standing at length. HAIX developed its CONNEXIS footwear range to help prevent plantar fascia damage and help reduce fatigue. The footwear features an innovative strap construction, called fascia tape, that runs around the foot and stimulates the fasciae and muscles in the foot sole to keep them elastic.  Conventional shoes keep the foot rigid, and as a result, fasciae tend to become tight and inflexible because the tissue is not sufficiently stressed, leading to pain. However, the last of the HAIX CONNEXIS range is not curved downwards like conventional shoes but straight, ensuring that the ball of the foot does not sag, and the toes have more space to support the foot. Designed in collaboration with leading health and footwear technology experts, the shoe’s structure takes into account the foot’s natural shape and its need to move freely.  Choosing comfortable, supportive footwear with anti-fatigue properties can not only reduce muscle and ligament stress but also minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls caused by difficulty concentrating or weariness. 

Other issues long-term wearers face, such as lower leg fatigue induced by overall boot weight¹, can also be countered by smart material choices; advances in materials like nanocarbon can produce toe caps and reinforced areas that meet the same safety and protection standards as steel caps but remain ultra-lightweight. Puncture-resistance in boot midsoles is often accomplished using metal, but advanced fabrics and textiles can be used to provide levels of puncture resistance while decreasing overall weight and increasing comfort and flexibility.  

Taking safer steps 

Wellbeing starts from the feet up and investing in quality, compliant protective footwear ensures workers are protected and able to perform at their best. The importance of footwear as a core element of protection should never be underestimated, especially as instances of slips and trips remain so high.  

 
As workers look to manage the risk of slips, trips and falls at work, the importance of footwear as a core element of protection should never be underestimated. An investment in reliable, high-quality safety footwear is an investment in wearer health, comfort and safety. 

For more information, go to www.haix.co.uk

The new Alpha Sentinel range protects against some of the most dangerous respiratory hazards found in the workplace

The UK’s largest PPE manufacturer, Globus Group, has launched a new range of face masks to protect workers against extremely hazardous substances found in the workplace. The new design provides improved comfort and fit to help encourage good PPE compliance.  

Prolonged exposure to hazardous substances over an extended period is known to be extremely harmful, with workers in the manufacturing industry at particularly high risk. It is estimated that each year an average of 33,000 workers suffer from illness caused or made worse by their current or most recent job in manufacturing^[i].

The Alpha Sentinel range has been designed for superior fit and comfort for workers, especially those wearing the masks for long periods of time. Lead Product Designer Josh Moffat said, “When it came to designing the Alpha Sentinel range we really tried to prioritise the end-user. We know that workers are often wearing these masks for long periods of time, and so focusing on comfort and fit means that they are more likely to be worn correctly and workers can be confident that they are getting the right protection.

He continued, “Looking beyond fit and comfort, we know that another big reason for PPE non-compliance is masks getting too hot, so we have designed our unique large exhalation valve to minimise heat and moisture build-up. We really believe that the design innovations we have been able to make with the Alpha Sentinel masks are going to make a huge difference to the workers using these products every day.” 

The Alpha Sentinel range comes with a range of changeable filters to protect against solid particulates, liquid particulates, gases, and vapours, and are suitable for use in a wide variety of industry settings. 

The Alpha Sentinel full and half face masks are the first Globus product range to be designed and manufactured entirely in the UK. Globus has committed to manufacturing as many of its products as possible in the UK.

www.globusgroup.com

How can construction and maintenance workers be sure that their temporary horizontal lifeline will save them in the event of a fall from height? And can such equipment be made easier and quicker to deploy, as well as safer? Alfonso Fernandez of MSASafety sums up the risks and challenges in this area and describes a new development which improves both productivity and fall protection.

Use of temporary horizontal lifelines is especially common in construction andindustrial maintenance work. These are notoriously dangerous occupations, as statistics from the UK Health and Safety Executive(HSE)* confirm. The construction sector saw morefatal workplace injuries than any other in 2021/22, accounting for24% ofthe total. Manufacturing followed at 18%. The most prominentaccident category – representing24% of all deaths at work – was falls from height. 

In industrial environments, temporary horizontal lifelines tend to be used in locations where work at height is needed only occasionally. If there is a frequent need in one place, it makes more sense to install a permanent fall protection system. This may be the case, for example, in regular air conditioner maintenance. Temporary horizontal lifeline applications, by contrast, could include a one-off machinery repair or a servicing task required just once every few years. It would be impractical and expensive to build permanent solutions at every high point where work might potentially be required at some time.  

Construction projects, by their very nature, alter in shape and height as they develop. To meet their changing needs, temporary horizontal lifelines can be continually moved into different positions.

Expanded lifeline choice

A temporary horizontal lifeline provides the anchorage for a fall protection system whose other essential components are a body harness and a connecting device. The latter, which is often an SRL (self-retracting lifeline) or a PFL (personal fall limiter), connects the worker’s harness to the horizontal lifeline.

The most basic temporary horizontal lifelines are made from webbing. Others, using rope, offer a step up in quality, while premium-quality systems use steel cable. Durability is an obvious issue. Webbing is the least durable option. It quickly becomes scratched, dirty and stained. These factors contribute to its deterioration and give the lifeline a shabby appearance which can makeusers doubt its reliability. Rope is more durable and therefore safe for longer. Cable is better still.

In developing the new MSA Temporary Horizontal Lifeline, MSA’s design engineers have opted for galvanised steel cable to maximise durability. At the same time, they have addressed several problems typical of traditional cable-based temporary horizontal lifelines. The result is a product which can be considered the first of its kind. 

In particular, the designers havereplaced complex, time-consuming set-up processes – typically requiring more than one pair of hands – with a faster, simpler approach. This allows users to spend more time on the workthey are there to do, and less on setting up, soproductivity losses are minimised. The MSA lifeline also has features which take the guesswork out of correct locking and tensioning, and it comes with user-friendly charts for quick determination of required clearances. Its innovative, mobility-enhancing design even allows two connected workers to pass each other on the line without temporarily disconnecting.

Time savings in installation

A temporary horizontal lifeline must be connected to a firm anchor point at each end. The anchor points are normally beams or other solid structural features of a building. Attachment is usually via anchor straps. 

Once attached, the lifeline needs to be locked and tightened. Until now, these havebeen slow proceduresinvolving use of nuts, bolts and wrenches. With the MSAsolution, toolless locking and tensioning mechanisms are built into the lifeline. There are no tools or other separate items to carry and potentially drop or lose. In addition, both mechanisms are at the same end of the lifeline, so there is no longer a need to walk back and forth when installing it.

Tests show that installation of the MSA Temporary Horizontal Lifeline is 75% faster compared to traditional cable systems. That saving, multiplied across the many days on which the lifeline is set up in different locations, frees up substantial amounts of productive time.

Confident locking and tensioning

A further issue to address is assurance of firm locking and correct tensioning. If the lifeline is not locked tightly enough, it might slip from the anchors. A loosely tensioned lifeline will deflect more than a sufficiently tight one if a worker falls. This creates potential for impact with the ground or other structures.

In webbing-based systems, locking and tensioning generally involve tightening until the worker can no longer turn the wrench further. Whether the right level of tension has been reached is a matter of judgement. Some rope or cable systems have a drum which is designed to slip when the lifeline becomes tight. 

With the new MSA system there is absolute certainty. Coloured visual indicators on itsinbuilt locking and tensioning devices clearly show whether the system has been set up correctly and is ready for use. This level of simplicity and confidence is very unusual in the market.

Quick decisions on clearance

Another aspect on which users want to be confident is how much clearance height is needed in the set-up for safety in the event of a fall. This needs to allow for lifeline deflection and other variables. To date, it has required calculations combining data from the separate lifeline, connecting device and harness user manuals – adding extra time to the job.

MSA has now solved this difficulty by providing its lifeline with easy-to-use charts for which the calculations have already been made. These take into account factors like the number of users connected (one or two), the distance between the anchor points, the type of connecting device used, and whether the lifeline is at foot, chest or overhead level. They quickly point the user to the required clearance for each set of circumstances.

Improved mobility

When two workers are connected to the same horizontal lifeline, a problem commonly arising is that they may need to pass each other from time to time. To do so, one user must disconnect temporarily from the line – becoming unprotected until connection is restored.

MSA has solved this with its patented bypass shuttles. These maintain 100% tie-off during passes, so mobility is increased without sacrificing safety.

The ease and speed with which temporary horizontal lifelines can be handled, installed, uninstalled and moved between locations is another key consideration. Traditional cable systems can be heavy and difficult to manoeuvre. Their installation is slow, as already mentioned, and may require two workers.

The MSA system uses flexible, lightweight cable and can be easily carried and set up by one person. Its simplicity, flexibility and adaptability to different circumstances make it ideal for constantly changing work sites and intermittent maintenance tasks.

Durability, strength and true value

Web-based and rope-based systems are of course lighter, but the strength and durability of MSA’s galvanised steel cable gives workers and their managers greater assurance. This is especially important when lifelines face abrasive, corrosive, dirty or polluted conditions, like those typical of construction and industrial maintenance applications. The MSA lifeline is also tested to a capacity of 140 kg, which exceeds the EU standard of 100 kg. 

Unsurprisingly, the MSA Temporary Horizontal Lifeline ishigher priced than a more basic product,but buyers should always look for true and lasting value when comparing safety equipment. Greater durability, in particular, brings down the whole-life cost of a high-quality system compared to a cheaper alternative. The new MSA lifeline also pays back through higher productivity, with its fast, single-handed installation. 

Ultimately, however, no price can be put on workers’ lives. Employers and managers choosing the safest option can rest assured that they are minimising risks and investing in the wellbeing of their workforce. And given the choice, anyone who actually works at height would surely opt for that assurance too.

As along-established leader in workplace safety solutions, these thoughts have driven MSA’s non-stop search for improvements. Through its new Temporary Horizontal Lifeline, MSA has found yet another way to make sure workers get back to their families at the end of the day.

For further information on the new MSA Temporary Horizontal Lifeline, click here.

Power of three set to boost oil and gas filter performance

Critical filtration processes across the worldwide oil and gas industries are the focus of a trio of innovative product variations designed totransform operational efficiency.

UK-based filter maker Amazon Filters has engineered the changes to strengthen its portfolio of products widely used in upstream, midstream and downstream processes.

Supported by ‘quick and able’ delivery and technical backup, the variations offer the reassurance of retrofit capability meaning they can be readily and flexibly integrated with existing process equipment. 

They are specifically aimed at three of the main process applications at the heart of oil and gas filtration and production: liquid gas coalescing; particulate removal from natural gas; and particle removal in liquids.

Simon Hughes, Business Development Director at Amazon Filters, said: “The variations we have introduced mean we can supply our products directly into more retrofit applications, supporting the essential work of production and maintenance managers on production platforms, in transmission lines and at refineries.

“Extensive performance testing of competitive products and our newly developed retrofits ensures our filters can fit seamlessly into existing systems to provide, at the very least, comparative performance. 

“In many applications, customers will achieve improved performance along with associated economic savings.

“This is all about providing competitively priced products that protect machinery and equipment, offer performance benefits, minimise costly unscheduled downtime and ensure the final purity of output.”  

For liquid gas coalescing, Amazon Filters has introduced a filter based on proprietary melt blown technology. This complements the recently released SupaSep LGP coalescer that is based on pleated glass microfibre media technology.

SupaSep LGM is designed as a cost-effective retrofit solution to enhance efficiency and drainage performance in high-flow filtration and separation processes.

It is ideal for the removal of entrained liquid droplets such as water, condensate, oil, glycols and amines from natural gas in applications within processing plants, power plants and compressor stations. 

Particulate removal from natural gas is the focus of a variation of Amazon Filters’ Contour Gas melt blown cartridge filters.

These help with the removal from gas transmission lines of black powder, a common source of contamination mainly composed of hard particles of iron oxide and iron sulfide in sizes from 100µm down to sub-micron level.

Typically caused by corrosion and erosion in upstream pipework, the particles are swept along at high speed in the gas flow, with accumulations risking harm to downstream equipment and endangering production safety.

For the new variation of Contour Gas, design engineers have reduced the dimensions of the outer diameter so that more installations can enjoy seamless retrofits. 

The graded density of the variation’s melt blown structure ensures efficient removal of fine, sub-micron particles while providing excellent dirt holding capacity. 

And the product is now available in two efficiency grades, with coreless and stainless steel core variants, to optimise matching to process conditions. 

In the third product variation, Amazon Filters has optimised the pleat configuration of its liquid particulate filter SupaPleat 1401 and added advanced, extended-life, polypropylene depth media to ensure low pressure loss and optimised dirt holding.

SupaPleat 1401 is an absolute-rated, high-pressure filter cartridge with a pleated, high surface area designed as a cost-effective alternative to products based on old technology and filtration media. 

Its fluid process applications in the refinery, chemical and petrochemical industries include the filtration of solvents, acids, iron fines and hydrocarbons. 

The three product variations complement Amazon Filters’ expanding reach into global oil and gas, bolstered with the recent hires of industry experts Nizam Mohamed and Silas Kirst.

Based in Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia, and Houston, Texas, the two Business Development Managers are tasked with driving market growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and North, Central and South America respectively.

As well as welcoming Nizam and Silas, Amazon Filters has appointed new area distributors in Latin America and Asia with a multi-industry focus including oil and gas. 

For more information on the three retrofit product variations, visit www.amazonfilters.com/retrofit-filters.