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Croatia has selected Intersec’s GeoSafe technology as the basis for its new national public warning system (PWS). The decision sees Croatia adopting a best practice response to the European mandate that all EU member states must implement a modern digital public warning system by June 2022¹.

Ingolf Ruh, Chief Revenue Officer, for Intersec says:

“The Croatian government wanted the best technology possible in order to serve its population in a crisis. Simply complying with the European regulations regarding public warning systems was not enough: they wanted to innovate and prepare for the future. As part of an end-to-end solution that enables government and network operators to work seamlessly together from the outset, GeoSafe will deliver a public warning system for Croatia that will keep citizens informed and protected for many years to come.”

According to statistics from The Home Office, Fire and Rescue services in the UK attended 14,308 fires in non-dwelling buildings in 2020. The effects of fires in the workplace can be devastating, causing injury as well as significant damage to property and the surrounding environment. However, most fires are preventable when employers implement the correct preventative measures. Here Clive Jones, managing director of thermal fluid specialist Global Heat Transfer, outlines the three key steps to managing thermal fluids in accordance with regulations.

 Any facility that uses heat transfer systems containing thermal fluid must proactively maintain them to mitigate for potential risks associated with explosive atmospheres in the workplace. These atmospheres can be caused by dangerous substances like flammable gases, mists or vapours, or by combustible dust — if any of these mix with air under atmospheric conditions, they can ignite and cause significant damage.

Fires usually develop over a long period of time. Nevertheless, many systems detect too late. Temperature rises in the exhaust air can only be detected very late by means of temperature sensors and conventional smoke detectors are too sluggish and dust-prone for use under industrial conditions due to their functioning.

In contrast to other systems, the GSMX-P follows the approach of detecting the fire gases in the formation phase and thus does not have to wait for strong smoke concentrations or late temperature increases. If the gas concentrations deviate even slightly from the target state, the GSMX-P already gives a first alarm.

The GSMX-P fire gas detector monitors the entire cross-section of the clean gas / ventilation line. For this purpose, it is attached to the line in a separate housing. Two pipes protruding into the clean gas / ventilation line generate continuous air extraction over the entire cross-section using the Venturi principle. The design not only enables representative and reproducible monitoring, but also dispenses with further electrical aids such as pumps or fans.

Explosion proof safety company Pyroban® has announced the acquisition of specialist work platform manufacturer Euro Access® Ltd in Cork, Ireland. The purchase completed on 17th November 2021 and has allowed the original founders to retire knowing their legacy will live on in a company they have trusted for more 20 years.

Euro Access, founded in 1996, manufactures ground support equipment specifically used for the maintenance of military aircraft.  The specially designed access platforms enable maintenance engineers to reach the nose cone and other confined areas of the fighter jets.

“The area around each aircraft is formally classified as Zone 1, meaning a potentially explosive atmosphere is likely to occur during normal operations, so the access platform must be explosion proof and meet ATEX 2G compliance,” says Steve Noakes, Managing Director of Pyroban. “To support safety, Pyroban was involved in the equipment’s original design process and certification in the 1990s with Euro Access’ founders Paul and Michael.”

Personal protection against hydrogen sulfide exposure: New ARA H2S single gas detector from ION Science

Delivering superior protection against hazardous VOC (volatile organic compound) exposure for workers is one of ION Science’s leading aims as a business. As the only UK OEM for gas detection instrumentation, ION Science is always looking for new ways to support the end-user against dangerous gas exposures. The launch of the ARA H2S (hydrogen sulfide) single gas detector signals a new focus on protecting staff from the dangers of exposure, and aids in health and safety compliance for businesses.

Hydrogen sulfide is present in several industries, notably in anaerobic environments where organic material is in use, such as wastewater and sewage plants, paper and pulp processing, biogas, and fertiliser production. Many people are familiar with the rotten egg smell associated with hydrogen sulfide, although at high levels of concentration it can cause anosmia, rendering it undetectable. Hydrogen sulfide is classed as a hazardous VOC, and exposure to it can cause irritation to the respiratory system, eyes, and stomach even at low concentrations. Higher concentrations of the gas can lead to unconsciousness, coma, and even death. Between 2001 and 2010, hydrogen sulfide exposure was responsible for the deaths of 60 workers in the USA alone. Many workers who are exposed to fatal levels of hydrogen sulfide could have been protected and saved with units such as the ARA H2S.

Global PPE Leader ASAP Innovations featured its X-TRA Thick Black glove at the A + A Exhibition in Dusseldorf  

ASAP Innovations, a leading global PPE manufacturer, launched its X-TRA Thick Black glove at the A + A Exhibition in Dusseldorf in October; the glove has been approved for use throughout the EU and in the UK and offers the highest protection against exposure to many commonly – used chemotherapy drugs. 

 ASAP saw a constant stream of visitors to its Stand across the four days of the Exhibition, which attracted over 25,000 visitors in total. 

 The X-TRA Thick Black glove has been tested in accordance with ISO 16604:2004 (resistance to penetration by blood – borne pathogens) and has passed to meet the requirements of EN ISO 374-5:2016. 

Amid the increased construction demand and tight deadlines facing electrical contractors, Legrand UK & Ireland has upgraded its range of busbars and tap-off boxes to offer a wider choice of power distribution solutions that save time on installation.

For those working on projects with varying power requirements, the new Zucchini XCP range from Legrand is designed to fit all budgets and power requirements across multi-occupancy residential, commercial and industrial applications.

As UK construction grows at the fastest pace in 24 years, there is more pressure than ever on contractors to complete projects on time and on budget. With sectors such as warehouse construction experiencing investment 54% higher in 2021 compared to 2018 according to Knight Frank, Paul Martin, Lead Marketing Manager for Legrand’s Power Distribution business unit, explains how M&E solutions must support contractors with these challenges.

Paul says: “The pressure facing contractors to deliver projects means there is little room for error when installing electrical systems. A particular example of this has been seen in the warehouse construction sector, which has seen a boom in conjunction with the rise in e-commerce over the past year.

“Along with requirements for time saving, there is an expectation that safety will be prioritised across all installations in any application. To help contractors with these pressures, we have designed the new XCP range to ensure correct installation can be quickly carried out first time, while remaining cost effective and avoiding the need to replace or reinstall.”

To support contractors in promoting safety while speeding up installation, the range is quick to install and can be visually inspected for correct connections due to the shear off bolt connections. This can reduce the risk of bad connections which cause over heating problems.

The XCP range is also available with a two-times rated neutral phase conductor option, helping to mitigate the addition of electronic devices into a building. This option helps contractors ensure the system keeps up with any changes in electrical demand and does not overheat due to electrical imbalances.

As contractors working on a range of applications require different levels of specification, the XCP range includes an XCP-S (Standard) busbar in addition to an XCP-HP (High Performance) counterpart. Along with this, there is a comprehensive, market-leading selection of plastic and metal tap-off boxes available, rated 25-250A and 63-630A respectively.

Paul adds: “With power requirements differing greatly, this range has been created to keep projects within budget. Along with the safety measures, we hope the cost-effective choice of quick-to-install solutions will support contractors with deadlines, budgets and safety concerns for any project size.”

For more information on Legrand’s range of Zucchini XCP busbars, visit: https://www.legrand.co.uk/products/power-distribution/zucchini/busbar-systems/

Satellite and AI-powered Platform to be used by utility, energy and other Companies to measure, enhance, track, report and offset biodiversity, natural capital, GHG emission & other sustainability metrics for land, air and water

AiDash, a leading provider of satellite and AI-powered operations, maintenance and sustainability platform, today announced the launch of its Intelligent Sustainability Management System (ISMS) to help companies achieve their sustainability goals including the 10 percent biodiversity net gain by 2030. The new ISMS SaaS solution, would enable customers like National Grid, a leading energy company, to meet the biodiversity net gain standards (BNG) and increase cost savings and other efficiencies by eliminating frequent land surveys that are currently performed manually.

AiDash developed ISMS over the past 9 months, working closely with the National Grid Partners Innovation team. The unveiling today at 4 PM at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow is led by Stephen Marland, Director of Innovation at National Grid Partners, alongside Abhishek Singh, CEO of AiDash.

Organizations with large landholdings, as National Grid and other utilities, energy, water and wastewater companies, face the challenge of using traditional on the ground surveying methods to accurately map the land type and understand and measure the biodiversity level of each habitat. The cost and process complexities of using these methods can often hinder the implementation of natural capital enhancement plans for progressive, environmentally conscious organisations.

The UK’s Environment Bill legislating the BNG, when approved, would further strengthen the planning powers in England mandating at least the 10 percent net gain in biodiversity for all new developments and raise the imperative of land sustainability across many sectors.

In a recent survey by SAP and Oxford Economics, 50 percent of utility and energy executives said increased process complexity is a hindrance to meeting sustainability goals.

“Sustainably responsible organizations are struggling to find integrated operations platforms that can help them stay on top of their goals and meet the regulations within their sectors,” said Abhishek Singh, Co-founder and CEO of AiDash.“Existing tools and techniques lack the ability to analyze historical data and make data-driven environmental improvements. Our new platform solves this problem, allowing organizations to achieve resource efficiency and implement individual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Any organization and/or government body with large land or water assets can benefit from ISMS.”

The ISMS ‘Land’ module would help customers reduce laborious fieldwork through the AI-backed image analysis for systematic mapping, planning and assessing land enhancements, and quantify biodiversity to plan sustainable land development and restoration initiatives based on the environmental value of varying habitats. The GHG emissions are measured across sources like well pads and gas pipelines through the ISMS ‘Air’ module.

"At National Grid, we are committed to improving the Environmental Value across our sites in the UK by 10 percent by 2026, from a natural capital and biodiversity baseline,” said Prem Gabbi, Head of National Grid Property. “It's a crucial step in helping us achieve our regulatory obligations and enabling us to make our contribution towards addressing the biodiversity crisis and climate change. Collaborating with AiDash's satellite-powered Intelligent Sustainability Management System could enable us to make environmental surveys and audits, relatively seamless, while saving weeks of manual in the field work. This means we could efficiently leverage repeatable and transparent satellite data to design optimal strategies for enhancing the biodiversity across c.3500 hectares of non-operational National Grid land in the UK and regularly monitor improvements while reallocating internal resources."

The AiDash Intelligent Sustainability Management System is officially launching today from 4 PM - 5 PM, local Glasgow time at SEC Glasgow, at the National Grid Green Zone booth at COP26 where National Grid and AiDash representatives will present the new system.

www.aidash.com

By Brenig Moore, founding member and technical director at Astutis, an industry-leading provider of health, safety and environmental training and consultancy.

Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, stressed that climate education is central to making a transition to greener economies that guarantee a "sustainable future for current and new generations." Ryder also pointed out that the transition to a carbon-neutral economy will require new skills, training, and qualifications: "Many new jobs will emerge. Others will have to adapt. This makes climate education for the current and future workforce a priority."

It's essential that individuals and businesses take steps to improve climate education – and pressing. Not least because it's the ethical thing to do, but also because becoming more environmentally friendly is often deeply entrenched in companies' values and business strategy. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) targets, for instance, are public for all to see – including stakeholders – and often underwritten by law. For example, the UK's Climate Change Act 2008 and the European Climate Law made the bloc's goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 irreversible and legally binding.