HAZARDOUS AREAS & SAFETY FEATURE ARE YOU ACTIVE IN GAS DETECTION?
to automatically shut down the equipment before the atmosphere develops into an explosive mix. Without active gas detection, operators
can be ‘blind’ to the presence of potentially explosive atmosphere, putting people, the company’s reputation and the supply chain at risk. When more and more companies are adding blue spots and other driver awareness systems to their vehicles, it seems obvious to also provide them with an active alert for gases or vapours. However, this isn’t always the case. I
Materials handling equipment working in applications with potentially explosive atmospheres, but with no added explosion protection, are exposing workers to numerous ignition risks. How is this safety “breach” possible, asks Rob Vesty from Pyroban
A
ny business handling flammable material in Europe must assess its
operations and formally classify areas into Zones according to the ATEX Directive. That is true of any manufacturing operation where flammable material is handled and mixed, sometimes in huge quantities. For instance, production lines and warehouses in the chemical, pharmaceutical, coatings and beverage industries. A proportion of these operations will be
classified as Zone 1 or 2, with ATEX compliant equipment specified quite correctly. For example, in Zone 2 hazardous areas, where a gas or vapour release is not usually expected unless there is an accidental spillage or release, businesses may use active gas detection on mobile equipment to help protect people and make equipment operators aware of any risk. However, parts of these sites near to
hazardous areas will typically be designated as ‘safe areas’, where standard equipment with no explosion protection features are often cleared for daily use. The problem in a manufacturing
operation handling or storing hazardous materials is that there is always the risk of an accidental release or breakdown in the process, creating a potentially explosive atmosphere that spreads very quickly. Gases can easily cross from Zone 2 areas into what is considered a ‘safe’ area. A sign and line do not necessarily help. When an area is ‘designated safe’,
businesses are not obliged to use explosion protected equipment, even though there is the potential risk of a gas or vapour release close by. The site’s risk assessment may include
stipulations for using the equipment, but in the real world, I have been to countless operations where unprotected materials handling equipment freely operates close to Zone 2 hazardous areas with no controls or restrictions. In these areas, the risk of ignition from this mobile equipment is often normalised and managers become complacent, rather than considering it a safety breach.
ARCING AND SPARKING Equipment commonly used in manufacturing and warehousing operations have numerous ignition sources including arcing and sparking components, hot surfaces and many more. This includes reach, pallet or stacker trucks, counterbalance lift trucks, VNA, cranes, access platforms and picking equipment. Full explosion protection on this
equipment is not usually viable for safe areas due to the cost, but there are relatively low-cost methods which can give some protection. For instance, fitting active gas detection to the equipment provides a way to alert the driver to any accidental gas or vapour release, as well as
Active gas detection can be applied to a range of mobile equipment (above), in addition to scrubber driers, shutters and shrink wrap machines for example
have personally seen instances where cranes are used for maintenance tasks on manufacturing sites, even in Zone 2 areas, with the excuse that there is nothing that can be done to protect them. This simply isn’t the case. Cranes are ideal candidates for Pyroban’s active gas detection system Gascheka, for example, which can easily be fitted prior to the task and subsequently removed. Gascheka has been developed especially
for mobile equipment to keep people safe in these designated ‘safe areas’. It monitors the surrounding area of any type of equipment of any age. It is low-cost and can be fitted in less than a day, and can warn the operator of risks and bring the equipment to a controlled stop if necessary. For a more enhanced safety approach, Gascheka can also be used in combination with a spark arrestor and shut-off valve. And it’s not just mobile equipment like
forklift trucks, cranes or tow tractors that this technology can be applied to in a factory or warehouse. Active gas detection can also be applied to equipment such as scrubber driers, shutters and shrink wrap machines for added safety. Gases are not smart or selective and can
cross into safe areas very easily. It only takes one ignition source from a vehicle to cause an explosion, so I don’t believe there is any reason why businesses should knowingly expose workers to this type of risk. When it comes to making your vehicle drivers aware of the presence of an explosive atmosphere, are you active?
The Pyroban Gascheka control panel
Pryroban
www.pyroban.com
PROCESS & CONTROL | DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 9
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