SURVEY REVEALS ARC FLASH KNOWLEDGE GAPS
Arc Flash Protection specialist, ProGARM, in conjunction with the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), has commissioned a new study into electrical safety across UK industry and the threat of Arc Flash. It reveals not only a lack of awareness at every level to current safety standards governing Arc Flash, but an apparent failure from employers to properly educate staff about this high-risk threat. The study sought views from 200 UK industry
professionals across the rail, power generation, industrial electrical, utilities and petrochemical industries. There emerged both high levels of awareness
to Arc Flash (84% claimed they understood the risks this type of electrical explosion poses) as well as an alarmingly high rate of first-hand experience, with 57% admitting they, or someone they work with, has suffered an Arc Flash strike themselves. However, the research highlights an apparent
gap between this awareness, and the appropriate legislation in place to protect workers against it; 78% of respondents didn’t know the correct government safety standard –
HSG47 (avoiding danger from underground services) – that covers working when Arc Flash is a risk. Of those who were familiar with HSG47, four
fifths (80%) believed it is far too ambiguous when it comes to recommending the appropriate safety clothing to protect staff. Also 90% of respondents believed that there is a need for the Government to develop more specific guidelines or legislation to better recommend safety measures and appropriate clothing. But perhaps the study’s most worrying finding
is the 25% of employers who believe it is the sole responsibility of the individual employee to protect themselves against Arc Flash. Not only that, but 50% consider it is the employee’s responsibility to self-educate about Arc Flash, not their own responsibility as employer. Tony Arnett, Managing Director at ProGARM,
said: “One thing’s clear; more needs to be done – both from a Governmental, and from an employer education perspective, to ensure that those working in an environment where Arc flash is a risk are adequately protected.”
www.progarm.com
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ZERO LABELS 2 LANDFILL CERTIFICATION AWARDED
OPM Group has announced that it has recently been awarded Zero Labels 2 Landfill Certification. The certificate was issued by BPIF Labels following Prismm Environmental confirming that OPM’s waste was being treated according to the scheme compliance requirements. OPM has worked closely with recycling-led
waste management company Prismm Environmental Services. Prismm commenced with an initial audit of the system, processes and waste streams. Prismm introduced various equipment to accommodate the waste being produced, as well as maximise efficiencies, with the aim to reduce the
impact on the environment by utilising the latest technologies to divert waste from landfill sites. A baler, an on-site
compactor, and various bins were introduced to encourage waste stream segregation. The OPM
teams received training as to the benefits to the environment of recycling as well as from a health and safety perspective in the correct usage of equipment. Chris Ellison, MD commented: “OPM take
their environmental responsibility seriously, we are proud to assure our customers that their label products are being produced with as little impact on the environment as possible.”
opmgroup.co.uk
NEW VALVE ON SHOW AT INTERPLAS
At Interplas this month, DMN- WESTINGHOUSE will be exhibiting its new HP rotary valve, which was designed specifically for the plastics industry. There are two elements that effectively
set the HP (High Pressure) series of rotary valves apart from other models in the DMN-WESTINGHOUSE range. Firstly, as its name suggests, there is the pressure that the HP valve is able to run at; up to 3.5bar g, and secondly, the way that the inlet has been designed. Together, both of these elements ensure that product degradation is minimal as the product travels through
the valve and energy costs are reduced by cutting air leakage by up to 33%. The HP valve is available in sizes 200, 250 and 300 mm. To find out more about the valve, please turn to p16. Other valves on the stand will be a GL
200 rotary valve which is part of the standard range of DMN valves for handling granular material, and a DL 200 rotary valve representing the entry-level range of rotary valves. DMN is also known for its diverter valves and will be displaying diverters from the PTD and a SPTDS ranges.
www.dmnwestinghouse.com
ASK THE EXPERT: WHAT IS PARALLEL PUMPING?
Steve Topham, technical sales manager at Halcyon Drives, a member of ABB’s authorised value provider network, writes:
Parallel pumping means running two or more pumps side by side. The input flow of water is divided, with part of the flow going to each pump. After the pumps, the separate water flows are combined in the outflow pipe.
These types of multi-pump applications are often
used where additional pressure or flow rate capacity is needed to meet larger volume flows. They are also common in situations where increasing the size of a single large pump would not be cost-effective or practical. Control of parallel pumps is best achieved using
variable speed drives. With a drive for each pump, the pump motors can be run at the optimum speed to achieve the demanded flow rate. As an example, with two pumps working in parallel,
both can be ramped down, using less power than using one on its own but giving the same flow rate or volume. This can result in substantial energy savings. It can also help asset management as, with lower speeds and soft starts, the drives place less stress on the motors, helping reduce wear. Modern drives also have smart functions that can
improve reliability, cut energy consumption and reduce maintenance. One of these functions is pump priority control,
which balances the operating time of all the pumps in the system. It can help in planning maintenance and ensures that the pump with the least amount of hours run is always the first to be selected. With ABB’s intelligent multi-pump control, pumps
in a duty-assist-standby system can be selected and operated in their most efficient configuration. Parallel pumping also allows taking one pump
branch offline for maintenance and gives redundancy - if one of the pumps in the system fails, the drive reacts by increasing the flow in the other pumps, keeping the system operating. The system uses a master drive, connected to the
others to control the flow across the whole application. When more flow is required pump configuration and speeds are adjusted accordingly. When flow is not needed across all pumps, some can be stopped, leading to a significant reduction in energy costs and prolonging life. ABB
www.abb.com
Steve Topham, technical sales manager, Halcyon Drives PROCESS & CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2017 7
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