hEAlTh & SAFETy
CoNTrolliNg FumE ANd duST EmiSSioNS iN ThE WorkPlACE
risk to the health of employees, so far as is reasonably practicable. Exposure levels to potentially harmful airborne
T
trucks because of these concerns and a lack of Ex standards to certify against. Also, is it practical? As the charger cannot be
kept in the hazardous area, this makes opportunity charging difficult.
pyroban’s position on lithium-ion battery powered lift truCks Pyroban remains active in its technical review of the ever-evolving lithium-ion technology, and in the Ex standardisation work we do to drive clarity in the standards to fork truck applications. Although Pyroban has pioneered many new
technologies in the past, we do not feel confident to unilaterally decide what is safe for Ex lithium- ion traction batteries. Companies which are currently offering Ex lithium-ion batteries, in our view, do so without a clear foundation even if they have involved a third party, as the recent Safety Alert demonstrated.
and the notified bodies position? Notified Bodies are reluctant to take on lithium- ion Ex projects due to lack of clarity regarding the risk assessment requirements for Zone 2 and Zone 1 hazardous areas. A safety alert has been issued raising concerns
about the use of lithium-ion batteries in Ex d enclosures. Why? The alert identified that the explosion energy generated when cells fail can far exceed the mechanical strength of the enclosure and would therefore not prevent the ignition propagating to the open atmosphere. Pyroban also considers that as Ex d enclosures are not fire-proof, an internal fire may distort the enclosure negating the Ex d properties and the surface temperature may exceed the T (temperature) class.
other new battery teChnologies suit eXplosion proteCtion The current successful ATEX compliant lead acid battery technology is safe and proven for use in zoned hazardous areas. Furthermore, the new generation of batteries, featuring technologies such as thin plate pure lead (tppl), also deliver similar benefits to lithium-ion with opportunity charging during short breaks, reducing the need for battery changes. These are already available as ATEX compliant options.
pyroban
www.pyroban.com
contaminants in the uk are stipulated in the CoShh (Control of Substances hazardous to health) regulations and expressed as workplace exposure limits (WEls). These limits are presented in the health & Safety Executive’s Eh40 guidance as time weighted averages for either 15 minutes or eight hours, in both ppm (parts per million) and mg/m³ (milligrams per meter cubed). CoShh requires employers to assess the
risks to health caused by exposure to dust and fumes and take steps to ensure that exposure is prevented or at least, adequately controlled. To carry out this type of assessment, employers will need to look at which employees are exposed (it may be all employees of course), what they are exposed to, how much they are exposed to and for how long. As Joshua Evans, applications engineer at BoFA
international, explains: “Potentially harmful airborne contaminants can result from numerous industrial processes, including laser and ink jet coding onto packaging, automated soldering, laser cutting and engraving, spraying, and, increasingly, 3d printing and additive manufacturing.” in recent years, there has been rapid growth in
the 3d print market, most recently partly in response to demand for products to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. There is also increasing awareness of the potential harmful effects of the emissions resulting from 3d print processes, which often involves fusing and sintering. These processes can release harmful airborne contaminants of all shapes, sizes and smells, along with ultrafine particles (nanoparticles) and airborne volatile organic compounds (VoCs). Exposure to these emissions has the potential to
create impact on human health, ranging from headaches, eye irritation, skin problems to occupational asthma. “The message here is that whatever the
process, health and safety managers must evaluate the most effective means of capturing any potentially harmful emissions and filtering them appropriately,” says Evans. “They owe a legally enforceable duty of care to ensure operator safety, but there are also strong commercial reasons to invest in effective fume and dust extraction from a productivity perspective.” BoFA works closely with industry to ensure the
most effective extraction performance for any process. Extraction technology options include captor
hoods, which use a capture velocity across the source of the emissions; receptor hoods, which use the movement of particles / vapour towards the device to capture them; partial enclosures, which extract contaminants typically for hand grinding
he health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to provide and maintain working conditions that are safe and without
and finishing; and full or partial enclosures matched to the needs of automated processes such as laser coding or PCB manufacture. The precise design of each system will require
in-depth analysis of many different variables to ensure correct mitigation of risk. This detailed research will involve taking account
of material safety data sheets, the make-up and volume of airborne contaminants and/ or gases given off by the process, the type of production machinery, whether the process is enclosed, the duration of production and whether there are thermal risks associated with higher temperatures. once armed with this information, BoFA will use
data-driven airflow analysis and control parameters to define the optimal filtration technology, including pre-filtration, a main high Efficiency Particulate Air (hEPA) filter and a layer of activated carbon to remove vapours and gases. “The objective isn’t just to remove airborne
contaminants,” says Evans. “it is to do so in a way that enhances productivity and maintains safety, for example by keeping fast moving laser marking and coding lines free from dust to avoid unscheduled downtime. “There are also challenges that go beyond fume
and dust capture, where extraction systems linked to some thermal and mechanical processes need to mitigate any potential fire risks. This is particularly important where a combustible dust has the potential to be drawn into the filtration system.” under these circumstances, managers should
specify a system benefiting from fire-resistant materials for casings and filters, thermal cut-out protection and technology such as BoFA’s Spark Arrestor 2 and FireBoX to mitigate the risk of burning particulate entering the extraction system. System control is another key determinant for
optimal productivity and safe operating conditions and this is available through technology such as the company’s intelligent operating System (iQ). BoFA has just launched its iQ2 operating platform for the laser industry which features a host of functionality enhancements and innovations, including extended onboard data logs and real-time system condition visualisation. iQ2 also supports a colour touchscreen user interface, smart alarm configuration and remote system upgrades. “in short, better data and information means better
extraction performance and the avoidance of unnecessary downtime through timely filter exchange.”
bofa international
www.bofainternational.com
FACTory&hANdliNgSoluTioNS | July/AuguST 2021 65
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