hose

Safeguarding hose: How much whip can a whipcheck check?

Across heavy industry, high pressure hoses are used for containing a variety of different substances in the form of liquefied gases and compressed air. However, as BSC’s Michael Rowe explains, “Measuring the potential risk of an on-site injury occurring from a high-pressure hose is mainly a matter of measuring the frequency of their usage — which is high.” “To put it bluntly, a quick change in pressure behind a flexible hose application can be life-threatening,” cautions Michael. “If a pressurized hose experiences a sudden spike or release in pressure, the hose can whip or flail around in similarly unpredictable movements at very high speeds. This creates an extremely dangerous situation that is hard to contain.” Michael notes that the point of connection where two hoses are joined or there is a valve backed by compressed air are the key areas that require secure safeguarding. “If a worker runs the air pressure where there are hoses connected, and the hose comes apart, that is when there is the potential for the hose to whip,” he emphasises. “The air pressure on these hoses peaks at around 90-100 pounds per square inch which is the amount of force that pressure is containing. Subsequently, unguarded hose connections can do significant damage to personnel nearby or the structural integrity of its surroundings.” Following several injuries and fatalities where the cause was determined to be a malfunctioning pressure hose, the Australian federal government published a safety alert on July 1, 2020, reminding employers of the importance of installing a safety whipcheck on pressurized air hoses, in order to safeguard employees from the dangerous threat of hose whip.1 To visualise how a whipcheck mechanism fits together, Michael describes that a typical whipcheck features spring-loaded loops in the cable ends that are easily opened to pass over the couplings, providing a firm grip on the hose. “The claw coupling will be around 50mm in diameter, relatively to the hose which would be around 20mm thick.” Digging a little deeper into the issue, Michael discusses the mechanics behind a whipcheck and why it is critical to site safety to ensure that all pressurized air hose equipment is safeguarded. He also makes some production and installation suggestions to get started with safeguarding hoses, referring to knowledge he obtained through one of BSC’s suppliers, Dixon, a well-known manufacturer of hose coupling and retention devices for safeguarding these types of applications.
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spill

Environmentally sensitive spill solutions

A chemical spill requires an adequate and appropriate response in order to protect sensitive environments and prevent pollution from spreading to nearby water and air sources. Developing an effective emergency spill response plan is an essential Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirement for mine site operators, particularly those who are handling mobile equipment, according to Steve Keown. “Whether its fuel, lubricants, or coolant, mobile equipment has the potential to spring a leak while out in the field, and an incidental chemical spill that occurs while working remotely can pose a significant OHS risk if a large spill occurs and workers are underprepared,” says the BSC National Product Manager. As for the gravity of the damage a spill can cause, that depends largely on how effectively the spill is managed by on-site personnel, Steve cautions. “It will not suffice for site managers to hope for the best on these applications, it is essential that they prepare for the worst-case scenario.” In Australia, the Environment Protection Act 20171 (EP Act) and Environment Protection Regulations 2021 (EP Regulations) now require all businesses to take proactive steps in managing the risks of spillage.1 According to Steve, there are few companies who have invested as much into aligning with regulations and preparing for worst-case scenarios as ENPAC, an American company that was founded on one simple principle: “To protect the environment from hazardous chemicals by providing customers with high quality, affordable containment solutions.” “ENPAC spill containment products have been used by the United States military and government organisations for decades, only recently being introduced into a more commercial market,” says Steve. “The team at BSC has been working closely with ENPAC Australia to offer our customers the most appropriate solution for spill containment — taking into consideration potential spill volumes, various types of liquids and how to account for the surrounding terrain,” he explains. “Readying mobile spill bunding kits on site is the most effective way to provide workers with a quick way of containing an unexpected leak, curbing run off from the spill, and minimising clean-up costs.” The range of flexible bunding solutions ENPAC manufactures are ideal for emergency mobile spill containment and can be conveniently stored and carried by mobile operators, to be placed quickly under equipment in the event of an equipment failure or a leak. “For larger leaks, sites can ready a mobile maintenance equipment setup with ‘drive in, drive out’ capability,” explains Steve. “In this instance, the leaking equipment can be driven or towed onto the spill bunding and enclosed to prevent the spill from breaching the surroundings.” Amongst ENPAC’s spill containment offerings are stinger snap up berms that can contain up to 33,000 litres of liquid; drip pillows; drip dams; leak divertors; and portable prowler pools that can contain spills of up to 560 litres. “The spill containment berms and duck ponds are great portable spill containment solutions for mobile equipment,” says Steve. “Not only will taking heed on these preventative measures benefit the health of workers and the environment, but it will also save valuable time and resources.” “Developing an appropriate mobile spill prevention plan could be as simple as an off the shelf product, or it could mean a day out on the mine site for one of our team,” concludes Steve. “We work with our Enpac Account Manager to assess the points of concern, drains, creeks, or particularly dangerous product on site. We want to ensure that we are offering the safest and most effective spill solutions to our customers.” Reference: Environment Protection Authority Victoria, 1823.1: Mining and quarrying – guide to preventing harm to people and the environment https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/publications/1823-1 Read More
silicone

Between a shock and a hard place: silicone for electrical applications

While silicone-based life may be the subject of what many consider to be science fiction, the role that silicone has played in life on our planet is of significant interest to the scientific community. Scottish chemist and molecular biologist Alexander Graham Cairns-Smith advocated in his 1987 book Clay Minerals and the Origin of Life that early life on earth could have evolved from a type of silicate.  The material sciences company Dow was among the first in industrial business to invest in silicone chemistry for the manufacturing sector in the late 1940s, and presently accounts for about 50% of the world’s production of silicone products.  As they continue to invest in silicone technologies, Duncan Rankin, Customer Manager at Dow,  believes that silicone chemistries are relatively unchallenged when it comes to potential solutions for electrical product developments. “Silicone rubber compounds have characteristics of both organic and inorganic materials and offer a number of advantages not found in organic rubbers,” says Duncan. “Silicone rubbers have fine electrical properties, good chemical stability, flame retardancy and superior resistance to heat and cold.” The Dow SILASTIC™ 9161 RTV Silicone is one example of a product that is highly geared toward specialised electrical applications. With a rubber-based curing agent, it seals and protects heavy duty cords and cables for up to 25 years without requiring further maintenance.  “The 9161 is for niche applications,” says Duncan. “It is often used in large, high-voltage junction boxes for sealing cable connections. These junction boxes can hold around a gallon of liquid and the silicone is poured inside of the box around the cables. Then a rubber-based catalyst is poured in to cure the liquid.” BSC National Product Manager for Adhesives and Sealants Michael Rowe, explains that the volume of silicone for these kinds of applications is large, but it also requires very little maintenance once implemented.  Read More
lifting

Lifting standards with Titan

The word ‘Titan’ brings to mind the Titans in Greek mythology – giant, powerful deities, whose name in the modern era is synonymous with strength and muscle. Whether or not this influenced the naming of Australian company Titan Lifting Technologies, it remains appropriate nonetheless, as the local manufacturer is renowned for its robust stainless steel rigging equipment as well as other products within their range. According to BSC Product Manager David Malthouse, the Titan precision Stainless Steel gear has a wide range of applications in the food and agricultural industries, and he is enthusiastic about the recent addition of these products to the BSC portfolio. One example he provides is the suitability of the Titan rigging gear to fishing applications. “Lots of companies use galvanised rigging wire, but the Titan products are specifically stainless steel. Over time, galvanising will degrade and corrode, but stainless steel will not,” he explains. “This Stainless Steel rigging gear can be used on trawlers, fishing boats, fishing nets that attach and drag behind the boat, and the swing arm wiring as well. It lends itself to any marine type of application because it is strong, tough, and the stainless steel material used is marine grade and corrosion-resistant.” In Tasmania, WebsterBSC are often working with customers in the fishing industry. “Our guys in Tassie WebsterBSC are heavily involved in helping customers there with rigging. Fishing companies – particularly those with large fish farms – use a lot of rigging gear between their sites,” he elaborates. “Our Hobart staff frequently go out on site to these customers, to calculate and fit their rigging. They also certify and test. This is particularly important, as rigging equipment needs to be recertified periodically to remain compliant with occupational health and safety regulations.” Read More

Making industrial ventilation a breeze

Proper ventilation in an industrial manufacturing environment is a critical factor to the health and safety of the workers and the quality of the final product, according to BSC Product Manager David Malthouse.  “Industrial facilities have a lot of airborne particles such as dust, dirt, and vapours from the chemicals being used in the manufacturing process,” says David. “These can pose a significant health risk and should be considered as a hazard in the workplace.”  Being a major supplier to industrial manufacturing segment, BSC is well positioned for demonstrating and facilitating the implementation of proper ventilation on site to plant managers. “The technical team at BSC regularly make site visits, in order to assess and make recommendations on how to improve the overall quality of the air in manufacturing plants,” says David.  “Automotive and mobile equipment parts manufacturing facilities, smelters and  refineries, and even food processing plants each need to mitigate the risks of toxic air contamination,” he elaborates, “The best way to do this is by installing a good quality extraction fan system that will draw out contaminants and cycle in cleaner air.” David frequently sources extraction systems from Fanmaster and considers them to be his preferred choice. “Fanmaster extraction systems are specially designed to fit the purpose of ventilating industrial scale operations and their engineered systems have delivered excellent results for customers,” David enthuses.  Australian family-owned and operated business, Fanmaster has been operating for over 21 years and has extensive knowledge of ventilation and extraction as an importer and manufacturer of heating, cooling, ventilation, and extraction equipment.  Troy Lopez, General Manager at Fanmaster, explains how BSC has been helpful as a distributor in engaging more customers. “The BSC network and market reach is amazing,” says Troy. “The strength of their communication channels and adept ability to really listen to suppliers has shown us that they really view our working relationship as a partnership.”  Fanmaster offers a range of extraction system to suit industrial applications, available with different types of airflow and extraction methods such as axial flow fans, wall exhaust units and roof exhaust fans.  According to Troy, Fanmaster offers several types of industrial extraction fans ranging from Filtering Systems, Portable Ventilators to Fixed Ventilation Systems.  Read More
spill kits

Customisable spill kits provide safe solutions for sticky situations

Enpac LLC is an American manufacturer that was founded on one simple principle: “protecting the environment from hazardous chemicals by providing customers with high quality, affordable containment solutions.” From the moment a spill occurs, there is a race against the clock. Every moment lost, increases the risk of a lasting adverse effects on the health of the workers and the environment, which is why it is important for site managers to be prepared with an inventory of spill bunding kits on site. For mine site managers, one of the greatest threats is an oil or chemical spill occurring when there is nobody around to see it, or worse, no way to contain it. “It’s imperative to have a storage and containment system in place on site,” says Steve Keown, National Product Manager for Liquids, Oils, Solvents, and Adhesives at BSC. “If there is a spill when nobody is present, it can leak into the soil, a storm water drain, or run off into a creek or surrounding environment. The aim is to prevent the spill from getting away. A leak can cause significant damage and the clean-up costs are huge. The losses are tremendous all around.” BSC’s relationship with Enpac has evolved over the last four years from proving spill bunding to fully customisable spill kits for customers. “We sell lubricants and solvents to customers and Enpac works nicely with that because they supply spill bunding and equipment and containment units where lubricants and solvents can be kept,” says Steve. “Whether it be decanting or a pump or hose, we can provide risk management and contingency solutions. It’s a nice added value for our customers.” Enpac offers a range of more than 50 different pre-assembled spill bunding kits, “customisable for the particular type of chemical, oil, or coolant being contained,” explains Steve. To simplify the options, he separates spill bunding kits into three main solution offerings.
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safety

Maxisafe: Making site safety great

When Adrian and Paul Phillips, two brothers from Melbourne, started Techware in 2003, they knew one thing for certain: safety never goes out of style. Coming from an industrial background, the Phillips brothers decided to go into the personal protective equipment (PPE) business, and they have never looked back since. Techware’s leading brand is Maxisafe, which is how they are recognised across Australia, specialising in the design and manufacture of hand, eye, respiratory, head and hearing protection. Their premium height safety products include confined-space harnesses, shock-absorbing lanyards, steel-alloy locking karabiners, and light-weight suspension straps. Since day one, they have seen exponential growth of their business, as the demand for high-grade reliable PPE has increased over the past two decades.
As demand has risen, the Maxisafe brand has expanded in its range. Their broad portfolio of products has given them an edge over their competitors in the market. Presently, Maxisafe has warehouses in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Whilst their factories are located everywhere from Germany to the United States, to South Africa, Taiwan and India. BSC is one of Maxisafe’s Australian distribution partners. Michael Rowe, a Product Manager at BSC, brings with him extensive knowledge and history in the field of mechanical maintenance. According to Michael, industrial safety has been a thriving area of BSC distribution over the past few years. Read More

Tools for life

When Tim Hellmers, Key Account Manager at Tridon Australia, attends tradeshows to showcase Tridon’s range of professional tools and hardware, he is often approached by people sharing with him stories about their favourite plier – the KNIPEX pliers. “People come to me and say how their KNIPEX plier, which they bought 20 years ago as an apprentice, is still performing exactly the same way as day one. I enjoy hearing those stories. They just show what high-quality tools KNIPEX pliers are. They are like tools for life,” says Tim. The longevity of KNIPEX pliers comes down to how they are manufactured in the factory, Tim explains.
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