An explosion at a US sugar plant in February left 12 workers dead and as many seriously injured in hospital. A dust explosion was to blame, according to investigators. Andrew Martin reports. Musculoskeletal disorders affect millions of workers across Europe and cost the process industries, among others, millions of Euros every year. Sean Ottewell examines a new EU initiative which aims to tackle the problem head on. The aggressive pursuit, by most European industries, of environmental safety and natural resource preservation through increased recycling is leading to augmented chemicals use. A new technology that could drastically reduce the amount of pollution emitted by a range of industrial processes has received a prestigious award from the UK’s Royal Society. At present, the little is known about the condition of the continental shelves’ transport arteries – the pipelines that carry oil and gas across the seabed. David Dyer seeks to illustrate the holistic rather than piecemeal approach needed to business improvement. He also attempts to show that taking a longer term view provides better sustainability for the business than taking shorter term actions. The organisation in question has been in existence for over 50 years and has in the past been very profitable. It is now faced with strong competition from the Far East. In 2004, the European Commission asked the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work to produce a short report identifying future EU research needs in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH). The Commission intended to use this report as input into its preparations for the seventh research framework programme. Growing costs and increasing environmental awareness are placing special
demands on fittings technology. Why manage alarms, given all the other conflicting pressures on time, and what are the benefits for those who make the journey? Rob Turner reports. ABB is launching a wall chart and pocket guide to help customers determine which activities are necessary for a successful project and where these activities fit in their overall process, from initial concept to lifecycle maintainability of a plant. Penny + Giles is announcing that its popular SRS880 rugged sealed rotary sensor is now available with an optional stainless steel housing. Digital Inspection Systems is launching a vision-based safety system for hazardous areas, known as SHASS (Scorpion Hazardous Area Safety Solution). Although explosive decompression (ED) is generally found in the oil industry, it can occur wherever there is a rapid drop in gas pressure. ED damage has been discovered in sealing applications ranging from paint guns to fire extinguishers, stern glands to refrigeration systems. Far reaching and diverse in application, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) are applicable to employers as well as the self-employed. Currently being enforced by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), they affect a wide range of businesses in the process sector. The concept of providing machinery safety with a light curtain is ostensibly simple. You erect a light grid around the machinery and any object passing through the grid will result in the machinery being immediately shut down, quickly enough to eliminate any risk of injury. There are, however, many crucial aspects to be considered if the light curtain is provide the level of safety assurance required. next