Author: saul

Forklift collision avoidance systems are an essential part of enhancing workplace safety by alerting forklift drivers and other workers to the presence of vehicles, personnel and obstacles.

Utilising electromagnetics, RFID, GPS or bi-directional radar (or in the case of PBE’s system, all four), facilities can configure these tracking methods to recognise different groups, such as vehicle types, personnel, or obstacles. Proximity detection systems are not a “one size fits all” solution, so Carroll Technologies works with its customers to customize a warning system that is ideally suited for the application, from mines and tunnels to forklift facilities of all sizes.

Forklift collision avoidance systems

Carroll Technologies was approached by Ford Motor Company for help with a collision avoidance and proximity detection system to improve safety within their warehouses. Many of their facilities have lot of forklifts that operate in close proximity to one another, posing risk not only to the equipment but also to employees who are working around the vehicles.

According to Carroll Technologies president Allen Haywood: “Facilities that just have one forklift want to make sure that they don’t collide with certain low hanging obstacles and avoid danger areas, it’s never just about collision avoidance with other forklifts, but also avoidance of personnel.

“For Ford Motor Company with needed customizations such as more tags, so they’ll be notified if they get close to people, objects, other forklift, pickup trucks, or heavier pieces of equipment. This is the same technology that they use for collision avoidance for haul trucks, pickup trucks and loaders for big operations that can be used inside buildings for a handling facility, whether it’s one forklift or 50.

“Systems can be customized for a lot of different types of operations and programmed to set the parameters that they need. We can also incorporate remote opening gates and doors, as well as recordings of travel so that they can look back through history via mobile or desktop software. It can record everything that has been travelling, what speeds have been travelling at, and any near misses.”

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Proximity Warning Systems & Proximity Detection Devices for Mines

The energy industry operates in many challenging and remote environments, and any disruptions or downtime is costly. Effective communication solutions for the energy industry are key to ensuring that operations run smoothly and that any problems are corrected quickly should they arise.

Adverse environments make it difficult to develop reliable communication solutions, and those working in the energy industry need a system that they can depend on to facilitate collaboration and report any problems.

 

Reliable communication solutions for the energy industry

Carroll Technologies is dedicated to finding the most reliable and effective communication solutions on the market. With PBE Group, customers can be sure to have clear and undistorted communication.

PBE Group has extensive experience providing customized communication solutions to energy, construction, mining and tunneling industries. PBE’s team is focused on building long-term relationships with its customers to provide perfect execution and delivery of its safety and communication solutions. From handheld radios to fixed phones, and from man-down features to bullhorn speakers, PBE can supply communication solutions perfectly calibrated for any energy industry application.

PBE’s 112S/S Standard GEN II Model 112 page phone features sounder strobe for increased audible and visual alerts in noisy working areas, whereas the model 111 Page Boss is fitted with a bullhorn speaker, 110 or 220 VAC power supply and 12VDC output. The model 140 Page Boss features a touch tone keypad that can make calls through Model 139 or operate as a standard 12 VDC paging phone

PBE also supplies and installs leaky feeder cable. Any leaky feeder system can be customized for specific site requirements to ensure the best radio coverage and data communications.

Ensuring safety and productivity for its customers is key, so PBE is ISO-certified and ATEX-approved. For more information about PBE products, or to find out what communication solutions are best suited for your site, call Carroll on 606-573-1000 or send an inquiry here.

 

 

During the manufacturing and maintenance of equipment, it is not uncommon for workers in power plants to be required to enter confined spaces. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a confined space is defined as not being designed for continuous occupancy by the employee and having a limited or restricted means of entry or exit.

Examples of confined spaces in the energy industry include pressure vessels, pipelines, silos, boilers, and turbines.

 

Power plant safety: confined space policy

Whether dealing with windfarm turbines or offshore platforms, the hazards of confined spaces often overlap, however some confined spaces have recognized specific hazards. Safety policies and the equipment provided to workers must be adjusted to take these unique hazards into account, such as respiratory PPE for low oxygen environments or areas where there is a risk of hazardous gases.

Low-hazard confined spaces are known as non-permitted space. Whilst workers may not require special protective equipment, they will need to complete a written safety checklist before they begin work and may also be required to remain in contact with other personnel. Suitable signage for entry and exit, as well as warning signs for confined spaces, may also be applicable.

A permit-required space contains at least one atmospheric hazard. This may include material that has the potential to engulf an entrant, internal configuration such that a worker could become trapped or asphyxiated, sloping floors to a smaller cross-section, or any other hazards such as exposure to chemicals or hazardous gases.

 

Written permit space programs

Workers must be supplied with a permit space program that details the steps that need to be taken when entering a confined space at a power plant or wind farm.

Elements of these permit space programs include documentation of permit entry procedures, designation of employees that have active roles, training procedures, how to identify and mitigate hazards, processes for use and maintenance of equipment, and rescue procedures.

 

Safety equipment for confined spaces in power plants

Carroll Technologies provides a wide range of customizable safety signage from Nation Marker Company (NMC) in an array of materials, from rigid plastic to aluminium, and in a range of colours.

For permit-required spaces with low oxygen or hazardous gases, Carroll supplies a range of respiratory PPE. This includes the MSA Altair 4X and 5X multi-gas detectors for continuous monitoring of combustible or toxic gases, which also feature motion detection to alert others if the user has become immobile. Carroll also supplies the Ocenco’s M-20, the world’s smallest SCSR that uses compressed oxygen to provide respiratory protection for up to 32 minutes.

For remaining in contact while in confined spaces, Carroll Technologies provides an extensive range of two-way radio systems that provide complete communications coverage. Models include the 111 Page Boss, fitted with a bullhorn speaker, and Model 112 page phone, which features a sounder strobe for increased audible and visual alerts in noisy working areas.

The presence of oil and combustible gases on offshore platforms means that the utmost attention must be paid to offshore fire suppression systems and protocols. In most cases, offshore fires and explosions are preventable, including one of the most notorious disasters; the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Inadequate offshore fire safety systems, insufficient training and poor communication/alarm networks can all contribute to a heightened risk of failure. The Oil Spill Commission highlighted a number of causes that led to the Deepwater Horizon incident, including inadequate infrastructure such as cement and valves, as well as the gas alarm failing and the leak not being detected early.

Offshore fire suppression systems

Offshore passive fire protection (such as fire-resistant coatings) is used to prevent fire from spreading. This is especially essential for protecting structural elements that provide an escape route.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), for offshore installations the most effective fire protection is water deluge. The lack of such active offshore fire suppression systems is not considered good practice. Additionally, active fire protection requires linked gas, heat and flame detection systems.

For water-sensitive areas, companies such as Honeywell provide clean agent fire suppression systems to extinguish fires.

Temperature and gas detection systems

Combustible or volatile gases can all pose risks to workers and result in devastating fires and explosions. Early detection of any problems is a must to ensure that workers and the surrounding environment is kept safe.

Carroll Technologies has searched the market to find the best quality gas detection equipment for offshore oil and gas industries that operate in adverse environments.

From MSA, Carroll supplies the Altair 4X and 5X multi-gas detectors for continuous monitoring of combustible or toxic gases, which also feature motion detection to alert others if the user has become immobile.

Honeywell supplies the BW Solo, which provides single gas detection for hazardous environments. The company also supplies temperature sensors, including temperature probes that operate under shock, vibration, humidity and corrosion, as well as thermostats that break electrical contact when a specified temperature is reached.

In the offshore oil and gas industry, workers will frequently be required to enter confined spaces for inspection and maintenance. As with any other part of an offshore platform, these workers need to be protected from any hazards that they may be exposed to.

Developing a confined space entry program involves being aware of the potential hazards in each unique area so that workers can be supplied with the most suitable equipment and training.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outlines two kinds of confined space. First is a low-hazard non-permitted space, which is not designed for continuous employee occupancy and as such has limited or restricted means for entry or exit but does not contain atmospheric hazards. This may include areas such as tanks or storage containers.

A permit-required space contains at least one atmospheric hazard. This may include material that has the potential to engulf an entrant, internal configuration such that a worker could become trapped or asphyxiated, sloping floors to a smaller cross-section, or any other hazards such as exposure to chemicals in confined spaces.

Developing a confined space safety program

Once aware of the potential hazards in a confined space, employers can implement measures necessary to prevent unauthorised entry, provide training, develop procedures for safe entry, and provide and maintain confined space entry equipment,

Utilising and understanding procedures and training, workers should use the equipment they are supplied with to test and monitor oxygen content, flammability, toxicity or explosive hazards, as well as continuously be contactable by a trained attendant either visually or via phone/two-way radio.

Safety equipment for confined spaces in the oil and gas industry

Carroll Technologies provides everything that an offshore oil and gas facility needs to keep workers safe in confined spaces, from safety signage for exit routes to respirators and gas detection devices.

From MSA, Carroll supplies the Altair 4X and 5X multi-gas detectors for continuous monitoring of combustible or toxic gases, which also feature motion detection to alert others if the user has become immobile.

Pyott Boone Electronics (PBE) supplies an extensive range of two-way radio systems that provide complete communications coverage, so workers in confined spaces can continuously stay in contact with attendants. Models include the 111 Page Boss, fitted with a bullhorn speaker, and the 112 Page Boss Mine Phone, which features a sounder strobe for increased audible and visual alerts in noisy working areas.

For safety signage, National Marker Company (NMC) supplies custom signs in an array of materials, from plastic to aluminium, and in a range of colours.

To contact us for a quote or to discuss which products are best suited for your offshore confined space safety program, send an enquiry here or call 606-573-1000.

 

 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide suitable personal protection equipment (PPE), which includes reliable respiratory devices if workers are exposed to hazardous atmospheres.

From airborne contaminates to toxic gases, respirators used offshore need to be rugged and reliable. A number of important choices need to be made to ensure that workers are supplied with safety solutions that are ideally suited to their job.

Depending on where on an offshore platform a worker is situated, they may require an industrial full-face respirator or a half-mask respirator. Additionally, employers have a choice between a reusable respirator mask or a one-use disposable respirator.

What types of respirators are available offshore?

One type of respirator used on offshore platforms and oil rigs is the supplied-air respirator, sometimes referred to as a powered air respirator. For these devices, the respirator is connected to an external source of air, such as a portable cylinder. Clean air is supplied to the user via a high-pressure hose connected to a head/facepiece.

Air-purifying Respirators (APR), or unpowered respirators, remove airborne contaminants so that workers can breathe safely. Depending on what a worker is likely to be exposed to, they may be supplied with either a particle-filtering respirator (PFR) or a gas and vapor filtering respirator.

Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) provide users with clean air when the atmosphere is deadly. SCBA respirators can also be classified as self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) devices.

Types of SCBA respirators available include:

• Disposable respirators and reusable respirator masks
• Supplied air respirators
• Self contained self-rescuers
• Powered air purifying respirators
• Industrial full face respirators
• Half mask respirators

Where to buy respirators of the offshore oil and gas industry

Choosing the best quality respirators for each application can be a challenge, so many turn to safety experts who can ensure that the most suitable safety solutions are supplied at every step.

For respirators, Carroll Technologies provides solutions from MSA, experts in self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems. The company’s W65 Self-Rescuer Respirator is a one-time-use device that provides emergency respiratory protection. It is immediately ready for use after opening, so workers can stay safe even if they have limited warning time.

According to Carroll president Allen Haywood: “MSA has been a solid company for decades; we have a long-standing relationship with them. They provide not only W65 rescuers but all types of instrumentation, such as handheld spotters or monitors, which can check for an array of different gases.”