Safety Solutions Jun/Jul 2013

http://www.spanset.com.au

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CONTENTS

4 Prescriptiondrugmisuseintheworkplace

14 Confinedspaceentry-afewwordsfroma wisesupervisor

21 Shockabsorbertechnologyinfallarrestlanyards

26 Supportingprojectdeliverywithactivesafetymanagement

32 Respiratoryprotectionforwoodworking

37 Resources

38 Inmyopinion

ON THE COVER

The SpanSet Xtirpa range of confined space

access equipment offers simple solutions to

the most difficult confined space challenges.

From ground-level manhole access, including

standby personnel fall protection and public

safety, to the most awkward side entry and

rescue applications, the Xtirpa range has

the answers.

For working in public spaces there is the

Portable Manhole Guard System. An ex-

tremely lightweight assembly, this system

has a stabiliser that can be changed out

for wheels, allowing the system to be easily

moved around by a single person.

Our Tow Bar Hitch Davit System is said to

be the most versatile fall protection and

retrieval system on the market. Fitting most

50 mm square vehicle receiver hitches,

this system has accessories available that

include an anchor bolt adapter that fixes to

gridmesh walkways.

SpanSet understands your varying industry

requirements. As each system uses the

same mast and davit arm, by changing

out the other system components you can

adapt Xtirpa for a multitude of applications.

We also provide floor and wall adapters to

convert to permanent or semi-permanent

use and a range of brackets to suit your

existing winches and SRLs.

For a free site assessment contact SpanSet

Australia via:

www.spanset.com.au

SpanSet Certified Safety

SAFETY SOLUTIONSJUNE/JULY 2013

Your copy of Safety Solutions is now available as an online eMag.

NOW in DIGITAL!

http://www.safetysolutions.net.au/latest_issues

This month’s eMag is proudly sponsored bywww.paqs.com.au

http://www.paqs.com.au

4 This issue is sponsored by — People & Quality Solutions Pty Ltd — www.paqs.com.au

A/Prof Apo Demirkol, Assess Medical Group AMG

PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSEIN THE WORKPLACE

www.paqs.com.au

This issue is sponsored by — People & Quality Solutions Pty Ltd — www.paqs.com.au 5

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Prescription drugs, when used without a prescription and without the supervision of a doctor, can also have adverse effects. Workers

can become sleepy, anxious, depressed or confused from the improper use of prescrip-tion drugs. In addition, when these drugs are used improperly, they can pose risks to employees, their co-workers and the overall workplace itself. The risks associated with non-medical use of prescription drugs in workplaces can escalate when workers’ jobs require caution and safety to prevent injury, such as those of transportation workers, as-sembly line workers, construction workers, nuclear power plant workers and the like.

What is prescription drug misuse?Prescription drug misuse can be defined as the use of prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers, prescribed stimulants or seda-tives without a prescription of the respond-ent’s own or simply using the prescription drug for the effect the drug causes. This definition covers a wide range of behaviours, which could vary from misusing prescription medications to get high, stay awake or get to sleep to using someone else’s medica-tion to address a legitimate medical need.

Often, it is the case that this sort of behaviour can lead to lead to addiction, misdiagnosis of illnesses, life-threatening circumstances and death.

Is prescription drug misuse a problem in Australia?In Australia as a part of the National Drug Strategy, a survey is conducted every three years by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare which measures the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and drug use, and attitudes toward these substances, across Australia.

In the last survey, for the very first time, prescription medications were included among the questions and Table 1 (on the next page) summarises its findings for the prescription

medication. The striking finding is that almost one in 10 people between the ages of 20-29 used prescription medications for non-medical purposes. The regular users appear to be around 1% of the population, which is way higher than illicit substance users.

If we look at the trends in economies and cultures similar to that of Australia, such as the US and Canada, prescription medication misuse is now their number one problem.

It is important to note that prescription drugs are safe when they are taken as directed by a treating doctor. Fear of com-plications related to taking these medications long term should not stop an individual from taking medications that can help treat his or her problems, nor prevent a doctor from prescribing appropriate medications. Proper usage of prescription drugs can help workers protect their health and thus perform more productively in the workplace.

However, when taken for non-medical or recreational purposes, prescription drugs are no safer than illicit or street drugs. The misconception of prescription drugs as legal and ‘safe’, even when abused, is particularly strong among young adults.

How do people get access to prescription medication?The most common way of obtaining these type of medications is generally from friends and relatives. Young people refer to obtaining drugs from older relatives as ‘fossil fossick-ing’. Other ways of acquiring prescription drugs include ‘doctor shopping’ to get multiple prescriptions, taking them from a friend or relative, or buying them from a friend, rela-tive or dealer.

The internet is not a common source for obtaining these kinds of medications for Australians. However, people who travel to Asian and Southeast Asian countries where most medications are sold over the counter without a script tend to bring back large quantities of these medications and then sell them back in Australia.

Illicit drug use and alcohol misuse are now recognised as factors that can affect health and safety in the workplace. The same may not be true for prescription drugs.

www.paqs.com.au


Is there a treatment?Like other chronic diseases, addiction - adiseaseofthebrain-canbetreated.Usually,treatment includes detoxification and drugtreatmentorbehavioural interventions-ora combination of all of these.

Detoxificationisaprocessofsupervisedwithdrawalfromadrug;itisoftenthefirststep in a drug treatment program.

Behavioural treatments may includeindividualtherapy,groupcounselling,contin-gencymanagementorcognitivebehaviouraltherapy,eachofwhichhelpsindividualslearnhow to handle situations that may triggercravingsoruseandhowtohandlerelapse.

Drugorpharmacologicaltreatmentscanbeused tocounter theeffectsof thedrugon thebrain, relievewithdrawal symptomsand overcome cravings.

Nosingletreatmentisappropriateforallindividuals. Frequently, multiple treatmentroundsmaybeneeded for an individual tofully recover.

AssessmentsAssessMedicalGroupcanassistorganisa-tions by providing independent specialistmedical assessment and reviews of casesrelated to substance misuse that could behelpful in deciding what course of actionneeds to be taken.

Assess Medical Group

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/U074

EMPLOYERS CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREVENTING

THE UNHEALTHY AND HAZARDOUS USE OF SUBSTANCES

INCLUDING PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS.

DRUG MISUSE IN THE WORKPLACE

What are the most commonly misused drugs?Painkillers: This group of medications in-cludes morphine, codeine and oxycodone.Thesedrugscancausefeelingsofeuphoriaorahigh.Someusersalterthemethodofingestion to intensify these feelings (eg,snortingorinjectingOxyContin).Sincethesedrugscanaffectbreathing,evenasingledosecanbedangerousinanindividualwhohasneverusedthistypeofmedication.Mixingpainkillers with other substances such asalcohol or antihistamines is equally riskysince it increases the risk of respiratorydepression.

Sedativesareused to treat anxiety andsleep disorders and include barbituratesandbenzodiazepines.Thesedrugsproducea calming effect by slowing normal brainfunction.Thebodyquicklyadapts tosomeofthesedrugs,thusrequiringgreaterdosestoachievethesameeffect. It isdangeroustosuddenlystoptakingthesedrugs,whichcanleadtoseizuresandotherharmfulsideeffects. These medications should not becombinedwithpainkillersoralcohol,sincetogether they can slow the heart and res-piration to the point of death.

Stimulants,whichareusedtotreatsleepdisordernarcolepsyandattention-deficithy-peractivitydisorder,includemethylphenidateanddexamphetamine.Misuseofstimulantsproduceasenseofeuphoriaandcanleadtoaddiction.Stimulantsaresometimesabusedfor‘performanceenhancement’(eg,weightloss, better focus, increased attention) aswell as to get high. These drugs can de-crease sleep and appetite, which can leadtomalnutrition,andincreasebloodpressure,heartrateandbodytemperature,whichcanleadtoseriouscardiovascularcomplicationssuch as stroke. Abuse can also lead toparanoia and feelings of hostility.

What are the risks associated with workplace prescription medication misuse?Risksassociatedwiththistypeofsubstancemisusearenodifferentthanalcoholorillicit

substancemisuseandcanbesummarisedas:•higherhealthcareexpensesforinjuries

and illnesses;•higher rates of absenteeism;•reductionsinjobproductivityandper-

formance;•more workers compensation and dis-

ability claims; and•safety and other risks for employers.

What can be done in the workplace?Employers can play an important role inpreventing the unhealthy and hazardoususe of substances including prescriptionmedications by:

•sendingthemessagethatdrinkingandillicit drug use are not condoned;

•combating the stigma against seekinghelp and telling employees they canseek treatment confidentially withoutjeopardising their jobs;

•incorporating information on the ap-propriate use of alcohol and legalsubstances like prescription medica-tions into overall wellness and riskprevention strategies;

•providing factual information on theharmfulhealtheffectsofexcessiveuseof alcohol; and

•remindingemployeesthatexcessiveorbingedrinkingoutsideofworkhasanimpactonsafetyand jobperformanceat work.

Period 20-29 30-39 40+

In lifetime 10.3 9.7 6.2

In last 12 months 5.6 4.5 3.8

In last month 2.1 1.8 2.1

In last week 0.9 1.0 1.1

Table 1: Use of pharmaceuticals for non-medical purposes, people aged between 20-40, AIHW, 2010*

*National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2010, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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www.paqs.com.au

http://www.dupont.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

Soft-shell workwearThe Chassis soft shell, which is part of the Huski workwear range,

is a high-visibility soft-shell garment with the handy option of zip-off

sleeves to form a vest. Two styles have been added to the range - the

Kimberly, which is a ladies version of the Chassis, and the Nero,

a plain black men’s soft shell suitable for applications where

hi-visibility is not required.

Soft shells combine the comfort and breathability of fleece

with the wind and waterproof features of hard shells. This

makes them a good option when traditional heavy weight

restrictive protection is unsuitable. The garment is very

flexible relative to other traditional waterproof materials,

stretching naturally with movement without constricting,

giving the wearer a full range of motion.

It is also generally more breathable than traditional wa-

terproof jackets, yet still compares favourably for water- and

wind-proof qualities. Breathability simply means that moisture

(sweat) can escape from inside without letting it penetrate

from outside, maintaining a more even body temperature

and therefore ensuring a more comfortable workday.

In comparison to fleece, a soft shell doesn’t pill, therefore

it can keep looking better for longer. It is also resists water whereas some fleece can act like

a sponge in the rain. The soft shell is claimed to block wind more effectively than fleece and

it doesn’t attract stray dust and dirt like polar fleece. The Chassis range features internal and

external pockets, adjustable hem and cuffs, 3M 8910 reflective tape and piping, and complies

with AS/NZS 1906.4:2010 high-visibility materials and AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 class D/N: day or night

use. It is available in sizes S/92 - 5XL/127 in colours safety orange/navy and safety yellow/navy.

Huski

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T795

Lighting systemThe Duro-Flash double-sided

lighting system features six

heavy-duty lights in a recharging

carry case. It is a safe, eco-

nomical alternative to a standard

flare for delineating danger zones. It can

be used in applications such as to mark off hazardous

roads, show safe driving areas under water, direct

traffic or warn of a breakdown.

Available in red, blue or a combination of both, the

system has a die-cast aluminium construction designed

to withstand a drive-over weight of up to 9000 kg. It is

sealed to protect it against water and dust, making it

suitable for use in both floodways and extreme dust situations.

The individual lights are stored in a heavy-duty carry case which doubles as

a charging unit using a cigarette lighter adapter. Convenient LEDs on the outside of the case

show when the units are fully recharged. The lithium battery lasts for approximately five hours

between charges. The on/off switch has been incorporated into the recharge design - plug it in

to turn it off and charge it, and unplug it to turn it on and put it to work.

Vision Safe (PPE)


Fixed gas detection instrumentsAmpcontrol has released the

IQguard range of fixed toxic

and combustible gas detection

instruments.

Locally designed and manu-

factured, the range has been

targeted to fit applications

requiring accurate and reliable

gas monitoring where a high

degree of safety is required.

The detectors are simple

to set up and use, reliable in

operation and, along with their

robust construction, provide

for high-integrity monitoring

solutions.

The product is designed to

accommodate a wide range

of options and configurations,

including but not limited to:

moulded PVC or folded stain-

less steel enclosures; display

or non-display; built-in relays.

Communication options in-

clude Modbus RTU or ethernet,

facilitating connection to a wide

variety of controllers and build-

ing management systems. All

iQguard detectors carry EMC

and EMI approvals and incorpo-

rate in-built sensor self-testing.

Ampcontrol Electronics

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R625

www.paqs.com.au

Work Boots that punch way above their weight

Mongrel SP>SThe Mongrels SP>S range is designed for those with jobs that require all the comfort andsafety features of regular work boots but in a lightweight package like courier drivers or

those working in warehouses or some retail situations. For SP>S our Mongrel designersborrowed great ideas from Sports shoe technology and added a lightweight aluminium toe cap and long lasting but lightweight duo colour TPU/PU sole and included all the important safety and comfort features of Mongrel Boots. So if you’re on your feet all day but, don’t need a boot made for rugged conditions, check out our Mongrels SP>S range. The latest addition is the black leather SP>S 360 020 featured above. For more information – visit mongrelboots.com.au or see your local work wear specialist. Aussie Born and Bred

Victor Footwear 15 George Young Street Auburn NSW 2144 p: 02 8667 2555 f: 02 8667 2500 e: [email protected] w: www.mongrelboots.com.au

http://www.victorfootwear.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

Online contractor workforce compliance softwareRapid Contractor Management is a

fully hosted web-based system for

the management of contractor compliance and documentation. Configurable to any

business profile or work health safety procedures and systems, the online system

provides both a mechanism for determining compliance as well as a central data-

base for the storage of all contractor-related information, enabling efficient tracking

and management of contractor compliance documentation.

The online system acts as a gatekeeper for the management of contractor work-

forces, providing online processing of contractor information to determine their risk

level and compliance as well as capturing and tracking expiry of contractor docu-

ments such as insurance certificates and industry licences. Contractor companies

register through the online portal and are assessed for their suitability and safety

risk using an intuitive online form. Documentation is able to be sent and received

between all parties, providing all stakeholders with a transparent communication

pathway and record.

When used in conjunction with Rapid Induct, an online learning system, the

compliant and approved contractor companies are able to issue passwords to their

employees to complete relevant induction or training courses, thus ensuring only

compliant individuals are inducted into the worksite. User-specific business models

can be incorporated into the system to ensure a cohesive fit with business practices.

Rapid Global


Safety poles protective barrierThe Gala safety pole device is a safety sign

and protective barrier that can be used to warn

and restrict access to a particular area that

could be potentially hazardous.The increase

in demands being made by WHS to ensure

greater workplace safety has created a de-

mand for signs that act as protective barriers

as well as providing a message. Compared

to other safety signs such as an A-frame

sign, the safety pole device is not as easily

evaded as the only way past it is to remove

it or crawl under it.

The device is suitable for applications such

as toilets and washrooms that need regular

cleaning yet can create a potential hazard

for slips and falls during that wet cleaning

operation. It consists of two tough, plastic

telescopic arms that are kept extended to the

maximum of 115 cm by way of a stainless

steel spring and can be retracted against

the spring to a minimum of 72 cm. With the

average 80 cm doorway as an example, the

arms are retracted to slightly less than 80 cm

and then the device is placed in between the

door frame uprights at about chest height.

The two arms extend to the width of the

doorway and the device remains jammed in

the door frame. Once the danger has past

(for example, the floor has now dried), the

device can be removed.

A flat sign, which is imprinted with the

words ‘closed for cleaning’, clearly hangs

beneath the pole. Custom messages for the

sign are available to order should the device

be required for other types of applications.

A typical message for the sign could be ‘do

not enter’, which is use-neutral and does not

refer to cleaning.

Pall Mall Manufacturing Co


Signalling product range

To complement the NHP

Ex Hazardous Area

Equipment, the com-

pany has released

an extensive range of

Moflash HAE signalling

products for the Australian

and New Zealand markets.

The Moflash Ex signalling range in-

cludes electronic sounders, strobes and manual

call points, all of which will be certified to IECEx and

suitable for use in hazardous area Zones 1, 2, 21 and 22.

Manufactured using glass fibre reinforced polyester (GRP),

the dust and weatherproof signalling products are suitable for

hazardous area applications including: oil refineries, off-shore

gas platforms, chemical/petrochemical and grain processing.

NHP Electrical Engineering Products Pty Ltd


www.paqs.com.au

http://au.msasafety.com


NEWPRODUCTS

Linked with an Australian Wide Distribution Network

ADELAIDETel: (08) 8371 1443Fax: (08) 8371 0901

BRISBANETel: (07) 3252 8344Fax: (07) 3252 1497

MELBOURNETel: (03) 9720 9777Fax: (03) 9720 9766

SYDNEYTel: (02) 9797 7333Fax: (02) 9797 0092

www.krausnaimer.com.au

Confined space gas detectorThe BW Gas Alert MicroClip

Confined Space 4-Gas Detector

can be rented from TechRentals.

The BW Gas Alert MicroClip

4-Gas Detector prevents harm-

ful exposure to hazardous gases commonly encountered.

H2S, CO, O2 and combustible concentrations are displayed

in real time on the LCD screen. The user is also alerted by

visual, audible (95 dB) or vibration alarms if set levels are

exceeded within close proximity.

Alarms can be set into categories: instant low and high

alarm for all gases, time weighted average, short term ex-

posure limit for H2S, CO or over limit.

The Micro Clip is lightweight and compact for comfort.

Due to the critical nature of the unit, a calibration certificate

accompanies each rent.

Features include: simple one-button operation, data logging

of concentrations is provided and concussion-proof boot for

use in rugged environments.

TechRentals


Drug and/or alcohol testing workplace trainingReasonable Suspicion training is a 2½-hour course designed for team

leaders, supervisors and managers to assist in determining when to

request a reasonable suspicion or for cause drug and alcohol test.

Reasonable Suspicion drug and/or alcohol testing is when peers,

managers and/or supervisors are concerned one of their colleagues

may be at risk of misuse of alcohol and/or other drugs.

Participants will learn to identify the signs, symptoms and physical,

behavioural, speech and performance indicators of probable alcohol

and/or other drug use or misuse. This leads to confidence and im-

proved decision-making when considering a reasonable suspicion

drug and alcohol test. The course is conveniently delivered at the

workplace by educators experienced in drug and alcohol testing

across a wide variety of industries.

Medvet


Head and face protection range3M has launched an extensive range of head and face

protection, including the 3M Headgear G500. The G500

provides a versatile and comfortable solution for wearers

who require both face and hearing protection. It has

special design features making it easy to combine the

headgear with a wide range of 3M Peltor passive and

communicative earmuffs.

The front cover has ventilation for increased comfort and is

designed as a cable holder for use with Peltor communica-

tion products. The robust design of the headband allows the

headgear to be used with and without earmuffs. The slot is

30 mm wide, which is made to take the Peltor P3E-

attachment.

The industrial model has a clear SF-1 faceshield made

of polycarbonate. It is a high-impact visor, 1.5 mm thick

with an anti-fog coat on both sides. The visor is tested to

AS/NZS 1337.1. The G500 forestry combination has a

stainless steel mesh visor (5C).

3M Personal Safety


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.krausnaimer.com.au

http://www.capitalsafety.com

www.SafetySolutions.net.au14SAFETYSOLUTIONS-JUNE/JULY 2013

-AFEWWORDSFROMAWISESUPERVISOR

Mike Platek*CONFINEDSPACEENTRY


CONFINED SPACES

Globally, there are a wide range of laws concerning work in confined spaces with generally the sameintent, which is to protect workers when they enter such spaces. They lay out training guidelines andentry procedures and, in most cases, explain the hazards associated with entry. Where the informationfalls short is the experiences of the people that actually enter the spaces to do the work and thesupervisors that oversee it. On-the-job training is avaluable asset that needs to be shared more often.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, a confinedspace is a place which is substantially enclosed (thoughnot always entirely) and where serious injury can occurfromhazardoussubstancesorconditionswithinthespace

ornearby(eg,lackofoxygen).Havingenteredconfinedspacesbefore,hereare a fewthings that I have learnedandwould like to share.

Did you know atmospheric pressure can act as an invisible lid?Atmosphericpressure,orhighpressure,isoftenassociatedwithgood,clearweatherconditions.Itisalsoresponsibleforholdinggasesthatareknowntobelighterthanairintoconfinedspaces,justasamanholecoverwoulddo.Toexplain this, I’ll illustratemyminingexperience.

Ateverycoalminethere isabarometer located in thesafetyof-fice.Thisismonitoredforchangingconditions,typicallylowpressureassociatedwithacold frontthatmaybeapproaching.Whenthere isaseveredropinpressure,moremethaneis liberatedfromthemine.So, as high pressure holds the methane gas back, low pressure al-lows more to escape. For instance, when smoke leaves a chimneyin the winter months and travels at a 90° angle, this is due to anunseen ceiling holding the smoke down. Regarding confined spaceentry, that ‘invisible lid’ canbe dangerous in that gas samplingmaybeignoredbecausetheentrantassumesallofthecombustiblegaseshaveescaped.

Do you know when combustible and flammable gases can be detected?ThenexttipstartswithaquestionIalwaysgetaskedwhenconductingtraining in thefield: “Whyam I seeingacombustiblegas readingonmy instrument now (after lunch) but I didn’t this morning?” A com-monmisunderstandingaboutcombustibleorflammablegasesiswhentheycanbedetected.ThereasonIusebothterms,‘combustible’and‘flammable’,isveryimportant.HereisinformationfromtheNFPA(USNationalFireProtectionAssociation) regarding the two.

DefinitionandclassificationofflammableandcombustibleliquidsareaddressedinSection1.7ofNFPA30.Aflammableliquidisdefinedasaliquidwhoseflashpointdoesnotexceed100°F(37.7°C),whentestedbyclosed-cuptestmethods,whileacombustibleliquidisonewhoseflashpoint is 100°F (37.7°C), orhigher,alsowhentestedbyclosed-cupmethods.Thesebroadgroupsare further classifiedas follows:

•ClassIA-FlashPointlessthan73°F(22.7°C);BoilingPointlessthan 100°F (37.7°C);

•ClassIB-FlashPointlessthan73°F(22.7°C);BoilingPointequaltoorgreater than 100°F (37.7°C);

•ClassIC-FlashPointequaltoorgreaterthan73°F(22.7°C),butless than 100°F (37.7°C);

•ClassII-FlashPointequaltoorgreaterthan100°F(37.7°C),butless than 140°F (60°C);

•Class IIIA - Flash Point equal to or greater than 140°F (60°C),but less than200°F (93.3°C);

•Class IIIB -FlashPointequal toorgreater than200°F (93.3°C).

Averysimpleexample iskerosene.Kerosenehasaflashpointof100°F(37.7°C),whichmeansthatkerosenewillnotgiveoffanyvapoursthat are detectable with a combustible meter until its temperature isclose to that 100°F (37.7°C) mark. If you have ever used a kerosenelamp or a backyard torch, when lighting it you would place a matchup to the wick and start to warm the kerosene. White vapours startappearingandfinallyaflamewouldappear. It is thosesamevapoursthatareignitedthatcanalsobedetectedbyacombustiblegasmeter.

Gasoline, on the other hand, is much different. Its flash point is-45°F(-42.7°C).Gasolinewillalwayshavevapoursthatcanbedetected.Styrene’sflashpointissomewhereinthemiddleofthesetemperatureswithaflashpointof88°F(31.1°C).Thatleadsusbacktothequestionofwhencombustibleandflammablegasescanbedetected.Theanswercanbefound inknowingwhatmaterial(s)maybepresent,andwhentheywillproducevapoursthatcanbedetected.AgreattooltoassistwiththisinformationistheNIOSHPocketGuidetoChemicalHazards.It has 677 chemicals listed in its 2005 edition with information onexposurelimits,chemicalandphysicalproperties,synonymsandevenemergency treatments.

Are you prepared to enter the confined space?One common mistake I see when people are preparing to enter aconfined space is the sampling time it takes to properly detect theatmospheric conditions of their space. First, you need to understandthe tools used for this task. Most instruments’ manufacturers useelectrochemical sensors for detection of oxygen and toxic gases,and Wheatstone-bridge catalytic sensors for combustible gas detec-tion. In both cases, the methods of detection are not instantaneous.The electrochemical sensors need time for the chemical reaction tooccur.Thatisthesensors’abilitytochangethechemicalreactionintoaformofelectricitythattheinstrumentcandisplay.Thereadingsareineitherpartspermillion(PPM)fortoxicgasesorpercentbyvolumefor oxygen. The catalytic sensor burns the gases on its surface andrequiresthetemperaturetostabiliseforaproperdisplayofinformation.

Atypicalresponseinbothcasesisreferredtoas‘T90’orthetimeit takes to see a 90% response. Finally, allow two minutes for com-pletesampling.Youmustcheckwithyourinstrumentmanufacturerofchoiceregardingtheirguidelinesforsensorresponse.Usingaremotesampling device (pump) along with your instrument is the only sureway of knowing you are getting the information you need to safelyenteraconfinedspace.Experienceisagreatteacher;however,whendealingwithconfinedspacesandtheirinherentdangers,learningthosedangers before you enter may save your life. Look to those peoplewhohaveexperienceandlisten,thenputtheirknowledgetoworkforyou, andfinally train, trainand trainsomemore.

Industrial Scientific Corporation


*Mike Platek is a Training Specialist for Industrial Scientific Corporation. With over 25 years of experience in gas detection, Mike has worked in many industries training them in instrumentation, confined spaces and hazardous materials.

www.paqs.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

CA

SE

STU

DY

Don’t overheat in fire-retardant workwear

AproductlaunchedbyHardYakkameansthatworkersdon’thavetooverheatontheinsidetoavoidburnsontheoutside.TheHardYakka Protect with Tecgen Select is a range of inherent fire-retardant(FR)workwearthatprovidesworkerswithcomfortandprotectionfromarcflash,flashfireandheatstress.

Speakingattherecentproductlaunch,DrHowarddeTorres,burnsspecialist andplasticsurgeon, said, “Unpredictablefirescancauseseriousburns.Burninjuriescanleadtoskingrafts,infection, months in hospital and even amputation. Even if theindividualthinksthechancemaybesmall,whywouldyoutakethechance?Preventionisdefinitelybetterthanthecure.”

TheHardYakkaProtectwithTecgenSelectFRrangemeetsandexceedsthemoststringentfiresafetystandards,currentlyset in theUSA (includingNFPA70EandNFPA2112).Suitableforoil,gas,electricalandmineworkers,theproductalsomeetsAustralianandNewZealandStandardsforHighVisibilityAS/NZS4602.1:2011.The range is claimed tobe the lightest-weightFRworkwearavailableinAustraliawhichmeetsNFPAHazardRiskCategory2(HRC2)requirementsofArcThermalPerformanceValue(ATPV)8cal/cm2orabove.

TestsconductedbyindependentlaboratoryPrecisionTestingLaboratoriesfoundHardYakkaProtectwithTecgenSelectshirtstobeonaverage25% lighterandpants 14% lighterthanotherFRproductsthatalsomeetHRC2requirements.Thetestresultsshowedtherangetobe63-68%morebreathablethancompetitorsandwickssweatonaverage15%better.

In hot climates or extremely labour-intensive work, sometradespeopleforgothetraditionallyheavyFRworkwearinordertostaycoolandcomfortable.Thisincludesoptingforcotton-basedworkwearwithnoFRqualitiesatall,whichisoneoftheworsttypesofworkweartobewearinginthecaseofanarcflashorflashfire-bothofwhichcanoccurspontaneously.Cottonfabricburnsandwillcontinueburning,whileHardYakkaProtectgarmentsareselfextinguishing.

BrennaMathews,SeniorProductManager,HardYakka,said:“Whenarcflashorflashfireeventsdooccur,thosedressed in

cottonorpoly-cottongarmentsaretheleastprotected.Untilnow,traditional FR workwear was typically heavy, thick and can getveryhot.HardYakkaisproudtosignificantlystep-upthelevelofprotectionworkerscannowget,withoutcompromisingthecomfortandbreathabilitythatHardYakkaisknownfor.”

The Tecgen fibre used in the construction of Tecgen Selectconsists of two characteristics. One is a outer carbon sheaththat’sheatresistantandwillnotburn.Theotherisadurableinnervisco-elasticcorecapableofstretchingandtwisting inordertoprovidemaximumwearcomfort.Theinherentfabricensuresthatthefire-retardantqualitieswon’twashorwearoutandtheself-extinguishingnatureofthefabricmeansitactsfasttoreducetheextentandseverityofburnstothebody.

TheproductwillbeavailableinJune2013fromsafetyspecialistworkwearandPPEdistributors,specialistworkwearstores,HardYakkaWorkwearCentresandwww.hardyakka.com.au.Therangecomesinhi-visibilityshirts,coverallsandpants.

Shock absorbing lanyard rangeCapital Safety has launched the improved DBI-SALA Force2 Shock Absorbing Lanyard Range which is

lighter, stronger and more durable. It features: Hi-10 energy management material, a small shock pack,

light and strong connector combinations, durable Repel technology webbing and a rugged and du-

rable soft cover with protected labels.

The Hi-10 shock pack is claimed to be 66% smaller and 40% lighter than comparable prod-

ucts. Consisting of high-tenacity fibre energy management material, it is resistant to abrasion,

moisture, chemicals and cuts, and is claimed to use less than half the material content than

competing products.

Constructed with Repel technology water-repellent webbing to reduce the attraction of mould and

dirt and provide better abrasion resistance, the lanyards are also equipped with an expanded range

of lighter and stronger connector combinations including triple action karabiners, snap and scaffold

hooks. The range also includes the WrapBax lanyard, specifically designed to withstand the rigorous

requirements of tie-back applications, making the application simple, fast and efficient.

DBI-SALA’s i-Safe intelligent safety system using RFID technology is built into each product in

the Force2 shock absorbing lanyard range to track inspections, control inventory and manage

information. The range meets all the strict requirements of the AS/NZS 1891.1:2007 standard.

Capital Safety Group (Australia)


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.pilz.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

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Workplaces prepare for flu season

Vaccination programs are being implemented by an increasingnumberofbusinessestominimisetheimpactthefluwillhaveontheirworkplace,accordingtohealthandsafetyserviceproviderMedvet. Employers Mutual has experienced the benefits of aworkplacevaccinationprogramagainst influenzaforthe lastsixyears. The companyworked with Medvet last year to offer fluvaccinationstoallitsstaffanditwasreportedmorethan30%oftheworkforceparticipatedintheprogram.

“Weallleadbusylivesandoftendon’thavetimetomakeanannualappointmentwithourGPforafluvaccination,”EmployersMutualGeneralManagerGregConnorsaid.“Wefoundthatprovidingourstaffwiththeopportunitytobevaccinatedduringworkhoursnotonlyenhancedtheirpersonalhealthandwellbeing,butalsohelpedtolimitthespreadofthefluthroughouroffice.

“Wewill continue to offer our staffMedvet’s fluvaccinationservice in2013.”According toMedvetManagingDirectorGregJohansen:“The2013fluseasonhasarrivedearlyinAustraliaandhasofficiallybeendeclaredapandemicintheNorthernHemisphere.

“Influenzaconstitutes10-12%ofallabsenteeismintheworkplace,costingAustralianbusinessesanaverageof1.5milliondaysofsickleaveandatleast$175millioneveryyear.

“It has been predicted that the number of people affectedby influenza in2013will bedouble thatof last year,whichwillconsiderablyimpactAustralianbusinesses.”Johansensaidmorebusinesseswere realising thatworkplacevaccinationprograms

couldsignificantlyreduceabsenteeismresultingfromthespreadofinfluenzaandsubsequentlyincreaseproductivity.

“Implementinga‘hassle-free’vaccinationprogramforemployeescanincreasethepercentageofyourworkforcewhohavesomeformofprotectionagainstthevirus,”hesaid.

Medvetoffersavaccinationprogramthat canprovideon-sitevaccinationservicesagainstinfluenza,hepatitisA,hepatitisBandtetanus (which also provides protection against diphtheria andwhooping cough). Experienced and qualifiedvaccination nursesadministerthevaccines.

Medvet


Coverall for liquid and particulate protectionThe DuPont Tyvek Classic Xpert coverall

is designed to provide a high level of

protection and comfort in the Type 5/6

category. According to test data, it provides six times more particle

protection (holds out 99.2% of dust) and three times more protection

against liquids than the Tyvek coveralls it replaces.

The lightweight, durable suit provides the wearer with good liquid

protection due to its patent-pending seam technology. It passes

the Type 6 test method (EN ISO 17491-4 Method A:2008) and also

demonstrates greater protection when tested according to the more

stringent whole suit Type 4 spray test (EN ISO 17491-4 method B).

The fabric is certified as offering protection against infective agents

(EN 14126), as well as against chemical permeation by some water-

based dilute chemicals. With only 0.8% whole suit inward leakage, it

also reaches Class 2 for nuclear particulate protection.

Features include: hood design that fits to the contours of the face

and neck reducing exposure risk; longer sleeve design ensures a

good fit; glued-in elastic waist reduces the number of seams; bigger

zipper puller to make it easier for the wearer to fasten and unfasten

when wearing gloves; and locking zipper ensures that the coverall

will not accidentally unzip when working.

The suit is robust and abrasion resistant with antistatic treatment

on both sides. It is silicon free, low linting and both air and moisture

vapour permeable, which maximises breathability and wearer comfort

while providing a high level of liquid and particulate protection.

DuPont (Aust) Limited


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Do you know if your candidates

are thinking safety?

R-SAFE DOES!

W: www.paqs.com.au T: 4949 4500 E: [email protected]

TRY IT FOR FREE

www.paqs.com.au

http://www.paqs.com.au

http://www.draeger.com


New ProTag Optima SystemAustralia’s Most Compact Appliance

Testing and Tag Printing System.

Call EMONA Instruments on tel: 1 800 632 953 email: [email protected] or www.protag.com.au

The new ProTag Optima System tests portable appliances and RCDs,

and prints test tags in a compact system weighing only around 2kg.

No interface cables between the tester, printer and scanner provide

maximum mobility on construction sites, factories and workshops.

Light weight, wireless, battery powered and with logging of visual

inspections and risk assessments, the Optima System guarantees

greater efficiency, huge time savings and a lower cost per tag.

Arc-safe wet weather protectionWorkers in the electrical industry are often exposed to hazardous

and potentially dangerous workplace conditions while working

outdoors in the rain. Improvements have been made to the

fabric of the Zetel ArcSafe wet weather apparel, developed

to protect workers against electric arc flash in wet weather

conditions, including modifications to the components and construction to improve

the ATPV rating from 8.9 to 11.0 Cal.

ArcSafe wet weather gear is available in two levels: ArcSafe Wet Weather that

provides HRC 2 level protection in a full waterproof wet weather jacket and trousers;

and ArcSafe GR FRAS (flame-retardant, antistatic), which is the same ArcSafe mate-

rial with an interwoven carbon grid to provide antistatic properties to the garment.

The clothing is highly visible, waterproof, breathable, windproof, flame-resistant and

offers protection against electric arc hazards.

Zetel ArcSafe is a three-layer, flame-retardant, durable, breathable, waterproof

and windproof fabric that offers electric arc flash protection of HRC2 (ATPV 11). It

conforms to the requirements of EN1149-3:2004 - Protective clothing electrostatic

properties-surface resistivity.

Zetel ArcSafe GR is a three-layer, flame-retardant, antistatic, durable, breathable,

waterproof and windproof fabric that offers electric arc flash protection of HRC2 (ATPV

8.9) and incorporates core conducting trilobial yarns which offer good antistatic perfor-

mance and durability. It conforms to the requirements of EN1149-3:2004 - Protective

clothing electrostatic properties-surface resistivity.

Features of the ArcSafe jacket include: weight - 271 gsm; garment rating HRC 2

ATPV (Cal/m2) = 11; test shot rating HRC 2 ATPV (Cal/m2) = 11.

Features of the ArcSafe trouser include: weight - 271 gsm; garment rating HRC 2

ATPV (Cal/m2) = 11; test shot rating HRC 2 ATPV (Cal/m2) = 11.

Zetel ArcSafe wet weather jackets and trousers have been tested by Kinetrics

Laboratory in the US to ensure they meets the highest possible standards required

by electrical workers. The arc-safe jacket and trouser showed no failures in the test

results and are said to be the most effective arc flash wet weather gear available.

Elliott Australia Pty Ltd


NEWPRODUCTS

Siphon-fed spray nozzlesExair’s siphon-fed spray nozzles atomise fluids in a

range of spray patterns for a wide variety of uses.

They require no liquid pressure and can be

used with gravity-fed liquids or lift liquids from a

siphon height as much as 91 cm. They combine

liquid and compressed air to create a thin coat-

ing of liquid that can be easily adjusted to meet

specific needs.

The nozzles can coat, cool, treat and paint a

variety of products using compressed air and

liquids with a viscosity of up to 200 cP. Used with

water, atomising nozzles are suitable to evenly

cool hot items in automated processes.

The stainless steel construction provides dura-

bility and corrosion resistance. The nozzles are

available in a variety of flow patterns and rates

and internal and external mix atomising nozzles

are also available. All models are adjustable.

Compressed Air Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R580

www.paqs.com.au

http://www.protag.com.au


Whenpeopleoriginallydesignedequipmenttoprotectyoufrom a fall, they designed body belts that would wraparound the waist, fitted with 6 foot (1.86 m) 3-strandpolyesterropewithoutanyenergy-absorbingproperties,

whichweredesignedtoeitherpreventyoufromreachinganedgewhereyoucould fall or, in theworstcase, suspendyourbodyaftera fall.

The result of a fall in a bodybelt is never pretty - the fall forcesapplied in a concentrated area of the body can bring about severeinternal injuries.Somuchso that beltswere removed fromrecogni-tion in fallarrestapplications,alongwiththepolyester rope lanyardswithout energy absorbers, some time ago. They were replaced withfullbodyharnessesandfallarrest lanyardsorself-retractinglifelineswithenergy-absorbingsystems, bothofwhichoffer ahigherdegreeof user safety during and after the fall, as well as lower impact onthebodyasa resultof the fall itself.

The inclusion of shock-absorbing systems has now been part offall protection for over 20 years. As their name suggests, they aredesigned to absorb energy that is created as the body falls towardsthegroundunderthatalmighty force-gravity.The ‘shock’ofthe fallis reduced with an energy-dissipating system that starts to take upenergy applied to it over 200 kg of force. Under the Australia/NewZealand design standard AS/NZS1891.1, this must not allow the bodytoreceiveaforceexceeding6kN(kiloNewtons-ameasureofforcenamedafterthefamousscientistSirIsaacNewton).Inestimatedterms,1 kN of force is approximately equal to 100 kg of force. So even in

the event of a fall where a person is subjected to the full force ofgravity,this isa lotofforce,buttheaveragehumancanwellsurvivesuchaneventprovidedthattheycorrectlyusetheequipmentthathasbeendesigned forsuchapurpose.

So how does a webbing shock absorber actually work?The predominant methodology of achieving shock-absorption prop-erties is the use of sacrificial ‘tear webbing’ as a component of atotal lanyardassembly. Insuchapplicationswhereapersonusesthelanyardin‘restrainttechnique’,thedevicewillnotdeploy.Thismeansthat anyone can easily ‘lean’ into a lanyard and place their full bodyweightagainstthedeviceat itsfull lengthandtherewillbenoeffectonthe lanyard. It isonlywhenasignificant,sustaineddynamic forceexceeding 200 kg is applied to the lanyard (such as would occur ina fall) that youwill start tosee thedevicedeploy.

Tearwebbingisdesigneddifferentlytootherwebbingasmightbeusedinaharness.Itgenerallyinvolvesusingtwostrips(orhalves)ofwebbingthatarethenwoventogetheragainasecondtimeto formasingle piece of webbing, but with two end ‘ears’. The ears are thensewntogetherwithapieceofregularwebbinginacircularloop,whichisdesignedtobea ‘back-up’device.This isvery importantas if thetearwebbingweretoseparatecompletelyintheeventofamajorfall,theseparationcouldallowthepersontofallrightthroughandnotbesaved. This was actually typical of the first shock-absorbing lanyard

SHOCKABSORBERTECHNOLOGY

Michael Biddle, Managing Director, Capital Safety

INFALLARRESTLANYARDS

Youhaveheardofa‘shockabsorber’before,butwhatdoesithavetodowhenitcomestofallprotection?Or,maybeyouhaveheardofashockabsorberbuthave you ever wondered how it works?

www.paqs.com.au


1. Deployed shock pack 2. Modern-day shock-absorbing lanyard in use

designs in the 1980swherethe lengthof tearwebbingwasquiteshort.However, these were soon replaced by those with the back-up strapfeatureonce theconsequenceswere fullyunderstood.

Testing has shown that in most fall events, it is very unlikely that afulldeploymentoftheshockabsorberwilloccur.Alongwithtesting,thelawsofsciencealsoprovethattheshorterthefalldistance,thelowertheamountofdeployment(ortear-out)thatactuallyoccurs.Thisis,therefore,a reminder that you can minimise fall distance and impact on the bodyfrom a fall by using an adjustable lanyard or connecting at the highestanchoragepointpossible.

Energy-absorbinglanyardsareprovidedwithaworkerweightlimitandcareshouldbetakentoensurethattheuserdoesnotexceedtheselevels.

In the event a fall arrest lanyard is involved in a fall, it must be imme-diatelyremovedfromserviceandneverusedagain.There isnosuchthingaskeeping it fora ‘seconduse’.Andwhen indoubt, tag it out!



SHOCK ABSORBER

THE INCLUSION OF SHOCK-ABSORBING SYSTEMS HAS NOW

BEEN PART OF FALL PROTECTION FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

AS THEIR NAME SUGGESTS, THEY ARE DESIGNED TO

ABSORB ENERGY THAT IS CREATED AS THE BODY

FALLS TOWARDS THE GROUND UNDER THAT ALMIGHTY

FORCE - GRAVITY.

www.paqs.com.au

http://www.medvet.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

Machinery safety trainingAn internat ional ly recognised

machinery safety course is to

be offered in Australia in

September to provide an

expert level of training and

an industry-wide recognised

level of competence.

A collaboration between

two international leaders in

their respective fields, Pilz and

TÜV NORD, the Certified Machinery

Safety Expert (CMSE) training is

targeted at professionals who require a thorough

understanding of the safety life cycle and who actively lead,

coordinate and review the more complex and demanding activities

in machinery safety.

Training is delivered over four days in the form of individual modules

containing lectures, discussions, problem solving and practical

workshops. The final day is an open-book examination conducted

by the independent TÜV NORD Group to verify understanding and

enable certification. The course is aimed at professionals involved

in machine specification, design, construction, maintenance and/or

upgrades. Gaining certification will enable participants to:develop a

greater understanding of the requirements of the relevant regulations

and standards; discover how these may be applied to the design,

build, maintenance and operation of machinery; understand the

obligations to be met when specifying, designing, constructing or

putting machinery into service; manage projects from risk assessment

to safety upgrade and implementation; design functional safety

systems in accordance with ISO 13849 and IEC62061; and attain

an internationally valid certificate from TÜV NORD.

The training is available in Melbourne from 10 to 13 September

and in Sydney on 16 from 19 September. To book, call 03 9544 6300

or email [email protected] and for further information

about about CMSE visit CMSE.com.

Pilz Australia Industrial Automation LP


Monitor vest for emergency personnelA vest that uses Bluetooth and can monitor the heart rate, breathing

rate, activity level and movement has been manufactured by Tait Com-

munications. It also monitors core body temperature, stress levels

and posture of the wearer. The vest can sound alerts when sudden

changes in these measurements occur, give location information

via GPS and is lightweight and machine washable. The Tait BioLink

vest is the result of a collaborative project designed to give vital

information to incident commanders so they can make critical deci-

sions quickly. The company worked with partners Zephyr Technology.

The vest is still in the early development phases, initially focus-

ing on firefighter training scenarios. Beta trial cycles are due for

completion in mid-2013.

Tait Communications

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S977

www.paqs.com.au

http://www.debgroup.com/au/


NEWPRODUCTS

Test and calibration stationThe Dräger X-dock series allows automatic bump testing

and calibration at reduced test gas consumption and

short test duration. At the same time, the networked

database system provides extensive documentation

and evaluation.

The X-dock is available in different versions. The X-

dock 5300 comprises a control unit including a module

for a gas detector of the X-am 1/2/5x00 or Pac product

range. The X-dock 6300/6600 versions are fully configu-

rable, include a control unit and are expandable with

up to 10 modules.

The device is operated via a touch screen at the

master station. Up to three test cycles can be config-

ured freely. In addition to the bump test, several other

options can be activated, such as the testing of the gas

detectors’ alarm elements. The X-dock also automatically

recognises all sensor combinations and automatically

tests and adjusts them if all required test gases are

connected. The station operates independently and

can be configured without a PC. Once a gas detector

is inserted, the device is automatically detected by the

X-dock, which records all data in the database.

The X-dock Manager evaluation software analyses the

data of the calibration system and the gas detector and

processes them. This allows for a quick overview, for

instance, of the level of gas concentrations in certain

areas of the plant, if all tests have been performed and

if all devices are ready for use. In addition, a complete

log is recorded, which includes when each device was

tested and what the result was.

The reduced gas flow of 300 mL/min instead of the

500 mL/min currently used per conventional module

reduces the expenses for test gases. The testing period

is reduced to between 8 and 15 s (for standards such

as CH4, O2, CO and H2S), which reduces the daily

testing effort. The patent-pending valve concept largely

eliminates the use of pumps. The valves manage the

test gases and, if connected, even compressed air. All

Dräger test gas cylinders are already registered in the

database - by entering the item number, the required

fields for the gas configuration are automatically filled.

Draeger Safety Pacific Pty Ltd


Diesel bunding tankSilvan Australia has added to its range a bunding tank for its

400 L Diesel Pro transfer tank which is suitable for farmers, contractors,

resource companies, earthmovers and civil engineering businesses.

In accordance with the relevant standard (AS 1940-2004), the tank

has a 440 L capacity or 110% of the unit it houses.

In the event that the

400 L capacity tank is

penetrated or subject to

an overfill or accidental

spillage, the volume will

be immediately captured

and retained in the bund.

The need for a clean-up

or collection and repair of

any damage is therefore

avoided.

With dimensions of 1800 x 960 mm and a height of 470 mm, the

tank is manufactured from impact resistant UV stabilised polyethylene.

The tank can also be suitable for a number of original low profile

Selecta diesel tanks.

Silvan Australia Pty Ltd


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.storemasta.com.au


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Taxi drivers to receive lifesaving first aid skills

Atleastonetaxipassengeraweekwillrequireurgentfirstaidwhileenroutetotheirchosendestination.Asaresult,13CABSisprovidingtheirdriverswithsufficientknowledgeandconfidencetobethefirstresponderwhenanincidentarises.

ThenewonlineIntroductiontoFirstAid(IFA)awarenesscoursewhichhasbeenlaunchedbyStJohnAmbulanceVictoriawillequipmorethan11,000existingMelbournecabdriverswithbasicfirstaidskillsincluding:Firststepstotakeinanemergency•Howtorespondtofaintingoranunconsciouspassenger•Howtotreatsprainsandstrainsaswellaswoundsandburns•Whattodoifapassengerischoking

TheIFAawarenesscoursewillbeincludedinallnewdrivertrainingandprovidedtoallexisting13CABSdrivers.

13CABSCOOStuartOverell said themost commonfirst aidincidentsexperiencedbypassengersarefalls,breathingdifficultiesandfainting.“Ourdriversareregularlyfacedwithsituationsinwhichpassengersbecomesickorinjured,orhaveoverindulgedonanightoutandrequirefirstaid,”saidOverell.

“Equippingourdriverswith these lifesavingskills ispart ofourlong-termcommitmenttoourpassengersandtotheVictoriancommunity.”TheonlineIFAawarenesscourseisnowavailabletoallbusinessesacrossVictoriaandisrecommendedforbusinesseswithalargeemployeeandcustomerbase.Thecourseisparticularlyrelevanttoretail,hospitalityandtourism.StJohnAmbulanceVictoriaCEOStephenHortonsaidthecourseisquick,simpleandacost-

effectivewayforbusinessestoequipemployeeswiththebasiclifesavingskills to respond ina wide range of emergencysituationsthatmayaffectstaff,patronsorcustomers.

“We’vespecificallydesignedthis course for businessessotheirstaffcanaccessfirstaid traininganytimeandanywhere,”saidHorton.

“Howyourespondinthefirstfiveminutesfollowinganincidentcancriticallychangeitsoutcome.ThenewIFAawarenesscoursewillequipemployeestoactquickly,andwe’reproudtobeworkingwith13CABStohelpimprovethesafetyoftheirpassengers.”

HortonsaidStJohniscallingforallemployerstofollow13CABS’leadandincludethe60-minute,IFAawarenesscourseinworkplaceinductionprograms.“ThedevelopmentoftheIFAawarenesscourseisanothersteptowardsourgoalofmakingfirstaidapartofeveryone’slife.Thiscoursewillequipemployeeswithvaluablelifeskillsthatcanbeappliedbothinandoutoftheworkplace,”hesaid.Forbusinessescommittedtoworkplaceand/orcommunitysafety,theIFAawarenesscoursestartsthefirstaidcertificationprocessbyprovidingbasicawarenesswhichwillbeenhancedbyface-to-facetrainingfromStJohn.

St John Ambulance Australia


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.mayohardware.com.au


GaryNeave,DirectorProgramDeliveryServices,ParsonsBrinckerhoff,contributedtooutstandingsafetyoutcomesthrough innovation and initiative on a benchmark pro-ject inSouthAustralia for the state’swaterutility,SA

Water. As Project Director for SA Water’s $400 million NorthSouth Interconnection System Project (NSISP), Neave activelyinfluencedteambehavioursandcontributedtoallsafety forums:in the office, in the client’s office and on site.

“By delivering consistent safety messages and driving be-haviours across all project sites and personally acknowledgingoutstanding safety leadership and initiative I was ‘active’ andeffectively communicated the expectation that teammembers dothe same,” said Neave.

Butsafetyismorethanjustcompletingoneobservationayearbecause it is mandated. Active safety management proactivelyinvolveseveryprojectteammemberineverythingthatinfluencesthe safety and wellbeing of the team members, their colleaguesand the project’s end users.

Active safety managementBeingactiveinthemanagementofsafetygoesbeyondmerecompli-ance.Itrequiresengagingbroadlytosupportcolleagues,constructioncontractors,clients,projectownersandoperators,andthecommunityto deliver safety outcomes. Everyone from the CEO to the projectdirector to the graduate engineer plays a significant role.

Establishing an effective framework that supports an activesafetymanagementcultureisarguablymoreimportantthansettingtheprojectorbusinessunitbudgetandschedule.Seniormanage-ment plays a key role in ensuring safety’s ongoing inclusion inthe culture, discipline and behaviours of staff. And every teammember is part of the safety team.

The key components of active safety management include:•ensuring every hazard, no matter how minor, is identified,

recorded, considered and mitigated;•reporting and investigating every incident and near miss

accurately;•supporting colleagues every step of the way if they feel at

risk, unwell or are hurt, however slightly;•maintaining a consistent approach to the safety of all team

members, regardless of their role or location;•collaboratingwidelytoensurerepresentativesfromallproject

stages are included in all safety forums (eg, constructionand operations staff must attend Safety in Design sessionswhen there is still opportunity to influence concept andpreliminary design);

•implementingacharterorsimilaragreementthatestablishesa behaviour platform across the team; and

•building a team culture that truly supports the behavioursrequired for successful delivery (eg, no blame and reward/celebration of safety achievements.

SUPPORTINGPROJECTDELIVERYWITH

Safetyprecautionsareeverywhere.Whetheritbeahandrailandkickboardsonapumpstationplatformor personal protective equipment and safety briefings on a construction site, safety is a critical partof allwe do. Initiatives such as ‘ZeroHarm’ support the importanceofvigilance and safety in everyaspect of working life.

ACTIVESAFETYMANAGEMENT

www.paqs.com.au


ACTIVE SAFETY MANAGEMENT

A major project delivery team typically includes a group ofsafety professionals who identify and assess risks and hazards,write and implement work method statements, educate and ad-vise team members, and monitor performance and compliance.Goodsafetyoutcomesresultfromrigorouscompliancetomaturesafety policy, proven standards and comprehensive procedures.

“The challenge and innovation for active safety managementis to move away from a compliance-based culture to one whereeveryone is actively thinking and involved,” said Neave.

Thisapproachissupportedbytwoelements:everyone’sactionsareanexample toothers, andeveryoneat all levelsparticipatesin ongoing, active engagement.

Active safety management on NSISPSA Water’s $400 million NSISP is a crucial component of theGovernment of South Australia and SA Water’s Network WaterSecurityProgram,along-termstrategytodeliveraflexible,inte-gratedsolutionforwatertransferanddistributionuntil2050andbeyond. It has upgraded and connected metropolitan Adelaide’snorthernandsouthernwatersupplynetworks.ThishasgivenSAWatertheflexibilityitneededtouseitswaterresourcesefficientlyand has increased the community’s security of water supply.

NSISPwasdeliveredbyanintegratedprojectteamwhosemainresources were selected on a best-for-project basis, regardlessof their source or employer.

Parsons Brinckerhoff provided key members of the projectleadership team, design services, construction and commis-sioning resources, and supported the stakeholder engagementand project controls teams throughout the project life cycle. Itworkedwiththeclientandpartnerprofessionalservicesprovid-ers to ensure exemplary safety outcomes for all stakeholders.

Neave said the innovative approach taken to safety heavilyinfluenced the project’s safety outcome.

“Safetywasembeddedintheculturethroughteambehaviour;asafetycharter; andcontinuousengagementwith thecontrac-tors,theclientandallmembersoftheteamregardlessoftheirrole and location.

“This resulted in safety being every project team member’sresponsibility,fromthedesignersholdingSafetyinDesignwork-shopstotechnicalmanagersandcontractorstalkingaboutsafetyandapplyingpolicyandprocesstositeactivity,”explainedNeave.

The NSISP team used SA Water’s existing safety manage-ment systems and developed new safety initiatives during theproject delivery phase to meet the challenge of a complexand high-risk work environment. They focused on continuousimprovement and introduced new initiatives that augmentedthe existing systems to ensure strong safety performance andculture across the entire project.

The safety group, supported by the wider NSISP team, es-tablishedsystemsthatencouragedsharedlearninganda‘safetyfirst’ culture. The complexity of the construction, challengesand high-risk nature of work across multiple sites throughoutmetropolitanAdelaidenecessitatedactivesafetyawarenessandacommitment tomeetingdailysitesafetychallenges.Contrac-tors inthe field,SAWaterstaffandNSISPseniormanagementsupportedtheseaimsbyuphold-ing the Zero Harm vision andconsidering the future.

Celebratingsafetysuccessesreinforcedtheactivesafetyman-agementmessage.AmajorsafetymilestonewasreachedinFebru-ary 2012 when the NSISP teamcelebrated one million hours ofworkcompletedsafely,withzerorecorded lost-time injuries.

“The event acknowledgedthe efforts of the entire teamand reinforced the team safetyculture,” said Neave.

The team celebrated at aBBQformorethan400workersacrosseightsites.Thefestivitiesincluded a motivational speechon safety from leadership andanNSISPdrinkbottle inscribed

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withasafetymessageforover1000safetycontributors.NSISPwas handed over on time, within budget and with outstandingsafety outcomes. The project achieved zero recorded lost-timeinjuries and a benchmark low ‘all recorded injury’ frequencyrateovermorethan1.8millionhoursworkedonhighlycomplexandchallengingtasksacrossmorethan120sites.Theexcellentsafety record continues well into operations, which is a testa-ment to the rigour applied to the management of safety fromconcept to handover.

The future of active safety managementWithsafety, success forone isasuccess forall.Atrueactivesafetymanagementprojectregardssafetyasatoppriorityatalltimes.Andactivesafetymanagementwill become increasinglyimportant. It will include all the currently practised elementsof good communication, Safety in Design in initial stages fol-lowing through to construction and completion, commitmentfrom leadership - including the client - to drive initiative andembeddingsafetyinteamculture.Innovationsintechnologyandsystems offer exciting possibilities, such as safety reportingthrough mobile devices making critical information, reports,

THE CHALLENGE AND INNOVATION FOR ACTIVE SAFETY

MANAGEMENT IS TO MOVE AWAY FROM A COMPLIANCE-

BASED CULTURE TO ONE WHERE EVERYONE IS

ACTIVELY THINKING AND INVOLVED," SAID GARY NEAVE,

DIRECTOR PROGRAM DELIVERY SERVICES, PARSONS

BRINCKERHOFF. THIS APPROACH IS SUPPORTED BY TWO

ELEMENTS: EVERYONE'S ACTIONS ARE AN EXAMPLE TO

OTHERS, AND EVERYONE AT ALL LEVELS PARTICIPATES IN ONGOING,

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT.

ACTIVE SAFETY MANAGEMENT

guidelines and notices available in real time. Several elementsare essential to ensuring active safety management is incor-porated in projects.

“It is important to break through barriers that prevent col-laborationamongmultiplepartners,toreflectonlessonslearntfrom previous projects, to incorporate behavioural charters incontractual frameworks and to drive individuals’ KPIs beyondtheir technical role to ensure shared safety responsibility,”said Neave.

Everystakeholdercancontributetosafety.Wheneveryone,whethertheybeclient,com-munity member or worker, is active and ac-countable, safety becomes more than a planandregister.Itisinherentineverything-everyproject planning document, every budget,every conversation. Zero Harm is no longeran aspiration - it is real.

Parsons Brinckerhoff


NEWPRODUCTS

Rescue kitsThe Miller QuickPick Rescue Kits provide a solution during unexpected, peer-

rescue situations involving those working at height. The rescuer can remotely

attach the system to the suspended worker while remaining securely anchored

to the working surface. All rescue components are included in an easy-to-store

kit with no assembly required and only requiring an overhead anchorage.

The kit comes with a back-up braking system to eliminate accidental release

during a rescue situation and an efficient hauling system with

a 5:1 lifting ratio, making heavy loads easy to lift.

The kit contains: back-up braking system; high-strength

colour-coded aluminium pulleys for easy orientation; 1 mm

kernmantle rope; remote connection rescue pole - 1.2 m

collapsed, 3.6 m fully extended; karabiner clip and pigtail;

tool lanyard; cross arm anchor connector; backpack for easy

transportation; and a carry case for the pole.

Honeywell Safety Products Australia Pty Ltd


Gary Neave

www.paqs.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

Fixed cable and hose retainerSwift Metal Services has expanded its range

of cable and hose brackets to include the

fixed cable and hose retainer.

From working with site managers and project

coordinators at large infrastructure and construc-

tion companies, the company identified a need to

suspend larger diameter and heavier hoses, cable

and pneumatic lines on building sites, energy in-

frastructure, mines and machinery workshops. This

has resulted in the Swift retainer bracket that allows

for multiple mounting positions including hooked

or bolted configurations.

Designed primarily for the power and energy

industries, the cable brackets can used across a

broad spectrum of applications and industries in

any area that requires hooks or brackets to lift cables,

power leads or hoses out of walkways or traffic areas.

Typical sizes hold up to 50 mm cables with custom designs

available. Cable hooks are available in 304 stainless steel,

powder-coated or hot dip-galvanized finishes.

SWIFT Metal Services Pty Ltd


Anchorage deviceThe Protecta Dual-Ring Cable Tie-Off

Adapter anchorage device has been

designed to provide an alternative to

‘choker’ style anchors and as a safe

replacement for material handling

slings that are being used for fall

protection. The design replaces

incompatible ‘basket’ type configura-

tions such as those used with some

slings, or slings requiring multiple

hooks into a single connecting element,

or connecting combinations of hooks or

karabiners together.

Lightweight and durable, the dual ring design

provides a safe and compatible fall arrest-rated

connection for personnel, as recommended in

the AS/NZS 1891 standard. Portable and re-

usable, the tie-off adapter is easily repositioned

without disconnecting or loosening the device

and can easily be slid across a beam.



www.paqs.com.au

http://www.elliottaustralia.com


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Fluke_SafetySolutions_Jun-Jul_Ad_Corrected.indd 1 4/06/12 10:04 AM

Withover42,000students,DeakinUniversitycomprisesthreeseparatecampusesinMelbourne,GeelongandWarrnambool,which are over 260 km apart. The Wormald team installedadvanced MX Technology fire detection systems at each ofthe three campuses, which are interconnected using theuniversity’sintranet.ApplyingtheMXfiredetectionsystemsacrosssuchavastareaisclaimedtobeafirstfortheindustry.

Thecomprehensivefiredetectionsolutionincludes17MX1fireindicatorpanels.Wormaldprovided4000high-performanceanalogaddressabledetectors,includingMX814HheatdetectorsandMX814Psmokedetectors.

The system provides staff with improved control overpotentialfirerisksontheuniversity’scampuses,whichincludemultiple disconnected buildings. The system’s graphicalinterfaceinstantlydisplaysthestatusofthefiredetectorsateachbuilding.Universityemployeesnowhave theability tomonitorthefiredetectionsystemsfromanycomputerwithaninternetconnection.Theycanalso investigateordeactivatealarmswithoutphysicallyvisiting thebuilding.By receivinginformationfromeachindividualdetector,thelocationofafirecanbeeasilyidentifiedandanappropriateresponsedevisedquickly.

RussellOrmston,BuildingServicesEngineeringManageratDeakinUniversity,said,“TheWormaldMXsystemhasgivenuscontroloverthefiredetectionsystemsatmultiplecampusesfromasinglepoint.IwasveryhappywithWormald’sprojectplanningandmanagement.Theteamcompletedtheworkwithinaverytighttimeframeandminimiseddisruptionsbycompletingtheinstallationduringuniversityholidays.”

AccordingtoTonyAntoniou,BusinessDevelopmentManagerwith Wormald, “While the installation at Deakin Universitypresentedsomechallenges,theadvancedcapabilitiesoftheMXsystemmade it an idealsolution.Tohelpcontrolcosts,ourteamre-usedmuchoftheoriginalfiredetectorwiringandintegratedthesystemthroughtheuniversity’sexistingintranet.Furthermore,thesystem’sflexibilitymeansitcanbeexpandedorreconfiguredasnewbuildingsareaddedorexistingbuildingschangefunction.”

The MX Technology system complies with AustralianStandardAS 1670.1-2004 - Fire detection,warning, controland intercom systems - System design, installation andcommissioning-Fire.

Wormald (Tyco/Fire & Security)


Fire detection solution across three campuses at university

www.paqs.com.au

http://www.fluke.com.au


NEWPRODUCTS

Speed humpAWS has speed humps

that conform to Australian

Standards AS 2890.1 2004

and are made to withstand

a high amount of traffic.

The high-profile speed

hump is made out of tough

thermoplastic, the same

material that is used to

make motorcycle helmets.

It has reflectors to show

location at night and a

cable protector tunnel un-

derneath.

The hump is simple

to install and comes in

250 mm modules of black

or yellow so it can be built

to different sizes.

Australian Warehouse Solutions Pty Ltd


Thermal imaging and security camerasFLIR’s range of A310 cameras can be used for both

temperature monitoring and security applications.

The A310 f and A310 pt thermal imaging cameras are dual-

use systems - temperature monitoring of critical installations

and perimeter security. They can be installed almost anywhere

to monitor critical equipment and other valuable assets. They will safeguard

plants and measure temperature differences to assess the criticality of a situation.

The A310 f is a fixed mounted camera. Once installed it always looks in the

same direction. It is suitable for monitoring critical installations and to protect the

perimeter at the same time. The A310 pt pan/tilt has the features and functions

to build single- or multicamera solutions. It can pan ±360º continuously and tilt

±45º. It is suitable to cover large areas. Typical application examples are wood and coal pile, waste bunker and

substation monitoring. It is a multisensor and includes a lowlight 36x zoom colour CCD camera. With a thermal

A310 pt, the operator can monitor the perimeter security continuously, while equipment in the field of view can be

monitored at the same time. At selected times, it can also audit temperatures of equipment in other locations, then

return to the main task of security monitoring. A fixed A310 f camera can also perform both functions simultaneously.

Other applications include: power generation and distribution; critical equipment monitoring; natural gas process-

ing, transport and storage; fire prevention in waste storage areas; flare detection.

Both cameras can detect temperature differences as small as 0.05°C and contain analysis and built-in alarm

functions. MPEG-4 video output can be streamed over ethernet to show live images on a PC. Composite video

output, PAL and NTSC is available. The cameras come standard with a built-in 25° lens with both motorised focus

and autofocus. Optional lenses are available.

FLIR Systems Australia Pty Ltd


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.specsavers.com.au

www.SafetySolutions.net.au32SAFETYSOLUTIONS-JUNE/JULY 2013

RESPIRATORYPROTECTIONFORWOODWORKING Terry Gorman,

Senior Occupational Hygienist, 3M


RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

Wood dusts and other contaminants are produced in various tasks commonly carried out both in theworkplace and in the home/hobby situation. These materials, if present in high enough levels, are arespiratory hazard and suitable precautions should be taken.

In 1995, the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC) designated wood dust as a known human carcinogen(Group 1). This was on the basis of the confirmation of thecorrelation between inhalation of wood dust and a rare type

of adenocarcinoma involving the nasal sinuses.Hardwoodandexoticwoods,ratherthansoftwood,arethemost

likelycandidates for inducing thiscancerouseffect.Certain typesof hardwoods (eg, beech, oak) are potentially a source of moresevere outcomes.

Research has found that there is evidence of an increasedincidence of nasal cancers in chronic exposure areas like thefurniture and cabinet-making industries and a similar outcome issuspected in sawmilling, carpentry and joinery, and in the paperand pulp industry. This type of cancer has a latency period ofaround 40 years. However, cases have been reported as little asfiveyearsafterexposure.Thismakestheuseofexposurecontrolsand suitable respiratory protection essential where overexposureto wood dusts occurs routinely.

The most common effect from overexposure to wood dustis irritation of the respiratory tract, starting from the nose andreachingdown into the throat.Thedust in theseareascancausecoughing, irritation and hoarseness.

Respiratory and dermal hypersensitivity in woodworkers hasalso been observed resulting in asthma, rhinitis and dermatitis.The complex chemical compounds in wood are thought to beresponsible for these allergic reactions.

Symptoms of overexposure may include:•coughing, sneezing, breathing problems•nose bleeding, vomiting, nausea•headache, giddiness, vision disturbancePotential exposure processes:•sawing, milling, planing•chipping, sanding, routing•shaping, thicknessing, tenoning•moulding, jointing, turningThe wood that has been most studied is Western Red Cedar.

ResearchersinBritishColumbiahaveidentifiedasthmaticresponsesprovokedbyinhalationofplicaticacid,awater-solublecomponentin Western Red Cedar. In Australia, Safe Work Australia has setexposure standards for certain hardwoods at 1 mg/m3 and forsoftwoods at 5 mg/m3 as the 8 h average concentrations, whichshouldnotcausediscomfortoradverseeffectsinnearlyallwork-ers. Note that sensitised individuals may have reactions to muchlowerlevels.TheAmericanConferenceofGovernmentalIndustrialHygienists(ACGIH)hasrecommendedanexposurestandardof0.5mg/m3forWesternRedCedarinTLVpublicationforseveralyears.

SolutionsPreventativemeasures suchasextractventilation, filteredair andwatersprayscanhelpcontroldustexposures.However,wheretheseare not available or not practicable, use of respiratory protectionis indicated. This will be the case in the majority of situationsencountered during common woodworking tasks.

For exposures to levels up to 10 times the exposure standard,the respirators are available that will provide suitable protection.

3Mhasavailablethefollowingsuitablerespirators:valvedflatfoldrespirator9312P1;flatfoldrespirator9310P1;valvedcuppedres-pirator 8812 P1; cupped respirator 8710 P1. These products usedand fitted correctly will provide protection against wood dust upto 10 times the exposure standard.

Higherconcentrationsofdustswill requirerespiratorydeviceswithhigherprotectionlevelssuchasfullfacerespiratorsorpoweredairpurifyingrespiratorslikethe3MJupiterwiththeM-106headtop.

Lead paintsWorking with recycled painted wood has hazards related to thepossible presenceof lead in the paint.High levels of lead canbereleasedduringstrippingorsandingoperations,eitherintothelungsor as particles swallowed into the stomach. High lead intake cancause long-term health problems. For heat stripping of the leadpaint, there can be amounts of lead fume released.

Respirators suitable for sanding tasks available from 3M in-clude: valved flat fold respirator 9312 P1; flat fold respirator 9310P1; valved cupped respirator 8812 P1; cupped respirator 8710 P1.

Respirators suitable for heat stripping of lead paint include3M’s valved flat fold respirator 9322 P2; flat fold respirator 9320P2;valvedcuppedrespirator8822P2;cuppedrespirator8210P2.

MDF and formaldehydeUse of MDF (medium density fibreboard) raises the added pos-sibility of exposure to formaldehydevapours - this is used in thebonding process during manufacture of MDF. As well as wooddust, formaldehyde can be released during cutting or milling ofthe MDF product.

Eye and upper airway irritation are common symptoms fromoverexposure to formaldehyde while using MDF. Formaldehydehasbeendesignatedasensitiserthatcancauseaspecificimmuneresponseinsomepeople.Exposuretoasensitiser,oncesensitisa-tionoccurs,maymanifest itselfasaskin rashor inflammationoras an asthmatic condition, and in some individuals this reactioncan be extremely severe.

FormaldehydeisalsodesignatedbyIARCasaGroup1carcinogenandexposuresshouldbekeptaslowaspossiblebywell-maintainedventilation systems. Where these measures are insufficient, othermeans of control are required, PPE being one such approach.

Specific respiratory protection solutions for formaldehyde thatmeet the performance requirements of Australian Standard 1716areavailablefrom3M.Theseinclude:premiumhalffacerespirator7500 series (7501 small, 7502 medium, 7503 large) and standardhalf facerespirator6000series (6100small,6200medium,6300large). The 7500 and 6000 series respirators need to be fittedwith the company’s organic vapour and formaldehyde filter 6075or organic vapour/acid gas filter 6057. The filter, fitted with thecompany’s particulate filter 5925 P2 and particulate filter retainer501, will provide combined protection against formaldehyde andwood dust up to 10 times the exposure standard for a trained,fitted, clean-shaven wearer.

3M Personal Safety


www.paqs.com.au


Are you preparedfor sudden

cardiac arrest?

Call 1-800-605-555 or visit www.zoll.com.au

Sudden cardiac arrest claims the lives of nearly

30,000 Australians each year. It can affect

anyone at anytime. The only definitive treatment

is high-quality CPR and defibrillation, and every

second counts. The ZOLL AED Plus® features Real

CPR Help,® which provides real-time feedback

to help you provide compressions at the proper

depth and rate. The audio and visual prompts

guide you to rescue with confidence and clarity

unmatched by any other AED. Contact us today

to find out more about the AED Plus.

NEWPRODUCTS

Retractable hose reelsTechnicians working within vehicle service bay

workshops are at constant risk of exposure

to poisonous carbon monoxide, an

odourless colourless gas, and

even the mildest exposure can

cause dizziness, headaches

and nausea. An additional

risk is the exposure to diesel

fumes which contain known

carcinogens including arsenic,

benzene and nickel.

A solution to this problem

is the use of ‘at-source’ vehicle

tailpipe extraction, and the Fumex

range of retractable hose reels provides

a solution to eliminating health risks. The hose reel can be either

wall or roof mounted and, in either case, takes into consideration the

elimination of trailing hoses and subsequent tripping hazards.

The retractable hose reel is available in a spring-retractable configu-

ration or can be provided in a motorised version with remote-control

operation and is available to suit applications from the smallest car

right up to large trucks.

Laboratory Systems Group


Heavy-duty work gloveThe VisionSafe Guardsman range of protective work gloves is designed

to suit a wide variety of applications and workplace needs. Comfort and

style have been retained without sacrificing safety and user dexterity.

A work glove needs to protect the user without restricting their ability

to perform an extensive range of tasks with a degree of precision. With

this in mind, VisionSafe developed the Warrior - a heavy-duty work glove

that is light and easy to wear.

Offering maximum protection and comfort, the Warrior is a fully

lined glove suitable for heavy-duty applications. The tough synthetic

leather palm and finger pads ensure durability in hardwearing areas.

Neoprene knuckle pads provide good protection to the user against

the accidental scrapes and knocks. The spandex and lycra support

fabrics enable maximum dexterity and a comfortable fit. A snug-fitting

wrist lock ensures that the glove stays firmly in place on the hand even

while under pressure.

The glove is comfortable to wear the glove and available in a full

range of sizes from small to 2XL. It is also machine washable for easy

cleaning and maintenance.

Vision Safe (PPE)


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.zoll.com.au


The LaneWorkSafe Split Specimen Cup is made to meet Australian Standard AS4308:2008 cut-off levels. Used by NSW Police for testing serving Police Officers.

LaneWorkSafe deliver all clients the highest quality and best value on-site devices currently available in Australia. Unlike others we stand behind our product with after-sales and backup support.

LaneWorkSafe are wholesalers of Urine Drug and Saliva Testing Equipment. LaneWorkSafe offer competitive prices and can guarantee continuity of supply on our quality equipment.

Ph: 1800 429 219www.laneworksafe.com.au

NEWPRODUCTS

Safety appThe Sentis Safe Leader iPhone

app is designed to enhance and

improve the delivery of safety pre-

start meetings. Built around a variety

of safety share topics which prompt

and enrich critical conversation, the

app is designed to ensure your meetings are both interesting and effectual.

Providing an intuitive user experience, the app was developed around four practical

functions for everyday use: activities - prompts for daily action, focusing your team’s

safety attention; questions - targeted inquiry to stimulate mindful safety behaviour;

conversations - powerful topics to get your team talking safety; and information -

motivating facts and statistics to reinforce your safety message.

The app also provides the end user with an observation tool that can help with

safety reporting. Sychronised with the iPhone camera functionality, the app allows users

an integrated forum to: photograph hazards; apply notes and observations; set GPS

coordinates of the location; store hazard report if outside internet service provision

or; email report for internal action.

It also has a favourites list for quick retrieval of preferred content; useful inbuilt

‘how to’ guide; and help videos.

The app is fully functional and freely available on the iTunes app store.

Sentis


Safety light curtainsThe safety light curtains with thermowell and protection

rating IP69K are designed without corners and edges.

They have properties which are required in hygienic as

well as robust applications. It has an ECOLAB certifi-

cation for material resistance in cleaning processes.

The safety light curtains and light grids have been

developed in accordance with the current standards

and certified by TÜV Süd. They conform to the re-

quirements of the type 2/SIL or type 4/SIL 3 and to

the requirements of type 2/SIL 2 or type 4/SIL 3 with

ranges of 6, 9 or 15 m.

ifm efector pty ltd


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.laneworksafe.com.au


We’re getting social!

www.safetysolutions.net.au/social

We are providing more opportunities for you to stay up to date with all the latest industry information from the social networks of your choice.

Follow us and join the conversation with thought leaders from your industry.

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Construction company improves safety compliance

HansenYuncken,oneofAustralia’s largestconstructionfirms, iscarryingoutmajorextensionstotheBurwoodcampusofVictoria’sDeakinUniversity.

The site foreman at the university construction site, JasonMalouhos,saidthecompanywasanxiousto increasethe levelofsafetyforitsworkersandreducethenumberofinjuriesandlosttimethroughoutitsconstructionprojects.

“Wehaverecentlyintroduceda‘gloveandclippolicy’toencouragebroadacceptanceoftheneedforhandprotection.Thisway,whetherornottheworkerwishestoweargloves,theyalwayshavetherighthandprotectionreadyforanytask.

“Ansell introduced us to a number of alternative protectionsolutions.WefoundthatwhiletheAnsellmedium-dutyglovesarequitesuitableforon-sitemanagementstaff,theirActivArmrHeavyLaborerGloveandtheActivArmrCarpenterGloveareidealformanyofthetoughmanualtasksfoundonoursites.

“Ourpeoplehavefoundtheseglovesenablethemtocarryouttheirtaskseasilyand,justasimportant,areeasyontheirhands.They’rearealupgradefromthebulkyriggers’gloves,whichwehavebeenaccustomedtoforthelast20yearsandwhichhaven’tgivenusanyflexibilityofstyleforthetaskbeingundertaken.

“Withthetask-specificActivArmrgloves,wenowhaveaglovethat’scomfortablefortheworkandavoidsthefrustrationcausedbytheoldgloves,whichoftenhadrestrictedmovementandalackoffeelforthoseactivitiesthatrequirefinerhandmovements.

“Thanks to the rangeofAnsell’s task-specific gloves,weareexperiencingahigherlevelofcompliancewithourglovepolicy,andit’sbeenareallygoodsafetyoutcome forHansenYunckenand itspeople,”Jasonsaid.

Ansell Healthcare


www.paqs.com.au

http://www.safetysolutions.net.au/social

from the editor

April’s tragic building collapse in Bangladesh,

which killed over 1000 workers, has

highlighted the hazardous working conditions

and lack of safety provided for millions of

workers across the country’s garment sector.

A government investigation found poor-

quality construction materials and building

code violations were among the series of

irregularities at the site. The report also

claimed that the building was not built for

industrial use, so the weight and vibrations

of the factory machinery also contributed to

the building collapse.

Since the disaster, many international

clothing retailers have reportedly signed on

to contracts that require them to help pay

for fire safety and building improvements in

Bangladesh. Other reforms that have been

announced include the immediate voluntary

closure of a number of other factories

believed to be unsafe; a lifting of restrictions

on forming trade unions in most industries;

and the establishment of a new mechanism

to guarantee a reasonable minimum wage

for garment industry workers.

In this edition, we take a look at a safety

issue which is causing problems across

many industries in Australia - drug misuse.

Employers have a number of challenges

in addressing this problem, including

determining when to request a reasonable

suspicion drug test, providing appropriate

education and creating a safety culture in

the workplace that doesn’t tolerate workers

impaired by drugs.

We also feature the topic of working in

confined spaces with a few words from a

wise supervisor on page 14.

Carolyn Jackson - [email protected]

RESOURCESWebsiteforpublicsafetyappsAwebsitededicatedtopublicsafetyandemergencyresponseappsforusebythegeneralpublic,appdevelopersandfirstresponderswaslaunchedbyAPCOInternationalonWednesday(24 April).The not-for-profit Association of Public SafetyCommunications Officials (APCO) International, based intheUS,createdtheApplicationsCommunityor‘AppComm’,where visitors can view, search, rate and comment onpublic safety apps.

Manyappsrelatedtopublicsafetyarealreadyavailableandinusebythegeneralpublicandpublicsafetyagencies.Recentinitiativesaimedatadvancingpublicsafetycommunicationstechnology are also driving new apps designed to serve apublic safety or emergency response purpose.

“APCOmembersareespeciallyqualifiedtoevaluateexistingappsanddrivedevelopmentofnewappsthatmosteffectivelyaidpublicsafetyandemergencyresponse,” said APCO President Terry Hall. Hall continued, “APCO is determined to lead thewayinfosteringthedevelopmentofappropriatestandardsandcriteriaforpublicsafetyapps.”

According to APCO Executive Director Derek Poarch, “AppComm was created to providea single, trusted online forum where public safety professionals, the general public and appdevelopers can rate and comment on apps, submit ideas for new apps to serve unmet publicsafetyneedsandsuggest additional apps for inclusionon thesite.”Thesiteprovides links todownload the apps from external websites and app stores.

TheglobalcontextoftheAppComminitiativewillbediscussedbytheAPCOGlobalAlliance,which includesrepresentatives fromAPCO International,APCOAustralasia,BritishAPCOandAPCO Canada in Manchester at the British APCO 2013 Conference next week.

“WestronglysupporttheAppComminitiativeandweareexcitedaboutwhatitwillmeanforthe Australia and New Zealand community and public safety communications and informationtechnologysector,” saidDesBahr,CEOofAPCOAustralasia.Bahrcontinued, “AppCommwillassist in creating a new wave of app innovation for public safety and emergency response.”

Visit www.appcomm.org toview the site.

DrugsafetyconferenceT2013: the 20th International Council on

Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety Conferencewillbeheldfrom25-28AugustattheBrisbaneConventionandExhibitionCentreandwillbringtogetherover400delegatesfromaroundAustraliaand overseas, drawn from the areas of publichealthandsafety,trafficandtransportpsychology,publichealth,law,medicine,economics,lawen-forcement,publicpolicy,education,pharmacology,toxicology,forensicscience,humanfactors,andalcohol intervention and rehabilitation.

The Designer Drugs Session to be held inconjunction with the conference will profilesyntheticcannabinoidsasthenewfaceofdrugabuse,investigatetheepidemiologicalbackgroundonthelatestnewdrugsinEurope,presentcasestudies on driver intoxication, and unveil newways for screening and confirmation of thepresenceofthesenewdrugsindruggeddrivers.

TheAustralasianRoadSafetyResearch,PolicingandEducationConferencewillimmediatelyfollow T2013 in the same Brisbanevenue from 28-30 August 2013.

OrganisedbyTheCentreforAccidentResearch&RoadSafetyQueensland(CARRS-Q)andICADTS. Visit http://t2013.com toview the site.

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NOTICE:All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them.

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In my opinion

Professor Jeremy Davey is Deputy Director, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety at Queensland University of Technology (CARRSQ). He has been a drug and alcohol researcher for over 20 years.

Whiledesignerdrugsareoneofthecurrenthottopicsinworkplacedrugandalcoholprograms,wehavetorememberthatthedrugsthat cause the most harm in the workplace are the drugs thatcause the most harm in the community - and the first one isalcohol. I’m not trying to understate the potential harm of thesedesigner drugs, but it’s important to firstly put it in context.

Testing not enough for designer drugs

One of the primary reasons why some workers are using designer drugs isbecause they are difficult to detect. While some of the drugs can be detected,theyaregenerallymoredifficulttodetectandonceyoudevelopamechanismtotest foronedrug,all theyhavetodo ischangeamoleculeandmovetoanotherdrug that will still have the same effect and can’t be as easily detected.

Whatthesenewsyntheticdrugshave identified isactuallyoneoftheprimaryflaws of basing your whole drug and alcohol management strategy on testing.You only have to look at the history of sports performance enhancing drugs,which is based on testing, to see why. Once a certain substance was identifiedand banned, another substance appeared that wasn’t identified. And this stillgoes on and on.

If you look at other examples such as the drink driving program, yes, wehave used drug testing as a deterrent but we have also spent a lot of time andenergy on community education and changing the community’s opinions andattitudes about the behaviour, about driving drunk and about being impairedwhiledriving -andthis iswherewehaveachievedagood returnonourdollar.

Some workplace programs have tended to focus on the easy way out bygettinganexternaldrugtestertoticktheboxesandthishasbeeninterpretedbythe workers as you can’t get caught positive rather than thinking you shouldn’tturn up to work impaired and endanger both yourself and your fellow workers.

After nearly two decades of workplace drug testing, we have to shift to thenextgenerationofworkplacedrugandalcoholstrategiesthataremuchsmarter.I’m not saying we don’t test but we have got to say what else are we goingto do - how do we change the culture? How do we change the opinion andbehaviour of the workers?

Theusersof designerdrugs (andanyotherdrugs)have thepotential to turnup to work impaired and are turning up to work impaired. So why are fellowworkers accepting the impaired workers and why isn’t the work group sayingthis is enough?

Moresophisticatedprogramsthataretailoredfortheuniquecharacteristicsofthesite and theworkersat thesite areneeded tochange thebehavioursof theworkplace. A good analogy to look at is how an engineering problem is solvedat a mining or industrial site - the history, theory and traditional engineeringwillbe lookedatbut theuniquecharacteristicat thesitewill alsobeexamined.Generally you find that workplaces that have a good comprehensive drug andalcoholprogramdon’thaveasmanyproblemsasthosethatrelysolelyontesting.

Weknowthatthecombinationoftesting,educationandculturalprogramsisamuchmoreeffectivelong-termstrategy than just the concept of workplace testing.

www.paqs.com.au

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Webbed harness cradling system designed to ensure correct hat position, and promote ventilation

9 Points of ventilation for increased air-flow

Angled peak deflects rain from wearer in extreme weather

Low profile, light weight design

Compatible with all ProChoice hard hat accessories

Built in Sweatband for added comfort

Easy locking sytem for fast of on/off application

Don’t leave head protection to chance, we don’t.

A Revolution in Head Protection Designed to Rev Your Engine!The ProChoice Safety Gear V9™ Hard Hat challenges traditional head protection with a great looking, low profile, ergonomic design, Certified to AS/NZS1801 that won’t make you look like you are wearing a “skid lid”.

Drop the clutch and join the V9™ revolution today!

Available in White, Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Fluoro Yellow, Fluoro Watermelon and Black

Featured Model: HHV9 White

Scan your SmartPhone here to see the entire ProChoice range

AVAILABLE AT ALL GOOD SAFETY OUTLETS

TM

AS/NZS 1801 Lic. 20500

http://www.prochoice.com.au

Documents

Safety Solutions Jun/Jul 2013