BC’s recent sawmill blowups draw attention to the ways explosions start and how they can be prevented in the future. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND The worry over plant and mill explosions has increased this year because of at least two recent sawmill blowups in Canada. A wood dust explosion occurs when a fine [...]
How to properly use flammable liquids storage cabinets in industrial facilities to store flammable and combustible liquids. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND Flammable and combustible liquids are widely used by maintenance people in their daily work. The flammable liquids storage, dispensing and usage are regulated by fire codes as well as occupational health and [...]
Due diligence in its simplest form means the care that a reasonable person exercises to avoid harm to another person. As a result, maintenance and engineering managers have a big role to play in ensuring a safe work environment. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND According the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, based [...]
By: Simon Fridlyand Monitoring the health of plant machinery by checking vibration can provide effective control of ignition sources in hazardous environments. The principles of monitoring the health of plant machinery by checking vibration are straightforward. All operating machines vibrate. Since an increase in vibration almost always accompanies deterioration in running conditions, [...]
Is your facility at a high level of risk? Each year in Canada, over 1,500 industrial fires occur, causing approximately $140 million in property damage. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND During recent plant audits, I have noticed that a significant number of facilities do not comply with local fire code requirements. For example, flammable [...]
Dust clouds can be ignited by the effects of mechanical friction from overheated bearings or motors, sparks from grinding machinery, static electricity, electrical arcing, welding sparks or naked flames. Here’s Part 2 of our guide to understanding, preventing and controlling dust explosions. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND How can you create a ball of [...]
Dust clouds can be ignited by the effects of mechanical friction from overheated bearings or motors, sparks from grinding machinery, static electricity, electrical arcing, welding sparks or naked flames. Here’s Part 1 of our guide to understanding and preventing dust explosions. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND * A dust explosion that occurred at a [...]
A Day In A Life Tragedy can result when machine safety systems aren’t in place, or are overridden by employees. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND It was 10:52 p.m. when Steven, a machine operator, was called to help clear a jam on the machine located next to his. When he looked at the machine, [...]
How to properly handle safety issues with electrical equipment in hazardous areas. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND An area in any industrial facility classified as hazardous is one in which the atmosphere contains, or may contain, flammable or explosive gases, dusts or fibres. In this type of area, a fire or explosion could occur [...]
Making the Right Decisions To avoid maintenance-related accidents and injuries in the workplace, start by sharing the right information. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND Plant maintenance and engineering people are faced with decision-making every day. Every day something needs to be fixed, installed, relocated or purchased. Many plant professionals wonder if there is some [...]
