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SRM is safe with truck fleet
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October 2007
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SRM Ltd is one of Europe’s largest companies recovering and recycling chemical waste. Fork truck supplier Birchwood, working with explosion protection safety specialists Pyroban, keeps its Lancashire operation in safe hands.
Due to the volume of flammable material being handled on a daily basis, SRM’s facility in Morecambe, Lancashire has top tier COMAH status. The operation runs 24x7 as some of the largest chemical and pharmaceutical companies process their waste at SRM. The majority of waste arrives in drums, IBCs or in bulk, containing a sludgy mix of any number of different solvents or chemicals.
Crucial to the operation at SRM is the fleet of Pyroban materials handling equipment supplied by Birchwood that feeds the process from delivery and storage through to the processing area.
Graham Burrell, materials manager at SRM says: “Top Tier COMAH status coupled with the strict health and safety legislation governing all our activities means that our materials handling supplier Birchwood has to support us with specialist services. Following risk assessments under DSEAR, areas are classified as Zone 2 requiring ATEX compliant equipment and suitable support. Our trucks can be used up to 24 hours a day and we need them all available 7 days a week to feed the process.”
Birchwood, a materials handling suppliers in the North West of England, is the chosen supplier for the SRM operation in Lancashire. Pete Dennett, sales manager for Birchwood says: “From the outset, on any site like this, we always involve explosion protection specialist Pyroban to provide succinct and impartial advice.”
Pyroban converted a series of 2.5T diesel counterbalance trucks for safe operation within Zone 2 areas at SRM. The technically advanced Pyroban conversion known as System 5000D maintains the performance of the original vehicle but eliminates all sources of ignition so that if there is a flammable vapour in the atmosphere, the trucks cannot cause an explosion.
Rob Vesty, customer services manager for Pyroban in the North of England says: “SRM were already familiar with System 5000D and liked the way it detects a flammable gas or vapour, alerting the driver and automatically shutting down the equipment if dangerous levels are reached. The drivers like it because an automatic system check on start up means that they have continued confidence in the safety of the equipment.
“Pyroban assesses every single element of the truck. We then apply a series of explosion protection solutions, which includes reducing the surface temperature of the engine and the exhaust gas temperature. We prevent a flame reaching the atmosphere through the inlet system or overspeed if the engine were to ingest a vapour.”
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Author
Chris Rowlands
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