Flygt pump exploded following installation Thermal and short circuit protection must be set to rating of pump

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1 UNITED UTILITIES HEALTH & SAFETY Bulletin No 117 OUR BELIEF: NOTHING WE DO IS WORTH GETTING HURT FOR Flygt pump exploded following installation Thermal and short circuit protection must be set to rating of pump A recent incident at a wastewater pumping station highlighted the installation of the pump had not been carried out in accordance with the requirements of atmosphere explosive (ATEX) certification and was not being operated in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions for an ATEX certified pump. Also the pump motor was being operated with no effective electrical overload protection as required by BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations. A large electrical arc occurred within the motor terminal chamber as a result of a damaged supply cable, this led to a loss of a motor winding connection. Along with the lack of electrical and thermal protection, this caused a massive increase in pressure along with extensive burning within the terminal chamber above the motor stator. This dramatic increase in internal pressure and partial release of the stator fixing caused failure of the stator housing. The stator housing, cooling jacket and terminal chamber were then propelled upwards out of the pump chamber. What you need to do: Ensure pump thermal protection has been connected as required by the Safe Conditions of Use of the ATEX Approval Certificate Ensure overload protection is set correctly for the motor rating Ensure the short circuit protection provided is set correctly for the pump motor o For example, a pump motor with a full load current of 19A, and with assisted starting, should have short circuit protection provided by fuses with a rating of 32A Do not operate similar pumps continuously below the minimum level advised in the pump operating manual and pump specifications for an ATEX approved pump Do not operate similar pumps on snore for long periods as it could give rise to damage, through vibration and high winding temperatures, to the motor windings and connections Remember to set motor protection correctly For issue to: Wastewater Asset Performance, Water Asset Performance, Networks Issued by: Marc Willacy SHE Business Partner, Wastewater Asset Performance Date: 10 January 2013 Mobile/Mobex: / If you are a manager, please ensure that your team and any external contractors are aware of this Bulletin. the Health & Safety mailbox on Outlook for any additional information or guidance. Spotted a hazard or near miss? Need to report a security incident or accident? DON T WALK BY! Call AIRline (2) 37111

2 LONDON UNDERGROUND SUP UPGRADES CONSTRUCTION ADVICE NOTICE Project Ref. No: Construction Advice Number: (103) Author: D Thompson Revision ( 2 ) Review by: Bob Langdon Date authorised for Issue: 22 January For enquiries on this Alert, contact: Bob Langdon EYE PROTECTION Why is eye safety at work important? Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. Statistics show that up to 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day. About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from. Of the total amount of work-related injuries, % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss. Experts believe that the right eye protection could have lessened the severity or even prevented 90% of eye injuries in accidents. What are the common causes of eye injuries? Common causes for eye injuries are: Not wearing your eye protection Flying objects (bits of metal, glass) Particles from brickwork ballast, roofs Chemicals, oils, cleaning fluids Dust, rust, cement Any combination of these or other hazards Welding and or heat processes What is my best defense against an eye injury? There are three things you can do to help prevent an eye injury Use the appropriate eye protection for the task being undertaken, Use machine guarding, work screens, or other engineering controls Wearing eye protection on site as instructed at all times Ensure your eye protection is approved and in good condition IF IN DOUBT ASK What type of safety eyewear is available to me? Safety eyewear protection includes: Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses Goggles Face shields Welding helmets Full-face respirators What type of safety eye protection should I wear? The type of safety eye protection you should wear depends on the hazards in your workplace. If you are working in an area that has particles, flying objects or dust, you must at least wear safety glasses with side protection (side shields). If you are working with chemicals, you should wear goggles. If you are working near hazardous radiation (welding, lasers, or fibre optics) you must use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets designed for that task. PPE Requirements will be detailed in the relevant Method Statement / Risk Assessment

3 Subject: Target Audience: SAFETY ALERT GPS Receivers Mounting/Dismounting All Plant Operatives, Supervisors, Engineers and Surveyors The Issue: Recently at one of our Clients sites a machine operative (not PPH) was in the process of mounting/dismounting one the GPS receiver boxes that sit high up a support mast of his dozer. During this operation the drivers footing was lost which resulted in a lost time injury. Whilst every effort is made to secure a three point hold to enable such operations to proceed smoothly, it becomes more risky when footings and hand holds are wet. Actions to Avoid Recurrence: As a consequence of the above and unfortunate issue, PPH have commissioned the manufacture and installation of an adapter that will facilitate safe installation of the equipment from ground level. The whole of the PPH dozer fleet (GPS - commencing at the A23 Project) are in the process of having a new mounting head (quick raise R) fitted to allow safe mounting and dismounting from ground level. The associated photographs demonstrate that this becomes a much less risky and relatively simple operation once the mast unit has the new purpose made quick raise R adapter fitted. Please advise your Supervisor if you believe you have an additional requirement. The company will also reserve the right to risk assess and amend where possible future worthy improvements could be made. Your Safety is our concern, but it is also your responsibility! Think Safety, Act Safely, Stay Safe! Prepared By: Approved By: DON T TAKE CHANCES WITH YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY! Stuart Young. PPH Giles Potter. Managing Director PPH Date of Issue: Page 1 of 1

4 HSEQ SAF/10/ December 2010 Safety Alert Incident Involving MEWP Fire An incident occurred on one of our projects when a concrete finisher was working from a MEWP that caught fire. The operator was working at an approximate height of 5m when the fire started on the engine side of the base unit. Other operatives noticed the fire and attracted the operator s attention who immediately started to lower the basket. After lowering the basket approximately 2m, the MEWP cut out and the operator was unable to bring it down on auxiliary power, (most likely because the battery was badly damaged by the fire). The fire also meant that no one could reach the emergency descent controls. Left with little choice, the operator climbed over the guardrails and dropped to the ground a distance of approximately 1.5m. He was not hurt. Key Issues The incident is still under investigation (awaiting a specialist fire investigator s report) however the following key issues were found: 1. The MEWP was defective in so much that it seems probable there was a leak of fuel or oil in the engine compartment. PLEASE NOTE: NO daily plant inspection form was completed for the MEWP nor had one been completed previously. 2. The Risk Assessment stated that a designated ground man must be in place during all operations of a cherry picker. This wasn t implemented and so the detection of the fire and subsequent rescue of the operator was delayed. Response required BMS will be amended For information only Continued Overleaf... Display Until: 14th January 2011

5 HSEQ SAF/10/ December 2010 Continued... The main implication of this incident is the safety of the occupants in a MEWP basket should a base unit catch fire in the future. If the occupant was higher in the air, or perhaps working over water for example, the outcome could have been very different. The recommendations are therefore to prevent a reoccurrence of this incident rather than address evacuation procedures. Actions Required Please could all projects check MEWP operations to verify: 1. All elements of the risk assessments for working at height are being implemented and if circumstances require a Ground Man to be deployed, that this person is adequately trained. 2. A dry powder fire extinguisher is available in case of an emergency. 3. Daily inspections are completed for all MEWPs including those operated by subcontractors. 4. A plan for carrying out an emergency rescue is in place and tested regularly. Response required BMS will be amended For information only Iain Wilson SSRA Director Display Until: 14th January 2011

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7 SHEQ Reminder Probst SG80 scissor grab How the scissor grab mechanism works: In a recent incident, a Probst SG80 scissor grab which was suspended in the open unloaded position, closed unexpectedly before being lowered onto the pack of slabs to be lifted. An investigation has found that if the grabs are in the open unloaded position and are subjected to vibration or shock load, this can operate the automatic release mechanism and cause the jaws of the scissor mechanism to close. The manufacturers of the grab refer to this potential hazard in the instruction booklet for the equipment and have designed an additional mechanism called a rotational break device to help prevent the release mechanism disengaging whilst the grab is being moved around the site in the open position. Automatic release with switching delay Rotation break ( ) Only Probst SG80 scissor grabs fitted with rotational break devices are to be used on Morgan Sindall sites. Our hire desk is aware of the issue and will ensure that only Probst SG80 scissor grabs fitted with rotational break devices are hired for our direct use. Where a subcontractor wishes to use a Probst SG80 scissor grab, they will be required to confirm that it is fitted with a rotational break device. If you have any queries regarding the content of this reminder, please contact your SHEQ lead or safe@morgansindall.com Automatic release mechanism disengaged in open position when no tension used from lifting equipment Automatic release mechanism fully engaged to lift in open position with tension from lifting equipment Automatic release mechanism for closed position. With limiting chain to side is the housing for the rotation break. Communication: Toolbox Talks / briefings Notice boards Safe and Sustainability update Circulation List: To all of Morgan Sindall Supply Chain Morgan Sindall Plant Hire Desk Morgan Sindall Group SHEQ Reminder No: 001 Jan 2013 Display until: