Page 20 - Occupational Health & Safety, June 2019

VAC-U-MAX compressed-air powered industrial
vacuum cleaners are engineered for 100% more
suction power for even the finest powders and combustible dusts - now ATEX Certified and the first line offering for Class I and Class II hazardous area locations. Since 1954 VAC-U-MAX has provided “Intrinsically Safe” Industrial Vacuum Cleaning Solutions for flammable liquids, combustible dusts, and reactive powders.
Flammable Liquids
MDL55 23954
Combustible Dusts
MDL30 40008SS
Reactive Powders
MDL55SR
Combustible Dusts
MDL15
Combustible
Dusts
MDL55 40012/3 (General Purpose)
Let us solve your industrial vacuum cleaning challenges. Visit vac-u-max.com/vacuum or call (800) VAC-U-MAX. Central Vacuum Cleaning Systems
1954-2019
WET/DRY • AIR OPERATED & ELECTRIC DRUM-TOP • CONTINUOUS DUTY • COMBUSTIBLE DUST CENTRAL SYSTEMS • CONTINUOUS-BAGGING • LIQUID & SLUDGE • FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS SUBMERGED RECOVERY • METALWORKING • PHARMACEUTICAL • STEEL SHOT INTERCEPT HOPPERS & PRE-SEPARATORS • HSE / INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SOLUTIONS
69 WILLIAM STREET • BELLEVILLE, NJ 07109 • (800) VAC-U-MAX • www.vac-u-max.com
Circle 43 on card.
much of the diagnostic work can be com- pleted without opening the enclosures on the equipment. This type of technology may end up saving workers from being exposed to potential electrical hazards. Technologies Enhancing Automation
Increasing automation within industrial facilities by incorporating technology can help to reduce electrical safety risks that a facility worker or engineer may have previ- ously encountered on their own. With ac- cess to technologies that connect to third- party applications, industrial workers not only can review additional information, but also make safer, more informed decisions when servicing and troubleshooting IIoT- connected devices and equipment. Even smart, digital labels (including QR codes and bar codes) enhance automation tech- nologies by simply providing a more stream- lined approach to collecting information on operations and instructions of use, which in turn improves safety. These technologies aid in prescribing mitigation solutions for ma- chinery issues and suggest how to better run equipment to extend and optimize the time between maintenance cycles.
Automation in the workplace also con- tributes to compliance, an integral part of operations within industrial facilities and manufacturing plants. From making it easier to follow prescribed safety protocols to modifying safety programs based on data collected about machine performance and operator behavior, leveraging the latest technologies to automate compliance and regulatory processes is a significant benefit to facility workers.
Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance Plans
Many manufacturers are turning their ap- proaches to maintenance to predictive and prescriptive plans—both of which are pro- active solutions. The premise of these pro- grams is to use data analytics to predict po- tential issues before they become hazards, which contributes to a safer operating en- vironment for workers. Long-term reactive maintenance plans can contribute to a less- safe operating environment, not only due to the inherent danger from an unplanned failure, but also from the pressure to get things back up and running as quickly as possible, which tends to create an environ- ment where workers may take shortcuts to make the repair.
Predictive maintenance involves the use
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