Despite evolving standards of safety, industrial sites remain among the most hazardous work environments. Fortunately, there are those committed to site safety. Here, MEPCA speaks to James Ward, Project Engineer at Frontline Safety, on the benefits of fixed detection systems and more.
James has worked in industrial safety for 20 years and has gained extensive experience in delivering gas and fire safety solutions worldwide, in often challenging environments. In many ways, he exemplifies Frontline Safety’s approach – bringing expert experience to bear on any given safety application.
What are the key advantages of fixed gas detection systems compared to portable detectors?
I would say you use those two elements in conjunction with one another, and you look for the benefits of both, as opposed to saying that one is definitely advantageous over the other.
However, with a fixed system, once it’s up and running, it is running 24-7. It doesn’t need any manual input. You don’t need to change a battery or recharge a unit. A fixed system is constantly keeping that plant and those people safe. And if it’s a plant-wide system, an alarm can be enunciated through the entire plant to other control systems that increase the fan speed or shutdown particular equipment. It is not as easy to do that with portable equipment.
A fixed system also enables a series of engineering controls to be put in place before you send anybody into hazardous situation, or if somebody were to bypass the confined space entry rules, they might find themselves in a situation where they’re entering a space that has a potentially harmful mix of gases in it. If you have the opportunity to fit a fixed system within that space, you avoid a situation where somebody would be entering an environment without prior knowledge the hazards.
How does Frontline Safety help manufacturers enhance their gas safety strategies across automated and industrial environments?
When Frontline Safety work with a manufacturer within their environment, it comes down to the wealth of experience we have to draw on. I am just one of a number of engineers who have similar levels of experience across slightly different industries.
It’s the knowledge needed to move forward through a project, at whatever stage of the project we become involved; whether it’s the initial kind of site survey or audits of old systems, whether it’s looking at designing new systems or upgrades, or testing systems, or commissioning new systems. We’ve got engineers who’ve been in the industry long enough to have seen those problems, and who understand the benefits of the products on the market and how they would suit that specific application. We’re here as engineers, to solve the problem however it needs to be solved.
Why should manufacturers trust Frontline Safety as their fixed gas detection partner?
Frontline Safety is not tied to one specific manufacturer. We’re here to deliver a solution, as engineers, to the problem irrespective of whether gas detection technology is from manufacturer A or manufacturer B. We provide solutions that combine the technologies that are available with depth and breadth of our experience.
We did some work a few years ago to identify the core values of Frontline Safety. We use the word EPIC to summarise our core values. It stands for empowerment, pursuit of excellence, integrity and commitment. It really encompasses what we’re trying to do as a company. It’s easy to be swayed by corporate slogans, but there is a lot of integrity and honesty in it.
Any tradesperson has pride in their work, but if you’re in the safety industry, you’ll have a pride in keeping people safe and that expectation and your own personal goals and targets to do that are forthright in what you do all the time.
