n This issue includes your free Aluminium Times World Map and Directory of Primary Aluminium Smelters and Refineries

n First Words from Catherine Athénes of Constellium and Geoff Scamans of Innoval Technology

n Constellium are no lightweight in body sheet

n Personality Profile with Shaun Hamer of Aluminicaste

n The growing importance of recycling

n CNPT builds hot mill in record time

n Ingot casting machines

n Advanced Metal Casting Centre award

n Coil annealing at Hydro Karmøy

n Melt quality control

n Plus 13 pages of the Equipment & Materials Purchasing Guide plus news, contracts and more articles

JULY/AUGUST 2015 VOLUME 17 | 3

ISSN 1465-8240

www.mmcpublications.co.uk

Aluminium Times July/August 2015

68 | LAST WORDS/SAFETY www.mmcpublications.co.uk

Clearly the nature of all hazards should be reviewed. There were two recent incidents posted on the Aluminium Plant Safety Blog which could have far reaching effects in our industry, and in your plant. The hope is by reviewing the incidents, readers will examine their own facility for similar circumstances. If these hazards are found, engineering controls and revised training programmes should be implemented.

The first incident involves an open manhole. Manholes are common throughout our facilities and can become invisible over time. Every day we come into contact with dozens of manholes located in streets or sidewalks. They are so commonplace we forget the potential hazard. This incident involved a worker who fell to his death down an open manhole.

The motto “Every incident can be prevented” is especially true with this incident, because three years earlier the same worker fell into another open manhole. The aluminium company acknowledged the seriousness after the first incident and instituted a programme to prevent a

recurrence, until unbelievably that same worker from the first incident three years earlier fell to his death into an open manhole.

The worker’s death provides an example of how near misses may be repeated, resulting in an injury or fatality. The presiding Deputy Chief Magistrate stated: “The aluminium company had the primary responsibility to protect workers and be proactive in their safety. The hazard to workers was foreseeable and easily remediated.”

It is easy for companies to forget about past incidents, especially if the incidents have not repeated recently or if there is a change in management or ownership. This false sense of security is a trap we need to be wary of, because the original hazard still exists in

our plants, and it has not been eliminated. A dangerous comment for a Plant Manager to make is “we’ve never had an accident like that”. Managers should acknowledge every past and present hazard in their facility and take necessary precautions to mitigate for the future.

Presses under fireTo be positive, our industry should be commended for acknowledging past catastrophes. This philosophy is unique to our industry, which has worked collectively to understand molten metal explosions. Our industry mitigates molten aluminium explosions through a variety of means including the use of Wise Chem products. Now we must confront the seemingly never-ending series of aluminium fine fires and explosions that have befallen us globally over the past 12 months, causing over 200 fatalities.

Today, many in our industry are trying to understand when this series of incidents involving aluminium extrusion presses will end. Out of the many types of machinery we use, extrusion presses seem to have the worst reputation. They have earned

a moniker of being very hazardous to operate. It is true that during the past six months there have been numerous injuries and fatalities involving extrusion presses. A lack of proper safe isolation procedures has been cited as the root cause for these press incidents. This was the case recently with the death of a maintenance worker. Safe isolation or lockout-tagout programmes protect workers from the release of hazardous energy. Energy sources such as mechanical, electrical, thermal, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. are all found in extrusion presses.

It is unknown why the worker did not take the necessary steps for safe isolation of the extrusion press. Investigators theorised the worker incorrectly assumed that the hydraulic ram was safely isolated when he entered the area. One reason for aluminium extrusion press incidents is the age of the machines. It is not uncommon to find presses that are twenty to thirty years old. Unfortunately older presses can lack the safety mechanisms that are so common in new equipment.

This issue is not isolated to extrusion presses, but affects all older machinery in our plants. Machinery over five years of age should be compared to the latest equipment not in terms of production gains or efficiency, but with regard to safety mechanisms. Ask this question, “What safety mechanisms does our machinery lack when compared to a brand new model?” Then contact the manufacturer to determine the necessary modifications to bring your equipment up to today’s standards.

These incidents are only a drop in the proverbial bucket of incidents that have occurred over the past six months. Nevertheless, valuable lessons can be learned from each. The manhole incident reminds us that workers can become blinded to potential hazards in their workplace. Whereas the extrusion press incident reinforces the importance of following the proper steps to ensure that safe isolation of machinery has actually occurred.

Our industry has shown that by acknowledging our safety past and recognising present hazards, we can collectively work to mitigate future hazards. Together we can prevent countless injuries and fatalities. Each and every incident can provide valuable lessons regarding the original hazard. http://aluminiumplantsafety.blogspot.com/

The register of aluminium plant accidents and near misses.

We can learn from past incidents This year has already seen numerous fatalities so far in our industry. The incidents vary from hazard to hazard, including both young workers and seasoned workers employed at large multinational companies as well as single location facilities. Each and every incident is unique, making predictions of future incidents nearly impossible.

Author: Alex Lowery, General Manager, Wise Chem LLC

Alex Lowery.