Buying new equipment outside of Canada can cause frustrating problems when local safety regulations apply. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND Importing new equipment from another country isn't so simple as setting it up and turning it on. Various regulations come into place, particularly regarding the safety of the equipment for those using it and [...]
When times are good, companies are too busy to upgrade equipment, such as adding machine guarding. Slower times provide this opportunity. The productivity from enhanced machine guarding alone can increase employee productivity by 25%. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND The value of Canadian manufacturing sales – heavily dependent on exports to the beleaguered United [...]
Industrial facilities need proper and effective dust control to keep workers safe. BY SIMON FRIDLYAND A huge explosion and fire at the Imperial Sugar refinery northwest of Savannah, GA, on February 7, 2008, caused 14 deaths and injured 38 others, including 14 with serious and life-threatening burns. In the four months following that [...]
The dangers to workers from arc flash are so high that a new CSA arc flash standard is scheduled to be released at the end of 2008. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND Every single day, it is estimated that between five and 10 arc flash explosions occur in electrical equipment in the U. S. A., [...]
Dust in the air creates a harsh and dangerous environment for both workers and equipment. Following the proper guidelines and regulations can ensure a high degree of safety by preventing unexpected dust explosions. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND One of many types of severe-service environments in which machinery and workers must operate is where dust, [...]
The decision in the Transpave case, the first criminal conviction under Bill C-45, delivers a clear message to employers. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND A Quebec company was fined $100,000 plus an additional victim surcharge of $10,000 in March 2008 in relation to the death of one of its employees, making it the first [...]
To improve safety, WSIB targets companies with the greater risk of experiencing high injury rates, more costly injuries or both. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND I f you don't think accidents cost your company or the economy too much, take a look at these figures. First off, in 2006 alone, there were 336,851 claims for [...]
The key to choosing the correct technology lies in Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), a tool that enables the identification and prevention of process or product errors before they occur. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND Atime-based approach to maintenance is appropriate for only 11% of the assets in a typical plant. For many [...]
Maintenance has a role to play in the opportunity a high Canadian dollar offers in increasing industrial safety and productivity. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND The latest news is full of speculation and predictions about what the high Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar will do to Canada's manufacturing sector. Just a short while ago, [...]
Functional safety -- according to international standard IEC 61508, known as the SIL standard -- can be verified at every stage of a product's life cycle. Safety integrity levels (SILs) determine the amount of risk reduction. BY: SIMON FRIDLYAND IEC 61508 is an international standard for the 'functional safety' of electrical, electronic and [...]
