Electricity and Control July 2023

SAFETY OF PLANT, EQUIPMENT + PEOPLE : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Safety first, learning always

Louise Woodburn, General Manager of KBC Risk Solutions, a division of KBC Health & Safety, says promoting an attitude that prioritises safety in the workplace requires a commitment to continuous learning. By fostering a culture of ongoing education, businesses can address their safety risks proactively. Additionally, using emerging technologies, companies can equip employees with the training and knowledge that empowers them to handle safety concerns and maintain a safe working environment. To shift behaviour and gear the workforce towards safety, a top-down approach is best, says Woodburn. This means ensuring the leadership group is aligned with the thinking and committed to promoting a culture of safety. It requires continuous learning at all levels and it is much easier for businesses to achieve when they work with an experienced, reliable Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) service provider. Safety in a production environment Continuous learning is critical to ensure that workers de velop a habit of awareness in their roles and responsibili ties to do a job safely. When frequent training is involved, it becomes habitual to work safely. When safety becomes habitual, it becomes easier to create a safe production environment. Organisations that invest in facilitating the ongoing growth of their employees through continuous learning, fuel the enterprise’s ability to transform as nec essary, to anticipate and exploit opportunities as they arise. Safety creates a competitive advantage, enabling the business to move forward confidently, knowing its risks are minimised, Woodburn says. In the Power Safe product line, storage systems are supplied in a spatial system with dual-frame construction classified as REI 90 or REI 120 fire protection. The system can withstand fire, either internal or external, for at least 90 minutes, fulfilling the standards for safety certification demanded by approval authorities. This reduces com plex approval processes significantly. The safety certifi cation also allows for the system to be installed without a minimum clearance between it and adjacent buildings. Furthermore, Denios offers round-the-clock remote mon itoring and will alert the operator immediately in the event of a problem with the system. An aerosol-based extin guishing system is also available for the spatial system. Certified safety Simon Schandert, CTO and Co-Founder of Tesvolt says, “Tesvolt storage systems already meet particularly strin gent safety requirements. We have a multi-level safety concept and our storage systems are certified by the Continued from page 27 safety requirements, by enclosing the battery storage system within an additional fire-safety case.”

TÜV Rheinland testing institute. We can now also offer our commercial customers a technical solution for high ly sensitive environments. With this advance we have cleared another hurdle on the path to universal availabil ity of clean energy.” The exceptionally high safety levels of Tesvolt storage systems are driven partly by the design of the battery cells: prismatic cells are considered to be the safest lithium-ion cells. At the system level, Tesvolt’s battery management system also monitors the voltage of each individual cell. This means the whole system is subject to constant monitoring. If the normalised range is exceed ed, the system automatically switches to a safe state. Power Safe spatial systems with fire protection are supplied with European Technical Assessment (ETA) and associated CE labelling. This offers an advantage for planning and legal security for country-specific ap proval processes. Power Safe battery storage systems are primarily sold through Denios, but on request they can also be processed through Tesvolt. Reinforcing learning The most important point is for businesses to recognise that safety matters, says Woodburn. And it is essential for any business where there is a health and safety risk, to keep reminding the workforce of the dangers faced in the workplace. For regular messaging to be effective, it must be relevant to the business and different strategies and platforms should be used to deliver the initial information and to follow up with regular refreshers. In such a con tinuous learning cycle, mistakes can become lessons for growth and improvement. In this way, we can make safe ty part of the workplace culture. A positive safety culture is invaluable in supporting agility, innovation and produc tivity at all levels. For more information contact KBC Health & Safety. Visit: www.kbcsa.co.za Technology supports continuous learning Technology can be used to enhance employees’ aware ness of the dangers in the work environment and can increase the speed of communication between teams. With remote working capabilities, technology also brings safety into environments previously hard to access. The Virtual Safety Officer (VSO), for instance, can offer teams access to advisory services without needing someone present on site. In addition, technology takes continuous learning outside the training classroom, extending the learning opportunities through digital formats: from on line training and virtual assessments with a facilitator to accessing contextual hazard guides and safety refresh ers in the working environment, for example.

For more information visit: www.tesvolt.com

28 Electricity + Control JULY 2023