Noise or an unwanted sound is a hazard that must be managed in the workplace.

Many petrochemical plants handle invisible gaseous hydrocarbons. Most of these gases pose some sort of safety issue. They may be toxic or can cause health issues in case of long-term exposure. Others are highly flammable, explosive even, and most of them will have a negative impact on the environment if they enter the atmosphere in large quantities. That is why leak detection is of vital importance in these petrochemical plants. [ + ]

Residual impurities are not only detrimental to product functionality and safety, they can also impact on subsequent processes in the production chain, such as coating, bonding, welding, hardening, measuring, testing and assembly - all of which require clean surfaces. [ + ]

Sometimes taken for granted, your hands are vital, complex tools that perform tasks with precision and need to be taken care of. However, with today’s myriad industrial hand protection options on the market, how do you tell a quality glove that will provide you with the protection you need?

One of the key reasons for the alarming cost of stress-based lost time and claims payout is that many managers feel ill-equipped to have conversations that they perceive as an "invasion of another's personal space". [ + ]

Telematic devices (or onboard computers that are managed in the back office) enable transport companies to have a better view and a more real-time view of what is actually happening on the roads, not only from an operations point of view but also from a driver alertness and fatigue management point of view. [ + ]

An Enerpac EVO synchronous lifting system has been deployed by Sync Lift Systems Ltd to safely raise, re-level and restore for occupancy an entire 2800 tonne three-storey building that sank up to 300 mm during the devastating Christchurch earthquake of 2011. [ + ]

Detection of gas leaks in industrial facilities can not only be dangerous and time-consuming, it is also susceptible to human error and interpretation. In order to provide a safer, more efficient and more reliable detection solution, RoboGasInspector was conceived. The innovative robot system for remote detection and localisation of gas leaks was developed by a range of German companies and institutes, and uses a FLIR GF320 optical gas imaging camera. [ + ]

The Green Monster pad eye testers - which perform load testing of pad eyes, eyebolts, D rings and other lift points of plant being lifted or lowered - incorporate Enerpac RCH hollow pull cylinders actuated by P142 hand pump and gauge combinations for durability, simplicity and safety in challenging environments. [ + ]

The combined financial loss from the 100 largest accidents in the hydrocarbon industry has been estimated at over US$34 billion in a new publication by insurance provider Marsh. [ + ]

Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s "biggest bonfire of regulation in our country's history" will allow some organisations to opt out of state compensation schemes and instead operate under the Commonwealth's scheme, Comcare. [ + ]

The University of Wollongong (UOW) was recently looking to centralise its contractor Work Health & Safety information and provide an automated way to monitor contractor insurances and licences over its nine different campus locations. e3Learning was selected to implement the online contractor management solution.

Creating efficient maintenance processes for conveyor belts is a necessity in the mining industry. Incorrect practice in material discharge and the overall housekeeping of the belt resulting in premature failing conveyor components, tracking issues, excessive belt wear and spillage - all result in a decrease in productivity. This troubleshooting article addresses these issues. [ + ]

AMBOS Stockfeeds recently installed an automatic animal feed packaging system as part of a major upgrade to its facilities in Young, New South Wales.

The commercial arena is now starting to benefit from Android-enabled smartphones and tablets which offer PDA-like functionality. [ + ]