Latest News

Paper mill fined $125K after workers, student injured in arc-flash event

PEM >> 
Abitibi Consolidated Company of Canada, owner and operator of a paper mill in Fort Frances, Ont., was fined $125,000 on July 9, 2010, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused arc-flash injuries to two workers and a student.

On Aug. 20, 2008, two electricians at the paper mill were changing the power box for part of a paper machine. The power to the box was locked out. The power to the cabinet containing the box was not shut off or locked out. As the electricians removed the power box, they noticed a cable inside the cabinet that needed to be moved. One of them reached into the cabinet with a tool to remove a clamp holding the cable in place. The tool made electrical contact with a live conductor inside the cabinet and this created an arc flash. This caused another arc flash from the live conductors overhead.

The two electricians suffered first, second and third degree burns. A student who was watching them suffered first degree burns.

Abitibi pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a tool was not used near a live electrical installation to prevent electrical contact with a live conductor.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Patricia Clydesdale-Cornell. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Abitibi Consolidated Company of Canada is currently under the protection of the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act. The fine was stayed pending the completion of that matter.
www.ontario.ca/labour

SEW introduces new stainless-steel, 'easy-to-clean' gearmotors

PEM >> 
The KESA37 stainless steel gear reducer from Bramalea, Ont.-based SEW-Eurodrive provides motion in any place in which machines and systems must be cleaned intensively. Because of its special housing design and the use of high-quality stainless steel, the gear reducer is ideally designed to satisfy production conditions in the food and beverage industry, in the pharmaceutical industry and in constantly wet environments.

System operators are always on the safe side when they use stainless steel gear reducers from the KESA37 series. That applies equally to applications in the fields of materials handling, intra-logistics and hygienic applications. The hygienic properties, long service life, and ease of maintenance allow stainless steel gearing to be used in a wide range of applications, for example, in:
  • Food industry
  • Dairies and milk processing operations
  • Pharmaceutical industry
  • Cosmetics industry
  • Meat processing industry
  • Bottling and beverage industry
  • Laboratory applications
  • Water supply
  • All applications in extremely wet conditions

The stainless steel gear reducers from SEW-Eurodrive are easy-to-clean surfaces combined with a high-grade resistance to acid and alkaline. Recesses that can collect dirt and liquid have been eliminated as much as possible. All seals and connections are available with a degree of protection of up to IP 69K. The reducers are entirely use stainless steel housings and fittings, effectively preventing any type of corrosion.
www.sew-eurodrive.ca

PEM launches exclusive Terry Wireman newsletter Aug. 3

PEM >> 
Beginning Aug. 3, 2010, industry guru Terry Wireman — author of 21 maintenance and reliability textbooks and frequent guest speaker — will be writing the content for a monthly PEM e-newsletter entitled Wireman's Wire. Click here to subscribe.

For a sneak peek at what's to come, he will begin with an overview of a maintenance strategy, followed by the various components (preventive maintenance, inventory, planning and scheduling, predictive maintenance, etc.) that a maintenance manager would need to consider when developing a strategy for their company.

"For each strategy component, I will discuss what comprises the strategy component and then how the strategy component can solve some of the common problems facing maintenance managers," Wireman explains.
 
He is looking forward to communicating with readers and tailoring the content to their needs. "Any points they would like to see addressed will be topics that will be dealt with in later newsletters," he adds.

To contact Terry Wireman, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Energy-efficiency program launched for Ontario's industrial sector

PEM >> 
The Ontario Power Authority today officially launched a new energy-efficiency program to reduce electricity use and increase competitiveness for large industrial companies that are directly connected to the electricity transmission system.

The Industrial Accelerator is a five-year program that provides attractive financial incentives to speed up investment in electricity-saving projects. Participating companies will contractually commit to achieve specific conservation targets within a set period of time and to maintain them over the term of the contract.

Electricity conservation is one of the best ways to manage energy costs, creating lasting operational savings and reducing companies' draw on the electricity system. The Industrial Accelerator program is designed to deliver bottom-line results for participating companies:
  • Financial incentives will cover up to 70% of eligible capital costs.
  • Energy-efficiency projects offer potential electricity cost savings as high as 30%.
  • Support is offered for high-performance industrial installations that improve productivity and competitiveness.
  • The program could significantly reduce the demand on the electricity system from some of Ontario's largest electricity
  • The program will also help drive the development of green technology and jobs in the province. Over seven years, this program will create an estimated 5,500 net jobs.

"For Ontario to thrive, Ontario businesses must thrive," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "Partnering with our largest energy consumers to reduce their energy use will enhance their long-term competitiveness and is part of Ontario's transformation from being a leader in consumption to a leader in conservation."

Ontario's industrial sector is made up of more than 20,000 small, medium and large companies that account for approximately one-third of all electricity use in Ontario. Within the sector, 45 large industrial companies directly connected to the

Energy-efficiency program launched for Ontario's industrial sector

PEM >> 
The Ontario Power Authority today officially launched a new energy-efficiency program to reduce electricity use and increase competitiveness for large industrial companies that are directly connected to the electricity transmission system.

The Industrial Accelerator is a five-year program that provides attractive financial incentives to speed up investment in electricity-saving projects. Participating companies will contractually commit to achieve specific conservation targets within a set period of time and to maintain them over the term of the contract.

Electricity conservation is one of the best ways to manage energy costs, creating lasting operational savings and reducing companies' draw on the electricity system. The Industrial Accelerator program is designed to deliver bottom-line results for participating companies:
  • Financial incentives will cover up to 70% of eligible capital costs.
  • Energy-efficiency projects offer potential electricity cost savings as high as 30%.
  • Support is offered for high-performance industrial installations that improve productivity and competitiveness.
  • The program could significantly reduce the demand on the electricity system from some of Ontario's largest electricity
  • The program will also help drive the development of green technology and jobs in the province. Over seven years, this program will create an estimated 5,500 net jobs.

"For Ontario to thrive, Ontario businesses must thrive," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "Partnering with our largest energy consumers to reduce their energy use will enhance their long-term competitiveness and is part of Ontario's transformation from being a leader in consumption to a leader in conservation."

Ontario's industrial sector is made up of more than 20,000 small, medium and large companies that account for approximately one-third of all electricity use in Ontario. Within the sector, 45 large industrial companies directly connected to the

3 stages of heat stress and how to treat them

PEM >> 
With Ontario in the grips of a record heat wave, workers who stay outdoors for long periods of time during the day run the risk of succumbing to heat-related illnesses. Sister publication Canadian Occupational Safety recently explained how recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses is important in ensuring your workers' safety at work. St. John Ambulance offers the following guidelines for administering first-aid for people suffering from heat stress.

Heat Cramps
Painful muscle cramps primarily in the legs and abdomen and excessive sweating. This is usually caused by losing too much water and salt through sweating, usually this is related to excessive physical activity in hot weather. They are not serious and can be reversed with some basic first aid. 
 


First Aid

Ensure the person is put at rest in a cool place and given as much water as possible in small amounts so as not to cause nausea. If the cramps do subside seek medical help. 
 


Heat Exhaustion

More serious than heat cramps, the symptoms include: excessive sweating, dilated pupils, complaints of dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, and cramps. The casualty may also have cool, clammy skin, a weak rapid pulse, rapid shallow breathing, vomiting and may go unconscious. 



First Aid

Give the casualty water to drink, as much as they will take. If they vomit, do not give them anything by mouth and seek medical attention right away. Place them at rest in the shock position in a cool place and remove any excessive clothing and loosen clothing around the neck and waist. If they go unconscious put them in the recovery position and get medical help, continue monitoring their condition. 
 


Heatstroke (Sunstroke)
This is a life-threatening condition, without immediate action heatstroke can result in permanent brain

Canadian PT/MC sales sink in May but up year to year: PTDA

PEM >> 
Sales of power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) products by U.S. manufacturers sales rose 2.0 percent while sales by Canadian manufacturers dropped 13.1 percent in May, according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report.
 
For U.S. manufacturers, comparing May 2010 to May 2009, sales are up 13.2 percent compared to sales at this time last year. Canadian manufacturers’ current-month-to-current-month sales are also up but at a slower rate at 5.5 percent.
 
Confidence in the market by both U.S. and Canada manufacturers are holding relatively neutral positions—5.0 and 4.9 respectively on a scale of 1 (very pessimistic) to 10 (outstanding).

Month-to-month sales for product categories between April 2010 and May 2010 for Canadian manufacturers are reported below.
 
Canadian Manufacturer Percent Change in Product Sales
(March 2010 vs. April 2010)
 

Canadian PT/MC sales sink in May but up year to year: PTDA

PEM >> 
Sales of power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) products by U.S. manufacturers sales rose 2.0 percent while sales by Canadian manufacturers dropped 13.1 percent in May, according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report.
 
For U.S. manufacturers, comparing May 2010 to May 2009, sales are up 13.2 percent compared to sales at this time last year. Canadian manufacturers’ current-month-to-current-month sales are also up but at a slower rate at 5.5 percent.
 
Confidence in the market by both U.S. and Canada manufacturers are holding relatively neutral positions—5.0 and 4.9 respectively on a scale of 1 (very pessimistic) to 10 (outstanding).

Month-to-month sales for product categories between April 2010 and May 2010 for Canadian manufacturers are reported below.
 
Canadian Manufacturer Percent Change in Product Sales
(March 2010 vs. April 2010)
 
Product Percent Change
Shaft Couplings –38.2%
Variable Speed Drives –25.9%

Future ISO energy-management standard approved as draft

PEM >> 
The future ISO 50001 standard for energy management was recently approved as a Draft International Standard (DIS).

ISO 50001 will establish a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities or entire organizations to manage energy. Targeting broad applicability across national economic sectors, it is estimated that the standard could influence up to 60% of the world’s energy use.

The document is based on the common elements found in all of ISO’s management system standards, assuring a high level of compatibility with ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management). ISO 50001 will provide the following benefits:
  • A framework for integrating energy efficiency into management practices
  • Making better use of existing energy-consuming assets
  • Benchmarking, measuring, documenting, and reporting energy intensity improvements and their projected impact on reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
  • Transparency and communication on the management of energy resources
  • Energy management best practices and good energy management behaviours
  • Evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies
  • A framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain
  • Energy management improvements in the context of GHG emission reduction projects.

ISO 50001 is being developed by ISO project committee ISO/PC 242, Energy management. The secretariat of ISO/PC 242 is provided by the partnership of the ISO members for the USA (ANSI) and Brazil (ABNT). Forty-two ISO member countries are participating in its development, with another 10 as observers.

Now that ISO 50001 has advanced to the DIS stage, national member bodies of ISO have been invited to vote and comment on the text of the standard during the five-month balloting period.

If the outcome of the DIS voting is positive,

SGS performs leak testing of heat exchanger for the first time

NDT News >> 
In March this year, SGS Korea was assigned a contract to provide leak testing of a heat exchanger tube and tube-tube sheet in a refinery in Ulsan, Korea. SGS used this NDT method for the very first time on a heat exchanger.

New UK manager is an infrared veteran

NDT News >> 
FLIR, the world leader in infrared technology, has created a new UK Manager's post and filled it with someone who really needs no introduction to the industry. The man chosen to head the UK sales operation is Andy Baker, who has just completed 20 years in the industry.

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Product Percent Change
Shaft Couplings –38.2%
Variable Speed Drives –25.9%