A Welsh firm has taken delivery of a new explosion proof forklift truck to eliminate the risk of explosion at its GRP manufacturing facility. The Caterpillar® DP30 forklift, converted by safety company Pyroban®, is fully ATEX compliant for Zone 1 operations and ensures maximum safety for staff.
IBCs and drums full of flammable paints, thinners, polyester resins and other solvents are handled on the GRP manufacturing site at the 120,000 sq.ft plant in Carmarthenshire, Wales. To manage the risk of explosion, the forklift truck has the highest level of protection so that it cannot be the source of an ignition and will operate safely in areas where flammable products are being decanted and stored.
Working with South Wales Fork Trucks, safety company Pyroban converted the 3-tonne lift capacity forklift for use in the Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas at the facility. This means that the truck can continue to operate safely if an explosive atmosphere is present during the production of the GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic, also known as fibreglass) units.
“Pyroban designs ATEX 2G flameproof forklifts to give reliable and efficient performance in tough environments and eliminate the ignition risk, keeping workers and assets safe,” says Matt Booth, Sales Manager for Pyroban. “We also ensure a low cost of operation and make it as easy as possible to service and maintain.”
All Pyroban products are certified to ATEX 2014/34/EU typically following standard EN1755, and in accordance with ISO3691. The “passive” conversion features explosion proof Exd enclosures for arcing and sparking components, and surface temperature limitation to ensure the motors, engine, brakes, electrics, and other components remain below the auto-ignition temperatures (T–Class) of flammable materials. The forks are clad in stainless steel, there are Exi intrinsically safe circuits, Exm encapsulation, and an air inlet shutdown valve for automatic and manual shutdown of the engine.
The customer requires Zone 1 forklifts to ensure maximum safety of its staff and neighbours, to protect the business and brand, while satisfying insurance requirements for the company, which makes a range of GRP enclosures, cabinets and covers for industrial and commercial sectors and has been engineering GRP for more than 50 years.
This was the first ever ATEX converted forklift truck supplied by South Wales Fork Trucks (SWFT) which was established in the 1980s. Sales Director Liz Selby explains: “Having previously declined to support hazardous area applications, we found the process very easy and Pyroban helped us all the way from quotation to delivery of truck. Our engineers have also been trained to safely maintain the trucks.”
To ensure safety throughout the life of the trucks, Pyroban will provide an Ex-ASA (Annual Safety Audit) every year over the five-year term. The Pyroban Ex-SA is a thorough inspection of the safety critical components and ensures that the integrity and safety of the materials handling equipment is not compromised during its working lifetime.
For more information about Pyroban visit www.pyroban.com, email sales@pyroban.com or call (UK) +44 (0)1273 456800.
