Process industries worldwide have the opportunity to learn how to minimise the risk of plant fire and explosion, in the form of a new webinar programme by international provider of thermal fluid system support, maintenance and risk management services, Thermal Fluid Solutions (TFS). The launch coincides with the firm’s introduction of convenient online training for existing customers.
TFS’ webinar programme is designed to help process manufacturers to manage the risk of fire and explosion associated with the operation of thermal fluid systems, helping them to ensure that they run safely, efficiently, cost-effectively and with statutory compliance.
Delivered by TFS’ managing director, Richard Franklin, and TFS America’s chief executive officer, Marc Gingras, the webinars will cover topics relating to risk identification and reduction, and regulatory compliance. The first addressed the issue of Covid 19 plant closure and the consequent opportunities and threats.
The webinars will take place at regular intervals and are easily accessible to all – not just existing TFS customers – by registering via the company’s website, where a dedicated page provides details of forthcoming events, along with the opportunity to review previous sessions.
In a further online development, customers of TFS’ PACT (Professional Accreditation Compliance Team) Partner Programme can now undertake training online as well as face-to-face during site visits.
PACT was developed to enable process manufacturers to protect their assets and ensure production reliability while minimising the risk of fire and explosion.
It includes advice, implementation and the generation of compliance paperwork, and retained customers undertake the annual refresher training with UK-based Franklin as part of their work to achieve and maintain statutory compliance.
As well as offering customers greater convenience and flexibility as they strive to achieve and maintain compliance, the online training is proving particularly valuable during Covid 19 and the associated shutdowns and travel restrictions.
The new training marks the latest stage in the evolution of PACT, which was launched last year and subsequently developed with the addition of an online portal, via which customers are able to maintain up-to-date information on their thermal fluid systems and legislative compliance.
Franklin commented: “There is a growing awareness of the importance of managing the risk associated with the thermal fluid systems used to transfer heat around processing plants. The webinars enable companies to easily and conveniently learn about the way in which they can do this.
“The initial feedback has been extremely encouraging, with some companies inviting me to deliver similar online Q&A sessions for their own corporate teams.
“We hope that by offering existing customers the opportunity to undertake their training online, we will increase the ease with which they are able to manage their risk in order to ensure that their thermal fluid systems operate with safety, efficiency, cost-efficiency and compliance.”
Fifty four percent of all thermal fluid-related fires and explosions are due to poor system maintenance. The risk of fire and explosion relates to the fact that thermal fluid systems’ operating temperatures are typically higher than the closed cup flash point of the thermal oil within – the minimum temperature at which, in the presence of a source of ignition, such as electrical sparks or pump failure, a fluid’s vapours will ignite.
By minimising this risk – along with those of system inefficiency and breakdown – manufacturers are able to achieve and maintain compliance with health and safety legislation such as ATEX (Atmosphère Explosible), DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations) and PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations), while protecting their assets, ensuring operational efficiency and minimising their insurance premiums.
Established in 1996 in the UK as Heat Transfer Systems, TFS opened a US office in Texas, USA in 2017. Customers include panel board manufacturers such as Arauco, Norbord, Georgia-Pacific, LP Building Solutions and Ikea and food processing customers 2 Sisters, Cargill and Moy Park.
For further details, please visit https://www.thermalfluidsolutions.com/webinars/ or www.thermalfluidsolutions.com, or call 44(0)1298 815862 (UK) or +1 713-253-3272 (US).
