Fatal accidents and serious injuries were once common in heavy industry, but while risk has been significantly reduced through advancing technology and improved maintenance, some risk remains as demonstrated by recent tragic accidents around the globe.

In March 2018, a worker was killed in an accident at a cement plant in Vawkavysk, Belarus. The 32 year old contractor was cleaning a heat exchanger in a storage facility when a layer of cement fell on him and a co-worker, according to local reports.

In June 2017 five workers at the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach, Florida, were killed while trying to unplug a slag tank blockage under a boiler where workers were water-blasting through a “doghouse door” while the unit was online. It was reported that molten slag burst through the door, burning the workers severely. Two died at the scene and three died later as a result of their injuries.

In 2007 at Lafarge Northfleet cement works, a worker was crushed to death when a piece of refractory concrete fell on top of him. The Polish national was carrying out routine maintenance work inside a kiln. Three other men who were working alongside him received minor injuries.

The kiln had been taken out of service so the work could be carried out, a spokeswoman for Lafarge Cement said, and the four men were wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and a safety-check had been carried out half an hour before the incident, she added.

These tragedies highlight the risk of working in heavy industry and also the vital importance of following proper safety protocol.

In order to ensure a safe working environment for working people working in different trades, Online Cleaning Technologies sets new standards in safety cleaning by means of targeted shockwave cleaning:

• Work safety
• Effectiveness
• Economics

During the revision planning stage with the customer we will create an individual security concept, which is adjusted to the specific requirements of the plant and the operator.

For an effective safety clean, for example at thermal incinerators, we can offer either a safety clean during the shutdown process or safety after shutdown.

1. Safety clean integrated in the shutdown process

While the plant is running, our experts arrive and prepare everything for the safety clean. After the “go” by the responsible operator, our trained employees open the manholes and use small, targeted explosive shockwaves charges to dislodge and remove caking and residue without having to enter the facility.

The benefits of this procedure are manifold:

INCREASED SAFETY

No employee enters dangerous or exposed areas.

MORE EFFICIENT CLEANING

Caking and fouling are easier to remove at higher temperatures, while the plant cools.

TIME SAVING

The time during the shutdown is used effectively, so there is no delay to planned revision dates.

Because defouling has been carried out while the plant shuts down, no further manual cleaning of those areas will be needed post-shutdown.

ECONOMICS

Fouling and deposits that have been cleared during shockwave cleaning can be removed by the on-site disposal or ash removal routes. This means that costly extraction using mobile air conveyor systems (vacuum trucks) can be either avoided or significantly reduced.

2. Safety Clean once shutdown

If a safety clean is not possible during the shutdown process then it can be carried out, using our shockwave methods while the plant is offline.

Advantages of this procedure:

INCREASED SAFETY

No employee enters dangerous or exposed areas.

TIME SAVING

Our shockwave cleaning methods are safer, quicker and more efficient than manual cleaning, saving you time and money.

ECONOMICS

Fouling and deposits that have been cleared during blashockwave cleaning can be removed by the on-site disposal or ash removal routes. This means that costly extraction using mobile air conveyor systems (vacuum trucks) can be either avoided or significantly reduced.