Sure Safety decontaminates 500 ships at Alang in 21 months:

Protection from industrial waste: 

A file photo of a worker dismantling a decommissioned ship at the Alang shipyard

The Vadodara-based industrial safety solutions provider Sure Safety on Wednesday said it has decontaminated 500 ships to protect workers from asbestos exposure at the Alang Ship Recycling Yard in Gujarat during the last 21 months.

The Ship Recycling Industries’ Association (SRIA) had outsourced the responsibility of safely removing and managing asbestos containing materials (ACMs) before and during the dismantling of ships to Industrial Hygiene Services (IHS), a group company of Sure Safety, Mr Nishith Dand, Director, told presspersons here.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 125 million people globally are exposed to asbestos at the workplace and more than one lakh people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposure.

Facing heightened risks of cancer, asbestos-exposed workers also run a greater danger of heart disease and stroke, according to a British report published last month, he said.

Sure Safety innovated negative pressure mobile enclosures for asbestos extraction, which eliminated the need of transporting ACM for management. Also, with Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL), it designed an emergency chlorine leakage control (ECLC) kit to plug chlorine leakage at industries where chlorine is manufactured, handled or transported.

With increased awareness about industrial safety solutions, Mr Dand said India’s market of safety products worth Rs 1,500 crore is expected to increase to Rs 5,000 crore in the next three years.

Source: Business Line. By Virendra Pandit. 2 May 2012

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/shipping-news/article3376917.ece

Pioneering work by Sure Safety's IHS to protect Alang shipyard workers from asbestos exposure 500 ships decontaminated in 21 months

Industrial Hygiene Services (IHS), a group company of Sure Safety, has done pioneering work as one of the few firms in India to protect industrial workers against asbestos exposure through various safety measures

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, May 2, 2012 /India PRwire/ -- Industrial Hygiene Services (IHS), a group company of Sure Safety, has done pioneering work as one of the few firms in India to protect industrial workers against asbestos exposure through various safety measures. IHS anchors and manages asbestos containing materials (ACM) at Alang Ship Recycling Yard, the world's largest ship breaking yard. The Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA) has outsourced the responsibility for ACM removal, handling, scrapping and packing job to IHS before and during the dismantling of any ship at Alang. IHS has decontaminated over 500 ships in 21 months.

According to research done by the World Health Organisation (WHO) about 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at the workplace and WHO estimates that more than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposure. Already facing heightened risks of cancer, asbestos exposed workers also run a greater danger of heart disease and stroke stated a British study report published this April.

Shedding light on this subject, Mr. Nishith Dand, Director, Sure Safety, said, "Hi-tech equipments like powered air purifying respirators, negative pressure mobile enclosure and on-board decontamination tents are set up at the decontamination site to extract asbestos from the ships at Alang. IHS trained experts have the proficiency in managing ACM. However, they are also continuously educated regarding health hazards of ACM and various safety aspects that need to be followed while working at these decontamination sites at Alang."

"Sure Safety with its innovation centre and dedicated R&D team has manufactured negative pressure mobile enclosures especially designed for asbestos extraction thus controlling the exposure of the suspended asbestos particles in the environment and protecting people at large. Due to its mobile nature, this unit can be taken at the asbestos site, hence completely eradicating the ACM's transport hazard," he added.

Apart from innovative solutions at Alang, Sure Safety along with Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has also designed an emergency chlorine leakage control (ECLC) kit to plug chlorine leakage at different industries where chlorine is manufactured, handled or transported.

Notes to Editor:

About Industrial Hygiene Services [IHS]:

IHS with its professional team of certified industrial hygienists, engineers as well as health and safety professionals is a leading consulting firm known widely to provide cost-effective solutions to companies towards reduction in chemical, physical and biological exposures. IHS clients including companies from industries like pharmaceuticals, engineering units, petrochemical, petroleum, steel, ship breaking yards, ship building units, and many more.

With industrialisation taking place at a faster pace in India, industrial hygiene & occupational health have become one of the key parameters. Industrial hygiene risk assessment and exposure assessment provide a useful quantitative baseline data for companies to dwell on and also synchronize their medical records. Ergonomics assessment, asbestos abatement programmes and engineering control validations also ensures a more healthy and safe workplace for employees.

About Sure Safety:

Established in the year 1996, Sure Safety has carved for itself a 'niche' as an industrial safety solution provider to meet the ever growing demands of various industries, to make it a safe work place and protect its men and assets from various hazards. Company not only manufactures PPE (personal protective equipment) for head to toe protection, but also provides solutions to protect against the worst seen or unseen hazards prevalent in industries, be it, because of solids, liquids, gases or suspended particles in air.

Source: India PRwire. 2 May 2012

http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/health-care/20120502118838.htm

Rupee fall costs ship breaking cos Rs 1,000 crore:

Indian shipbreaking companies have lost almost Rs 800-1000 crore during financial year 2011-12 due to rupee depreciation against US dollar. According to the industry, weak rupee converted profits into losses, mainly after October 2011 period.

"There has been an increase in work in tonnage, but due to rupee depreciation against US dollar, we have lost about Rs 800-1000 crore in financial year 2011-12," said Nitin Kanakia, joint secretary of Ship Recycling Industries Association of India (SRIA).

Adding further, he said, "We have to pay more in rupee terms to buy ships. The rupee-dollar rate was different at the time of deal and at the time of payment the dollar value has changed. This situation has started after October 2011."

According to industry sources, ship breakers paid money in a period of 6 months. This means, for the the deal, that was made during April to September 2011, the payment was made after October 2011. By that time, rupee had started depreciating against US dollar. This led to a loss of about Rs 800-1000 crore for the ship breakers.

Jayant Vanani, secretary of SRIA said, "The industry, overall, was doing very well but due to rupee depreciation against US dollar, the industry had to pay more in rupee terms than the amount mentioned at the time of signing the deal."

According to Vanani, "At the time of the deal, rupee price was around Rs 44-45 per dollar and by the time of payment, the rate had shot up to around Rs 50-51 a dollar. This difference hit most of the ship breakers in Alang."

Indian rupee had fallen to Rs 53.714 against US dollar on December 14, 2011, while it remains at around Rs 50.975 at present. "Still the rupee is not stable and we fear further loss in coming days," said Vanani.

About 365 ships come to Alang shipyard for recycling every year.

Alang ship breaking yard that is located near Bhavnagar in Gujarat, is Asia’s largest ship recycling place. Over 100 ship breaking companies are active in Alang and turnover of the industry is about Rs 10,000 crore per year.

Source: Business Standard. By Vimukt Dave. 2 April 2012

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/rupee-fall-costs-ship-breaking-cos-rs-1000-crore/469730/