04 May 2012

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

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