Pacquet interview in the Journal du Vrac
SAFETY: WHY CHOOSE COLLECTIVE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR WORK ON THE DOME OF TANKS?
Samuel Pacquet, Manager of the Pacquet Industrie Group answers you: exclusive interview in the latest issue of the Journal du Vrac
Operators who work on the tank dome (loading, unloading, checking, cleaning, etc.) must be perfectly secure to avoid the risk of falling. Should PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or CPE (Collective Protective Equipment) be fitted? The answer is not as simple as it seems. Interview with Samuel Pacquet, director of the company Pacquet Solutions d’Empotage, at the origin of an awareness campaign on the risks of falling from a height.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONY: BULK SUGAR LOADING
One of the clients of Pacquet Potting Solutions was looking for a French specialist in the field of securing access at height on the tank dome who could meet the integration constraints linked to the site environment. The maintenance manager says, “We had a problem with our bulk truck loading station where we were dealing with different types of tanks and shipping containers. The risk of falling was real due to the length and configuration of the tanks which varied enormously. Our existing walkway was of fixed length and its railing was not adjustable. So, when a tank was shorter than our gangway, an empty space was created: this risk was controlled via a lifeline system, but this presented organizational problems with the transporters. The Pacquet company was able to take these constraints into account, adapt its technical solution while integrating with the customer's installation. “To do this, Pacquet shifted the access to the tank and installed a raise and lower walkway with an adjustable guardrail depending on the length available. This installation allowed us to put operators and drivers in safety, whatever the type of tank or container, without the need to wear a safety harness and while eliminating organizational problems.»
CUSTOMER TESTIMONY: BULK CEMENT LOADING
For a cement manufacturer, Pacquet was able to provide an adequate solution. The technical manager of the site explains: “Our project was initiated by the general management. Historically, drivers only had a simple handrail, hinged on one side. In the event of a slip or false movement, the fall from the top of the tank was almost inevitable. This is why our General Manager wanted all loading points to be equipped with secure access guaranteeing that the driver could not fall from higher than his height. The Pacquet company was already known to the group since it had already installed secure access workstations on other sites of this group in France. The technical manager continues: "The problems encountered are mainly the risk of slipping, due to weather conditions, rain, frost, etc. Exceptionally, material could also be found on the dome of the cistern. Drivers need to access the dome to open the front loading hatch and close it after operations, and some drivers told us that the ladders at the back of the truck were very slippery in freezing weather. Work on the tank dome was therefore particularly dangerous. Pacquet Stuffing Solutions offered drop-down walkways, which “allows a secure area around the loading hatch, personnel can no longer fall to the ground since they will be restrained by the guardrails. Access via a staircase is reassuring and comfortable for the drivers, the fact of being "surrounded" by a solid and resistant guardrail is reassuring, when they handle the heavy lid of their tank or when they have to circulate around this hatch to clean it."