PECM Issue 36 2019 | Page 102

HEALTH & SAFETY SPECIAL CHEMISTRY DUPONT 10 YEAR RELATIONSHIP DRIVES PPE IMPROVEMENTS, DELIVERS COST SAVINGS Ensuring that workers are properly protected and fully engaged in safety procedures is a primary objective for any employer. The health and safety team at one of Dow Chemical Company’s largest production sites has developed a partnership with DuPont Personal Protection over time that delivers ongoing improvements in staff safety and training, as well as more streamlined ordering procedures and related cost savings. PRODUCT SELECTION CONFIDENCE Covering some 550 hectares, Stade is Dow’s largest German production site. Every year, around 1300 in-house staff and several hundred contractors produce some three million tonnes of basic and specialty chemicals including propylene oxide, propylene glycol, solvents for paints, perchloroethylene, raw materials for polyurethanes, cellulose ethers, chlorine, sodium hydroxide solution and hydrogen in ten plants. Personal protective equipment (PPE), including chemical protection garments, is vital for reliably protecting staff from hazardous liquids and solids. For over a decade now, Dow workers have been using garments made by DuPont Personal Protection to protect them from workplace hazards. To provide protection from liquid chemicals, Dow makes use of Tychem® 2000 C and Tychem® 6000 F coveralls1. Typical applications include material transfers or inspection tasks in which lines are opened and there is a risk of personnel being contaminated with a hazardous substance. These garments are also used during the emptying and cleaning of pipework, which is required for regular official TÜV2 inspections. Key to the decision were the comprehensive permeation data that DuPont was able to supply to Dow’s safety professionals. Jens Thiede, SHE Specialist at Dow in Stade with responsibility for the selection and use of PPE, explains: “We have around 2000 different chemicals on our plant here and cannot purchase a dedicated garment for each product. We need products that reliably protect our staff from as many substances as possible. So, we had a good look around 102 PECM Issue 36 on the market and shortlisted a range of options. The permeation data DuPont supplied for numerous organic and inorganic chemicals were very helpful and convinced us that the two Tychem® garments were the best ones to choose for our staff.” Dow has also been using DuPont coveralls for many years in areas where staff are exposed to hazards arising from solids and dusts; for instance, in the production of cellulose ethers which are used as fillers and binders in construction materials, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The suits involved here are primarily from the Tyvek® product line, such as Tyvek® 600 Plus. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Before purchasing new or updated garments, Dow carries out comprehensive wear tests lasting several weeks or even months with its front-line staff. These tests are a useful factor in coming to a decision about which product is most suitable for staff and their specific working conditions and whether the chosen garment can prove its worth under practical conditions. Thiede explains, “DuPont assists us with these tests by supplying sample garments in various sizes. Our staff enter their ratings on questionnaires covering criteria such as wearer comfort, fit, freedom of movement, handling, size range and, of course, the wearer’s subjective feeling of safety.” Dow then jointly evaluates these questionnaire responses with DuPont. Positive and negative feedback about the garments may then be fed into further product development. Dow’s standard practice originally was to keep stocks of the garments in sizes M to XXL. Over the course of time, the wear tests have increasingly revealed demand for very small and very large sizes as well. One advantage of working with DuPont is their ability to respond to these changes in demand, because they can offer a wide range of different sizes which are available from stock or made to order. CONTINUOUS SAFETY IMPROVEMENT Dow and DuPont have now been working together for over ten years on the selection and use of suitable protective garment solutions for specific hazards and applications. The aim is to ensure ongoing, continuous improvement in staff safety on the Stade site. This is why the companies carry out joint workshops to inform heads of department, H&S coordinators, staff from partner companies and apprentices about protective clothing in general, the characteristics of Tychem® and Tyvek® chemical protective clothing, the correct For further information, please visit: ipp. dupont.com or safespec.dupont.co.uk.