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Computer generated image of legionella bacteria

Managing the Risk of Legionella in Emergency Safety Showers and Eye Washes

Legionnaires' disease is contracted when bacteria in water droplets or aerosols are inhaled into the lungs. Certain conditions allow Legionella bacteria to multiply rapidly and increase the risk of an outbreak, these include temperatures between 20-45 C, stagnated water and areas that produce a lot of water spray.

As such, emergency safety showers and eye wash units, which can often remain unused for extended periods, should be managed effectively to reduce the risk of Legionella bacteria growing, surviving and spreading.

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landfill with digger moving through large cluster of rubbish

Chemical Hazards in the Waste and Recycling Industry

In the UK alone more than 100 million tonnes of waste are generated every year requiring an enormous workforce to sort and process this waste each day. The recycling and waste management industry is constantly growing and developing due to the need for innovative technologies and processes required to deal with increasingly dangerous waste.

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sun set over a corn field

Meeting Unique Specifications for the Agriculture Industry

One of the world’s leading agriculture companies, through their technologies, helps farmers all over the globe maximise the use of limited agricultural resources. The Hughes engineered solutions team provided complete project planning, working closely with the site to ensure the units were customised exactly to their specifications. 

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copper brew kettle inside bewery

Breweries Hop to Hughes

The value of the global beer industry is predicted to reach a staggering £526,000 million by 2025. In Europe alone the brewing industry is estimated to employ over 100,000 people, producing over 40 billion litres of beer every year.

However, getting that beer from grain to glass is not a straightforward process. Even after brewing is complete, harsh chemical cleaners need to be used to ensure the tanks and pipework are sanitised and safe. Due to the potential for a splash or spill of these hazardous cleaners, on-site safety showers are a necessity.

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Reams of colourful printed textiles

Protecting People in the Printing Industry

Due to the fast-paced, deadline-driven nature of the printing industry it can often be easy to overlook the need for health and safety equipment. The UK is the world’s fifth largest producer of printed products, with around 120,000 employees – a large workforce that needs to be protected.

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fertiliser plant with small hills shown in foreground and cranes in background

Safety Showers for the Fertiliser Industry

The fertiliser industry uses extremely hazardous materials in their production processes. Common industry chemicals like anhydrous ammonia can cause burns and inhalation hazards.Others like ammonium nitrate pose a risk of fire and explosion.

In 2006 a large explosion at a fertiliser plant in Teeside, UK caused a fire involving mixed gases including hydrogen, nitrogen and ammonia prompting the police to declare a major emergency.

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Chemical processing plant shown in front of a sunset

Protecting the Workforce of the World's Largest Chemical Producer

A UK site of the World's largest chemical producer switched over its production process for the monomer acrylamide to a modern enzyme-based process. The newer, biocatalytic production method results in less waste than the copper catalysis previously used.

Acrylamide is a hazardous substance and it was imperative that any accidental exposure could be dealt with immediately. The company approached Hughes to aid them in specifying the correct product for them.

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Anaerobic digestion plant shown behind field

Safety Considerations at Anaerobic Digestion Plants

Anaerobic digestion is an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective solution to converting waste into renewable energy. There are many important health and safety issues to consider and potential risks to mitigate when operating a biogas plant such as explosion, fire, poisoning and surface water leakages. How can Hughes Safety Showers help with some of the potential hazards?

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