Google the phrase “leading industry in safety” and the first organic search result – that is to say that the result is due to the topic and site being popular searches, rather than paid for – is the Mining Industry Occupational Safety & Health Website or www.mosh.co.za . This reflects what we all know about the mining industry – danger is intrinsic to mining and therefore safety requirements are stringent. Just as stringent is the chemical industry for obvious reasons. Chemicals are used to extract gold, platinum, copper, zinc, and coal through the process of beneficiation, and the manufacture and distribution of these chemicals comes with its own set of safety issues – not least when delivering to mines!
Tying the mining industry and the mining chemical industry together is logistics – ensuring that the chemicals are delivered to the mines on time and discharged safely is supply chain optimisation. Liquid chemicals are delivered to the mines in tankers. In order for the liquid to be bottom discharged from the tanker a manhole, situated at the top of the tank, needs to be opened. “Opening the manhole allows air inflow from the top – creating a suck and flow type action – allowing product to be discharged through the bottom of the tank. “If this does not happen, the tank will cave in and crumple like a Coke tin – there are tremendous pressures and dangers,” says Andre Jansen van Vuuren, Cargo Carriers’ Divisional Director Marketing. Mr van Vuuren continues “it is standard procedure in the industry for drivers to climb up onto the top of the tanker using a ladder and to physically open the manhole, then to visually monitor the discharge from the top thereby ensuring that the tanker is empty before departing.”
However, mines have started to put pressure on chemical companies to come up with solutions that eliminate the safety risk to the driver. Senmin; along with its supply chain and logistics service provider, Cargo Carriers; and tanker manufacturer, GRW; rose to the challenge. Together, in an 18-month workshop process, they developed a pneumatic valve – to open the manhole from the bottom of the tank; along with a Perspex “spyglass” on the discharge pipe, ensuring that no product remains inside the tanker. “When considering Perspex as the right material for the spyglass, numerous tests were conducted in order to establish whether the Perspex would deteriorate or discolour over time given its interaction with corrosive chemicals – the result – a Perspex spyglass was the suitable option. It is this kind of on-the-ground innovation and dedication to safety as a value-add that sets us apart,” says van Vuuren.
These two innovative solutions are a first in South Africa for liquid tankers. One tanker has been converted to date and has been operational for three months. Based on its success the remaining tankers will be converted.
This innovation is the result of a strategic partnership between Cargo Carriers and Senmin that has endured over many years and is based on synergistic values of innovation and expansion. It is a partnership that understands that in chemical manufacture and logistics, in particular the transportation of hazardous chemicals, it has become non-negotiable to uphold the highest levels of SHEQ. “Cargo Carriers has earmarked SHEQ superiority as a game changer in the chemical, mining and fuel industries” continues van Vuuren. “We have to go beyond client expectations if we are to gain market share in these industries. Innovation and a dedication to consistent standards are key to our ability to offer flexible, custom built and value generating solutions.”