BFPA update November/December 2012
Welcome new member
The BFPDA is delighted to welcome the following new member:
Pirtek Edinburgh
40A Swanfield Industrial Estate
Bonnington Road
Leith
Edinburgh
West Lothian
EH6 5RX
For further information contact:
Ben Jones – director
Tel: 0131 554 1445
Fax: 0131 554 1731
Email: info@pirtekedinburgh.co.uk
Website: www.pirtek.co.uk
Welcome new Hose Accreditation Scheme members
The BFPA is pleased to welcome the following new Accredited Hose Scheme members:
First Hose Ltd.
Unit 21, Denmore Road
Denmore Industrial Estate
Bridge of Don
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
AB23 8JW
For further information contact:
Stan Horne – operations director
Tel: 01224 823413
Fax: 01224 823113
Email: sales@firsthose.co.uk
Website: www.firsthose.co.uk
Redline Hydraulics Ltd.
Unit 4, Northbrook Close Gregorys Mill Industrial Estate
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR3 8BP
For further information contact:
Martyn Bunyan – managing director
Tel: 01905 723483
Website: www.redlinehydraulics.co.uk
HSE present at BFPA seminar
Already involved with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) through the technical committees on documents such as GS4, the BFPA is now hosting occasional seminars, giving a platform for the HSE to present its current work programme and processes, and indeed for members to question the HSE. One of these seminars was held at the Coal Mining Museum on 18 October, at which Paul Grady of the HSE Inspectorate presented and answered questions for almost two hours.
Of great interest to the HSE is the subject of pressure testing and fluid injection injury and some impressive high-speed video clips were shown simulating the damaging effects of a pressure injection. This work is currently being carried out at the Health & Safety laboratory in Derbyshire, and although it was very new research the impact of the videos had great impact on the 50-plus people attending the evening.
A new advisory document on injection injuries is about to be released, a copy of which will be issued free of charge to all BFPA members and widely promoted to the user market. The HSE seminar will be run in other UK locations, but should any member want to know more of the HSE work, they can contact the BFPA on 01608 647900.
Fluid injection injuries
"Understanding the background, knowing the risks, (and ways to reduce them) and managing an incident."
The above are the words used in the front piece of the latest document being produced by the BFPA as part of its continuing campaign to raise awareness and the image of our industry.
The fluid injection injury if not treated properly, and most importantly quickly, can have terrible consequences, resulting in permanent loss of movement in limbs and in some cases even loss of a limb. The fluid power industry, working at the pressures our industry is accustomed to, is clearly a prime source for such accidents. However, an injection injury can occur at pressures as low as 7 bar. Therefore, many industries such as water jetting, paint, process and so on carry this risk.
One of the most concerning problems is that even the medical profession is not as aware as the BFPA feels it should be about the correct techniques for diagnosis and treatment. Some countries, notably Australia, seem to be getting to grips with this problem, but for now we are still lagging.
To rectify this and increase knowledge, the BFPA will shortly be releasing a guideline document with the title at the head of this article, which clearly identifies the problem and details the correct treatment procedures. Each BFPA/DA member company will be sent a hard copy and will have access to free downloads from the BFPA website. The subject is already covered in the BFPA training courses but the association feels that, given the potential serious nature of this topic, a publication is warranted in its own right.
BFPA and the bankers
On Tuesday 16 October the BFPA was invited to a round-table meeting with representatives of the Banking Industry and a selection of other similar sized trade associations. Part of the discussion related to the methods the banks use to evaluate risk when making arrangements with customers. There was strong feeling from the SME industrial side that this was too prescriptive and thus limiting. The SME Finance Monitor has shown recently that only 18 per cent of the SME manufacturing sector can be considered ‘low risk’. This figure caused significant disbelief and a demand to know how these statistics were arrived at, particularly when 82 per cent of that community is profitable. These figures are important as most lenders use them in making lending decisions. However, the good news is that the BBA is keen to clarify these practices.
On a positive note it was suggested that many companies simply don’t know what to project when making a proposal for funds and that more will be done to create awareness in this field. A system of benchmarking is to be investigated, taking models from what banks consider to be ‘good quality risks’ and making these available.
These meetings are a relatively new initiative but are beginning to be very useful, and the banks are taking them seriously, giving our industry a sound forum to take issues on an industrial platform to the finance world.
Should you have issues with the banking/finance world and would like to table them, please let the BFPA know and the association will represent your points at the next forum in 2013.
Events
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Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week
05 - 06 June, 2024
NEC, Birmingham -
HILLHEAD 2024
25 June, 2024, 9:00 - 27 June, 2024, 16:00
Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire UK
