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| Smith Flow Control Ltd. |
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6 Waterside Business Park
Eastways Industrial Estate
Witham Essex CM8 3YQ
United Kingdom |
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Tel: +44 (0)1376 517901
fax: +44 (0)1376 518720 |
sales@smithflowcontrol.com
www.smithflowcontrol.com |
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| Home » Products » Interlocks |
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....."it would be difficult to name a particular industry that would not benefit from an SFC coded-card key interlock system" |
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As a general principle it may be said that operations which are safe when performed correctly can have catastrophic consequences when performed incorrectly. The Oil & Gas and Chemical processing industries generally have a disciplined approach to design and operating practice - usually governed by well recognised international standards and enforced by regulatory authorities and certification bodies. While good practice begins with good design - both are ultimately hostage to the 'Human Factor'.
Modern process plants are highly automated and regulated by distributed software management systems which are simply monitored by 'Production' personnel - often remote from the physical location of the plant itself. Indeed, some operations such as pig launching or receiving procedures can
be effected in semi-automatic mode using push button controls (again often from a remote station).
Maintenance procedures however invariably involve human intervention and interrupt automated processes creating 'abnormal' conditions for the duration of the work. Loading or unloading of pig traps, changeover of pressure relief valves, turbine servicing (requiring suspension of CO2 Fire Deluge), coupling or uncoupling of hoses for loading or discharge of tanker cargoes all involve human intervention and are hostage to the possibility of operator error. Distributed control systems (DCS) cannot effectively regulate such (maintenance) procedures - the SFC ‘Coded Card Key Interlock System’ can! |
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| ‘The obligation to adopt best practice is a fundamental of safety management - mechanical key safety interlocking is a technology that has evolved to offer sophisticated technical solutions to complex and hazardous process applications and which increasingly is being adopted by major OpCo's worldwide for protection of their people, their assets and their surrounding environment' |
SFC 'Visual Alert' Key Cabinets provide an effective and infallible management control system against unauthorised or inadvertent operation of interlocked
valves or associated process equipment by keeping the coded keys which initiate the operation of critical valves under secure supervisory control. |
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| Controlling the sequence of events in which process activities are conducted has been achieved historically using a Permit to Work (PtW) accompanied by documented instructions. |
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However, this system is hostage to 'human factors' Distractions, failure to interpret correctly, ignorance of the system - all can lead the operator to make errors which can manifest themselves in industrial accidents of varying magnitudes.
Trapped Key Interlocks are simple mechanical devices which can be customised to implement a safe sequence of operation in any process activity.
In the following pages we show how our mechanical key interlock
system ensures that pig trap valves are disabled and proven shut and the vessel is isolated, drained and vented BEFORE opening of the closure for loading or unloading of pigs, or, how the spare pressure safety relief valve is on stream BEFORE an inservice
relief valve can be isolated and removed, or, how we prevent a tanker from departing a loading/discharge station BEFORE the cargo hoses are disconnected. |
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These and any other work tasks executed by human intervention can be completely regulated by SFC's coded-card key interlocks - simple and total mechanical reliability to prevent operator error or violation to protect your plant, the surrounding community and the environment. In addition to our range of highintegrity
coded-card key interlock safety products, SFC also offer a comprehensive range of valve and process equipment security products for high and low-criticality applications. |
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