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© Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA 1

Increasing the well-being of employees, whilst simultaneously improving the production process? In Germany, Evonik is realising both aims at their site in Dossenheim – thanks to a new system solution by Dräger. During production, a combination of a chemical protective suit and a ventilation vest is used, which enables an increase in wear-time of up to 240 minutes.

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Achieve more with new power


BEST PRACTIVE EVONIK: EMPLOYEE PROTECTION DURING THE PRODUCTION OF SPECIALITY CHEMICALS

Shortly before the shift-end, Thomas Straub once again fills the six drying trays. With the help of a scoop, the worker puts a powder-form raw material onto them, which is required for the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances. Subsequently he places the stainless steel trays, each 20 kilogrammes, into a tray dryer.

The task itself is challenging. Wearing a chemical protective suit (CPS) and the corresponding respiratory protection, which is required when handling these toxic substances, additionally impede work in the drying plant at the Evonik site in Dossenheim.

Skilled workers of the production plant must likewise protect themselves from contact with and the breathing in of toxic substances and dust. There they are transferring a powder-form reactant via the vacuum conveyor into a reactor. Although it is less physically demanding at the location of application, the proper use of body and breathing protective clothing/apparatus also leads to an additional stress on the body.

EVONIK RESULTS – INDISPENSABLE IN EVERYDAY USE

The products by Evonik can be found in medication, vehicle paint and even in road markings – they are one of the leading manufacturers for specialist chemicals. The chemical components are produced in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH is situated in Dossenheim, near Heidelberg. As strategic partners to the pharmaceutical industry they look after the contract manufacturing of pharmaceutical substances (exclusive synthesis) and intermediates. The areas of responsibility are bundled into the division‘Health Care’.

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Challenging work with complete protection



The use of breathing apparatus generally means an additional stress on the wearer of the apparatus. In order to prevent overstrain there are the DGUV-R-112 190 recommendations in Germany for the cor-rect selection of PPE and the recommended wearing times linked therewith. The guidelines provided by the umbrella organisation Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (German Social Accident Insurance) are derived from operational practice.

At the Evonik site in Dossenheim, the wear-time restriction for jobs in production and the drying plant, according to the risk as-sessment which was based on the DGUV-R-112 190, amounted to 60 minutes. After reaching the maximum application time, the wearer had to take a break. Linked to this was the putting on and taking off of the conventional protective suit system, which utilised additional time. Alongside the wear-time, the DGUV regulation defines the maxi-mum number of uses per working shift and the maximum number of working shifts per week. It is therefore necessary to always plan in sufficient personnel per shift and per week. Associated therewith is also the increased logistical expense for change/exchange of suits. The CPS must be disposed of after every use.

Time-restricted usageHeavier strain on the body

What factors are responsible for this? Bearing a great deal of weight, literally, is the equipment. With the protective suit, safety footwear, gloves and respiratory protection, dependent on the level of protection, this can quickly exceed 20 kilogrammes. The strenuous tasks in production and the drying plant accelerate the energy rate and metabolism. The body therefore produces a lot of heat.

Almost half of the heat is radiated The body’s heat output when resting with a 20° C ambient temperature

A further important factor: Through the isolating effect of the chemical protective suit the user begins to sweat and the humidity increases. This results in a moist, warm climate in the suit. After just a short period, the temperature internally rises. The heat as a result can no longer be emitted through convection and radiation to the outside. Due to the rising humidity in the suit the body’s own cooling function becomes restricted and the sweat is unable to evaporate from the skin.

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Sweating 19 %

Convection 33 %

Breathing 2 %

Radiation 46 %

Source: Dräger



Jens Engelhardt, HR Manager for Shift Workers at the Evonik site in Dossenheim, is familiar with the problems that suit wearing can pose: “Regular surveying of users suggested that particular tasks such as working in CPS during summer temperatures be made more comfortable. Furthermore, we tried out numerous options, such as airflow helmets, which although they produced a draught in the neck area, they did not provide the rest of the body with sufficiently tempered air.” Many of the tested options were quickly discarded because the employees did not accept them and did not apply them to their work.

The local contact person from Dräger found out about the problem. Evonik has been working with the Lübeck company in a number of areas of work safety for a number of years. He suggested testing a new type of system solution. This combined the Dräger splash chemical protective suit 3700 with the ventilation vest CVA 0700.

The SPC 3700 is a liquid-tight protective suit (type 3). It protects the wearer from dangerous chemicals. The ventilation vest CVA 0700 provides the wearer with breathing air and a pleasant cooling airflow. Particulars: The user wears the vest directly on his body. It ensures a directed air supply to the shoulders and back area for re-duced humidity inside the suit. Due to the permanently flushed air, it lowers this from approx. 90 % without cooling to approx. 40 to 50 % with a ventilation vest. The breathing air is supplied via a compressed air line system. The total weight is under three kilogrammes. This also unburdens the user.

Optimising the work requirements

Less sweating, more working

Substantially involved in the search for a new solution: Jens Engelhardt, HR Manager for the Shift Workers at the Evonik site at Dossenheim

An innovation in the segment of ventilated protective suits: the splash protective suit Dräger SPC 3700 in combination with the ventilation vest CVA 0700.

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For Engelhardt the presented solution sounded promising. He requested some samples in order to carry out an initial test on-site. After the users responded positively about the comfort and climate inside the suit, the participants agreed to expand the test.

Alongside the positive statements by users, the persons responsible considered further aspects. Jens Engelhardt recollects:“In order to be able to implement the cooling protective suits econo-mically, a wear-test and revaluation of the risk assessment, above all with regard to the wear-time, were required.” There was good reasoning for extension. Fabian Hohenecker was impressed by this. The advantages of the vest were clear: “Given the fact that it wasn’t heavy, the air circulation in the suit was enabled and there was no breathing resistance, the wear-time appeared to be unrestricted”, said Hohenecker.

Originating from the risk assessment which had been valid until then, the persons responsible subsequently conducted a work-related risk analysis and thorough internal tests. 30 % of the potential users participated. The entire process was supported by the occupational physician responsible for the site. He documented and analysed the test results from a medical point of view.

Positive first impressions

Fabian Hohenecker initiated the project at the Evonik site at Dossenheim alongside Jens Engelhardt.

An employee wearing the combination of the ventilation vest and chemical protective suit.

Put to the acid test

“The employees’ acceptance is one of the main criteria for us. In this instance we have received very good feedback.”

Fabian Hohenecker, Chairman of the Works Council

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The new system solution during application in production.

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The survey of the subjects confirmed the first impressions of the preliminary test. It resulted in a high approval with regard to the air circulation. 80 % of the testers found it ‘comfortable’ and ‘sufficient’. The majority of the subjects found the climate inside the suit ‘appealing’.

These insights were also covered by the internal tests carried out by Dräger. The combination of the ventilation vest and CPS maintains the suit wearer’s body climate stable and substantially reduces the formation of sweat.

A detailed assessment followed the test phase. In doing this the occupational physician spoke again with all of the subjects. After the survey the initially sceptical medical officer was also open-minded regarding an extension of the wear-time.

Jens Engelhardt summarises: “At the core of the risk assessment was the wear-time limit. Due to the positive feedback from the subjects and the non-existent breathing resistance, it was possible to convince the medical officer to extend. “Bettina Stammler, SHE Manager and Safety Officer at the Dossenheim site complements: “A further argument was the future distribution of work into more difficult and easier tasks, as well as into monitoring tasks.”

The persons responsible were in agreement to subsequently extend the wear-time from 60 to 120 minutes for more difficult tasks and from 60 to 240 minutes for monitoring tasks.

With the revision of the risk assessment and new interpretation of DGUV-R-112 190 within the permissible scope, the participants at the Dossenheim site provided real pioneer work.

Dräger supported the entire process from the test phase through to daily application. Fabian Hohenecker emphasises the good collaboration: “We have optimised the system together for our application purposes – it was a very good exchange. Dräger’s high level of flexibility has provided significant contribution to the success.”

Thorough analysis of the results Exemplary solution

TEST ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

– General wear comfort– Climate– Temperature– Air circulation– Noise level



In the meantime, the combination of the overpressure protective suit and the ventilation vest is regularly used at Evonik. The solution has established itself among the users.

“Naturally it takes some getting used to. However, after the third or fourth time, colleagues know how to move. And then there is a clear improvement to the conventional protective suit”, says Necmettin Karci, Operational Assistant of the Drying Plant.

Above all, it highlights the increased level of safety: “Due to the overpressure in the suit, the users are additionally sealed off from the production.”

Proven in daily application

“All employees in my team use the CPS with the ventilation vest. From the youngest to the oldest colleagues, everyone gets on well with it.”

Necmettin Karci, Operational Assistant in the Drying Plant

The well-being of employees remained at the forefront for Evonik during implementation of the new system solution. The economical results also helped in the establishment.

“It was possible to optimise our application times with the new solution. Less undressing and redressing phases including the subsequent break times now arise”, said Jens Engelhardt. This fact affects the layer thickness. Employees can now be managed more efficiently.

Suit wastage has likewise reduced with the new system. A further advantage: absent breathing resistance in combination with the low total weight of under three kilogrammes. The G26 investigation is no longer mandatory as the combination in Group 1 falls away.

The solutions found at Dossenheim show that employee wishes and company interests must not be ruled out. On the one hand, the combi-system facilitates the work for users in the drying plant and production. On the other hand, it clearly presents an economical improvement for the company. To this Jens Engelhardt says: “We really liked the combi-system by Dräger right from the outset. Through the extensive tests, combined with the revaluation of the risk assessment, we have been able to make necessary work-technical prerequisites.”

Positive economical effects

A solution with many advantages

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All specifications regarding the Dräger chemical protective suit SPC 3700 and the ventilation vest CVA 0700 can be found on our product pages.

In the hazardous substance database VOICE® you can obtain current information regarding chemical resistances.

IMPRINTDräger Safety AG & Co. KGaARevalstraße 123560 Lübeck, Deutschland

www.draeger.com

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Find out more

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https://www.draeger.com/en_uk/Applications/Products/Personal-Protection-Equipment/Protective-Clothing/Splash-Suit-and-Vest/SPC-3700-CVA-0700



https://www.draeger.com/en_uk/Applications/Online-Service/VOICE-The-Hazardous-Substances-Database#How-to-access-the-VOICE-Database



achieve more with new power - draeger … · achieve more with new power . drägerwerk a co. gaa 2...

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