PRODUCTS & PRACTICES
Veolia introduces Covid-19
PPE treatment service
Resource management
company Veolia has
introduced a means of
safely collecting, containing
and treating potentially
contaminated personal
protective equipment (PPE)
from Covid-19 protection
operations.
The new service aims to
securely manage the growing
quantities of gloves, safety
goggles, masks, overalls,
clothes and textiles, and
hard hats used during the
pandemic.
This solution is particularly
targeted at remote workers
who travel from site to site
without returning to a central
location.
Veolia’s new service,
developed by redesigning
existing operations, involves
installing dedicated disposal
boxes at the workers’ homes.
This includes safe doublebagged
storage for 72 hours
at a secure location followed
by collection and transport
to its end destination at an
appropriate treatment facility.
The whole process is managed
by a specialist team.
Veolia says that although
often made from recyclable
material, the form and
quantity collected in this way is
often too low or too complex
to recycle alongside other
materials, so the material is
sent to its waste incinerators.
Testing and inspection
services provider Socotec
has introduced a new
environmental swabbing
procedure to determine the
presence of Coronavirus on
surfaces across a range of
workplace environments.
The swabbing procedure
can be applied across a variety
of workplace environments and
surfaces, including door/grab
handles, light switches, table/
desk tops, o ce equipment,
control panels, seat backs,
sinks, toilet cubicles and other
objects.
To carry out the test, sterile
swabs are gently rubbed
and rolled over a set area of
the surface to be sampled,
according to Socotec. This
process is repeated using fresh
swabs for all other areas.
Analysis is then carried
out by a specialist partner
laboratory. Results will be
reported in a comprehensive
format comprising
observations, salient points
and recommendations for
improvement. Photographic
evidence will also be compiled
to indicate precisely where
samples were taken.
Norman Sleeth, managing
director for Environment &
Safety at Socotec UK, says:
“As certain government
restrictions surrounding the
Covid-19 pandemic begin to
ease, many organisations are
now facing the overwhelming
task of returning their buildings
to full occupancy. Socotec
is committed to guiding and
supporting its clients as they
prepare to resume business
operations, ensuring that they
remain safe and compliant
while doing so.”
Socotec swabs the deck
AVT Reliability turns thermal
scanners on humans
Plant reliability specialist AVT
Reliability is using its expertise
in thermal imaging – usually
employed to detect faults
in factory equipment – to
help companies protect their
workforce.
The Cheshire fi rm has
devised an endorsed thermal
imaging procedure to screen
employees for one of the classic
signs of Covid-19 infection – a
raised temperature – as they
arrive at their place of work (see
also feature, pp. 40-41).
AVT Reliability traditionally
uses the technology to
identify thermal anomalies
in mechanical, electrical and
process systems and alert clients
to impending problems such as
overheating.
Now, it is offering to set up
any company’s thermal imaging
equipment as a screening
system at no cost, as well as
offer guidance and approach
documents, or provide advice
about suitable monitoring
systems, for free.
PJ Cloete, thermal imaging
technical authority at AVT
Reliability, says: “We were
happy to use our knowledge and
experience of thermal imaging
to adapt it to a more human
application. We wanted to offer
whatever support we can and
thermal imaging screening is
one way to do this.”
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