WORK
PLACE SAFETY is an issue that is being regarded more seriously.
Risks to workers in virtually all industries are being recognised
and assessed in view of eliminating, or at least minimising
potential harm. Additionally, the hazards to workers apply equally
to every day consumers.
To the worker, the reason is quite simply personal protection
from injury and/or death. To the employer, the reason is also
protection, however, it takes on three fronts. First
the injury or loss of workers can harm the capability of an
organisation. Second, the organisation can find itself
in a long and expensive litigation process, both through civil
and criminal actions, through individuals and/or government
departments. Third, cross contamination in food processing.
This can lead to traces of product in the food that can pose
risk to consumers who may be allergic to certain elements, leading
to litigation with huge sums of damages compensation. (An unfortunate
example of this was the death of a woman two days after consuming
plain chocolate. It was found to have traces of peanut dust
in it, which she was allergic to).
J
S Melbourne Controls has for many years focused much of its
efforts in researching particular processes within industry
which had been relatively untouched by those trying to minimise
risk to workers.
The
area focused on was the mixing and handling of hazardous substances.
Little
had been known about the effects of components such as dust
in the air or fumes from liquids, and the long term effects
that workers can suffer from when exposed to such conditions.
More
recently, through illnesses and deaths, it has been determined
that there are literally thousands of conditions to which workers
are subjected to that can, or will have, disastrous effects
on their health.
John
Melbourne set out to produce a product that has as its prime
objective, the reduction of worker exposure to such harmful
conditions. The process has been one of long and arduous research,
testing, evaluation and prototype productions, with the end
result being the
Hydro-Shear Mixer.
Already prototyped and tested by leading organisations around
Australia and now around the world, the Melbourne Hydro-Shear
Mixer provides complete mixing of product in an enclosed
pipe, thereby removing the possibility of harmful substances
becoming airborne, and consequently being breathed in by workers.
Through additional research and development, several other bonuses
have developed making the product even more beneficial to manufacturers,
such as consistent mixing - invaluable to those who require
exact contents of various products to achieve the same results
time after time.
The
achievement of the Melbourne Hydro-Shear Mixer has recently
been recognised by several organisations in Australia for its
innovation and contribution to improving worker safety. Amongst
them is the Institution of Engineers, WorkCover Victoria, this
year’s Deloitte Consulting Industry Awards (3 categories),
the 2001 Silver Medal - International Geneva Inventors Convention,
and the 2001 Australian Design Award - Engineering, together
with the Australian Design Mark Award.
