WFF EMPLOYS RCS MONITORING ACROSS MEMBER SITES
OVERVIEW
Customer / End User
Worktop Fabricators Federation; Cambrian Granite
Application
Stone Masonry, Stone Polishing
Industry
Worktop Fabrication
Country
United Kingdom
Product(s) used
TX8100 AIR XS
Challenge
We provided WFF member Cambrian Granite with real-time monitoring technology for processes involving silica-containing materials, including engineered stone polishing, cutting and drilling. Nigel Fletcher, Operations Manager at the WFF, explained that the purchased AIR XS Silica Monitor helps members distinguish and monitor respirable crystalline silica in time across environments practice.
Outcome
For the WFF and members such as Cambrian Granite, it’s all about ensure workers are regularly protected in the most effective way possible through real-time monitoring and data. “We are hopeful that our partnership with Trolex supports our members, future membership and the industry in understand how best practice and modern technology can work in partnership.”
Company & Application
Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) encouraged their members to implement real-time silica monitoring technology to support their existing control measures when working with materials containing crystalline silica.
The WFF is a non-profit organisation for those using industrial fabrication methods to make worktops from natural stone and similar man-made materials, who promote professionalism, installation and most notably best practice across the worktop fabrication industry.
The Challenge
We supplied WFF member Cambrian Granite, a member of the WFF, with Trolex real-time monitoring to use across their processes working with silica-containing materials like engineered stone, such as polishing, cutting and drilling worktops.
Aiming to consistently follow best practice when working with engineered stone, we spoke to Nigel Fletcher, Operations Manager at the WFF, who have recently purchased an AIR XS Silica Monitor to allow members to actively monitor for and distinguish RCS in real-time, regardless of their occupational environment, when following best practice.
“The WFF is committed to promoting best practice when it comes to working with silica and that includes water suppressed cutting, using the correct and most effective PPE and recommending annual health checks for workers.”
It’s essential that workshops using silica containing products adhere to best practice, including implementing control measures to reduce RCS, which poses a threat to workers health, WFF also sees strong value in implementing real-time RCS monitoring to ensure control measures are working to the highest standard to protect workers.
“The WFF has partnered with Trolex to give a real-time solution to the industry. Real-time RCS monitoring has huge advantages, as it’s a way of safeguarding and understanding the environment around the workshop.
Looking at real-time data whilst in the workshop, to see how effective best practices and control measures are, helps safeguard the workforce.”
WFF members themselves have a priority of ensuring that workers and occupational environments remain safe and at minimal risk of RCS exposure. Rob Kunkel, Business Develop Manager at Cambrian Granite said, “when protecting our workers from the dangers of RCS, we always use wet polishing and as much CNC work as possible.”
The Solution
For Rob and his team at Cambrian Granite, the benefit of knowing RCS levels in real-time is paramount; “the real-time data helps keep our staff well protected by making sure areas of both the factory and rest areas are safe environments to be in.”
The goal for the Federation and all it’s members, with this partnership and moving forward to reduce exposure to RCS, is to always enable a safer future and positive workplace environment for all their members. And it’s a goal strengthened by supporting the adoption of real-time RCS monitoring.
“We are hopeful that our partnership with Trolex supports our members, future membership and the industry in understand how best practice and modern technology can work in partnership.”
For Nigel the Federation’s goal to provide a safer future and positive working environment for all their members is strengthened through our collaboration as we seek to support the adoption of real-time RCS monitoring.
What this means moving forward
It’s not just a case of ensuring workplaces are safe from RCS for WFF members, but also to effect positive change when working with RCS in the future, thanks to this partnership.
“One of the WFF’s goals is to half the workplace exposure limit. Real-time monitoring can have the capacity to actively guide and aid members to ensure their RCS levels are consistently in line, or below, and workplace exposure limits.”
