The team at Gladstone Workshop are no strangers to innovation and have once again put their thinking towards a safer and more efficient way to complete a routine work activity. This time, we’re looking at tube sheet repairs as part of the heater refurbishment process.
Typically to support tubes during refurbishment, a tube sheet is used as a counterweight and joined by solid bolted bars, to ensure rigidity and prevent uncontrolled movement. This set-up process involves a risk of hand and finger crush injuries with potential pinch points and creates an access and egress hazard within the two facing sides of the tube sheets.
Looking for the Safe Way, the team designed and fabricated a purpose-built frame from material already available at the facility – a tube sheet face support.
The support enables the tube sheet to be lowered directly into it by a Franna crane, reducing set-up time and amount of manual handling. This new methodology effectively minimises the likelihood of hand and finger injuries during set-up, improves ergonomics by allowing access from both sides and improves stability of the tube sheet. It also reduces use of Franna crane operation, which in turn minimises risks associated with suspended loads and people interacting with equipment.
The tube sheet face support is now being used successfully in a variety of stages throughout the refurbishment process.
Excellent work Gladstone Workshop, and congratulations on being nominated for the 2023/2024 Monadelphous Managing Directors Safety Innovation Award.
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