Seal pot safety

The removal of an end-of-life calciner seal pot is a challenging and high-risk task, and 39.5 tonne worth doesn't make it any easier! The process involves the element being cut into pieces, creating hazards associated with demolition, structural integrity and noise levels.

To successfully remove this giant amount of refractory lined vessels, safely and without incident, the M&IS Team at Worsley custom-designed a calciner seal pot cradle. Fabricated in-house, the cradle evenly distributes the weight of the calciner seal pot over a large surface area to compensate for any structural integrity issues and enables all the redundant pieces to be removed without in-situ refractory and steel shell demolition.

This cradle innovation reduces the risk associated with the conventional removal of the calciner seal pot, eliminating critical high-risk work by executing the removal internally. Additional safety benefits include reducing the risk of manual handling injuries and eliminating the risk of prolonged exposure to high noise levels.

This innovative idea was recognised by the client, winning the Worsley Bright Spot Award and being shared on our clients's intranet throughout the month.

The M&IS Worsley team have now been nominated for the prestigious 2023-2024 Monadelphous Managing Director's Safety Innovation Award – keep up the great work team!