Industrial equipment supplier Bolt and Engineering Distributors (B.E.D.) provided a personal protective equipment (PPE) service to a Mpumalanga-based contractor for a planned plant shutdown from late August into early September.

“During the shutdown process, large numbers of contract workers simultaneously arrive on site, often working extended shifts, which means that PPE is consumed or damaged at a far higher rate than during normal operations. Any delay in replacing PPE can mean workers standing idle – or worse, working without adequate protection,” says B.E.D. PPE product manager Annelien Crock.

The customer, therefore, needed a supplier which could offer experienced insight and PPE recommendations, pay close attention to detail, offer responsive support and immediate on-site availability. Crock says B.E.D. met these requirements and the PPE was procured from the Secunda branch, which is located near the site.

Crock says B.E.D. offers customers in industries such as agriculture, marine and offshore sectors, among others, a turnkey solution for PPE, including conducting a needs analysis and pre-site inspection; compliant PPE selection; qualification, inventory planning and delivery; employee education and training; and ongoing customer liaison and maintenance.

“PPE that is worn incorrectly offers little protection. Our product specialists, together with our supplier partners, conduct on-site training on the correct use, fitting, limitations, inspection, cleaning, storage and disposal of the PPE supplied,” says B.E.D. PPE internal product specialist Maggie Doubell.

“At B.E.D. we believe PPE is only effective when it is right for the person, the task and the environment. Requirements in a deep-level mine, an opencast mine, a steel fabrication plant or a food processing facility differ significantly, so our turnkey approach is built around understanding each customer’s operation before a single item is supplied,” adds Doubell.

Some of B.E.D.’s significant offerings include a range of Dräger digital solutions that can be deployed to optimise physical PPE use. These include the Dräger VOICE database which is a digital database and support programme for hazardous substances, guiding users on the correct protection for chemical exposure.

“The user simply enters the name of the chemical compound, and VOICE recommends the complete head-to-toe PPE required: from respiratory protection and protective clothing to gloves and eye protection. It also advises on additional equipment needed for the task, such as mobile gas detection units and air supply requirements,” Doubell adds.

The Dräger X-am 5800 is also an effective multi-gas monitoring tool for complex hazards, while the Dräger Pac 8000 is a focused single-gas protection solution that can be applied to operations such as grain storage in agriculture.

“The Pac 8000 provides focused personal monitoring for a defined single-gas hazard, such as nitrogen dioxide, while the X-am 5800 can monitor several gases at once, including oxygen levels and carbon dioxide. Used in risk-based confined space entry, both devices help workers to detect changing atmospheric conditions and respond timeously before exposure becomes life-threatening,” adds Doubell. B.E.D.’s commitment to delivering quality safety solutions was recently recognised by Dräger, in the form of two awards for Product Diversity and Sales Growth Excellence.

“These awards reinforce what we strive for: offering the right product for each industry sector, application and environment - supported by expert advice, training and dependable local service,” Doubell emphasises.

Additionally, the company also supplies digital solutions such as automated gas detector testing and calibration; gas detection data management software; connected and wireless monitoring; digital fit testing; and PPE issuing and tracking systems to complement its physical PPE offering.

Crock and Doubell suggest that the future of PPE at B.E.D. will include an evolution from passive protection to a “more intelligent, connected part of a wider safety system”, citing recent technological trends such as smart and connected PPE; digital support tools; comfort, fit and inclusivity tools; as well as more sustainable products.

“Locally, sectors such as mining, agriculture, manufacturing and marine will continue to need PPE suited to harsh and varied conditions. Compliance with local legislation and standards will remain critical, as will the need to guard against sub-standard and noncompliant products entering the market.

“As an importer and distributor with excellent, long-term partnerships with leading global manufacturers such as Dräger, B.E.D. is well placed to bring the best and latest in global PPE technology to South African industry. Through our branch network, product expertise and training services, we aim to help customers adopt new PPE technologies with confidence, ensuring they are correctly selected, properly used and effectively supported on site,” Crock concludes.