Risk Management Insight

02/08/2025

01/08/2025

Risk Management Insight July/August 2022

https://issuu.com/muterofv/docs/rmi_july_august

31/07/2025

Safeguard systems, equipment and end-product integrity with Atlas Copco’s cutting-edge air treatment solutions

For many industries, treating compressed air is not only a best practice but also essential for high equipment performance to ensure reliable production. Left untreated, compressed air can become a silent saboteur, introducing contaminants that compromise equipment, disrupt processes and jeopardize the integrity of end-products which can ultimately harm business reputation.

“Protecting air quality is key to protecting your brand,” stresses JC Lombard, Business Line Manager of Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s Oil-free Air division. “Compliance to the ISO 8573-1 air quality standard is critical for applications that require high quality compressed air, protecting downstream equipment and end-products. Lombard warns that not complying to these standards can be costly. “For applications where clean air is imperative, the potential problems and expenses arising from poorly treated compressed air can dwarf the investment into premium quality equipment. Furthermore, compliance with air quality standards will enhance compressed air system reliability and efficiency, subsequently boosting production and profitability.”

The initial purchase price of an air compressor accounts for a small fraction (approximately 10%) of the total Life Cycle Cost (LCC); the lion’s share of expenses arises from the compressed air generating process. Energy represents the most significant expense in the total cost of producing compressed air, accounting for as much as 70% of a compressor’s LCC. Investing in the right air treatment solutions such as Atlas Copco’s oil-free compressors and advanced air filtration and dryer technologies, present the most cost-effective way for customers and end-users to mitigate costs, protect investments, safeguard production processes and ensure operational up time, with the ultimate goal of maintaining end-product quality.

Compressed air systems are vulnerable to contaminants such as oil, dust, bacteria, and moisture. However, they pose no risk if effectively kept out of the system from the start. Understanding the specific contaminants that may affect operations, along with the air quality standards required for compliance, are key. It begins with selecting the right location for the compressor. Ideally, placing the unit in a cool, dry and low-dust environment helps significantly reduce contamination of the inlet air.

Contamination also potentially originates from the ambient air being introduced during the compression process. Investing in an oil-free Class Zero ISO 8573-1 Atlas Copco compressor will ensure that no oil vapour or droplets are introduced into the air stream during the compression process.

Lombard emphasises that Atlas Copco offers compressors equipped with integrated filters and dryers, as well as standalone filter and dryer units to suit a variety of system configurations and needs.

Focusing first on filtration solutions, Lombard highlights that different filters target different contaminants. “For example, a filter that is highly effective at removing oil may not eliminate dust particles from the air stream. Thus, the specific type of contaminant will determine the appropriate filter as well as the required air purity class.”

Atlas Copco offers a broad range of new generation compressed air filters and grades specifically designed to tackle various threats by reducing leaks, blockages and moisture, as well as preventing contamination-related wear. Key benefits from using the correct Atlas Copco air filter includes efficient, long-lasting compressor performance and lifecycle, reduced energy and maintenance costs, and compliance with strict air purity standards.

Utilising different filtration technologies, Atlas Copco’s new generation air filters are designed to take on a specific threat to the airstream and feature several innovations that enhance air compressor system efficiency and operational simplicity: Wrapped media for wet particles. (Atlas Copco’s patented Nautilus technology combines multiple wrapped layers to offer constant air quality at the lowest pressure drop); Pleated media for solid dry particles; Macro-structured activated carbon and Cyclone for water

As moisture in compressed air can potentially cause corrosion in systems and equipment, and create conditions that promote microorganism growth, it must be eliminated or reduced. Atlas Copco’s ISO 8573-1 air dryers, aftercoolers and water separators are engineered to effectively combat moisture buildup and corrosion, air leaks and pressure drops, high energy consumption, frequent downtime and maintenance.

With dew points from +3 to -70 °C, Atlas Copco air dryers are engineered to deliver the exact air quality needed for specific applications, maintaining product integrity. In addition, these eco-friendly units are designed to help lower customers and end-users’ carbon footprint and promote sustainable industrial practices. The comprehensive range includes desiccant, refrigerated and membrane models. Within the desiccant category, there are five distinct dryer types - Twin Tower, Heatless, Blower Purge, Heat of Compression and Rotary Drum dryers - each designed to meet specific application needs.

Atlas Copco highly recommends that operators conduct air compressor audits that will give them valuable insights into the presence of contaminants and help identify potential issues before they escalate. Atlas Copco’s advanced air compressor audit tool, AIRScan, facilitates system efficiency maintenance, ensuring air quality. Routinely checking for and repairing air leaks improves energy efficiency and eliminates potential entry points for contaminants.

With decades of experience in compressed air technology, Atlas Copco offers smart end-to-end air treatment solutions that will protect valuable assets and critical processes, optimise system performance and energy efficiency, boost productivity and contribute significantly to sustainability goals, ultimately empowering customers and end-users to achieve operational excellence.

31/07/2025

31/07/2025

WearCheck Technical Bulletin: CRUDE AWAKENING Part 2

Crude Oil: The Silent Architect

In Technical Bulletin 93, WearCheck diagnostician Rivendren Wayne Moodley, highlights the extreme extent to which human life is currently intertwined with crude oil, and the alarming consequences that could evolve, when the wells run dry and suitable alternatives are not in place. This is part 2 of his Crude Awakening series.

‘Crude oil is far more than fuel; it’s the elemental substrate of modern civilisation. At 104 million barrels consumed daily, it generates 110 million tonnes of polyethylene and 1.5 billion tonnes of asphalt. Through fluid catalytic cracking and steam reforming, long hydrocarbon chains break into olefins, ethylene and propylene, essential for polyethylene and polypropylene, cornerstones in packaging, textiles, electronics, and construction.

This conversion powers vast networks: paraxylene yields PET fibres, making up over 60% of global apparel, while acrylonitrile and adipic acid form acrylics and nylon for performance fabrics. Mineral oils, petrolatum, and propylene glycol, refined via vacuum distillation and hydration, are key to pharmaceutical carriers, emollients, and personal care goods.

Petroleum’s reach extends silently: microchips depend on solvent-based etching, HVAC systems require oil-based coolants, and electrical grids rely on petrochemical insulation. Vehicles and furniture utilise oil-derived synthetic rubber, foams, and thermoplastics. Food packaging preserves freshness via oil-born polymers and non-stick coatings, while screens and lighting continue the petrochemical legacy after dusk.

From mattresses to highways, oil supports daily life. It drives textile strength, tyre elasticity, and circuit conductivity. Crude doesn’t just energise, it engineers modernity’s molecular architecture. Its disappearance wouldn’t disrupt; it would dismantle.

Petroleum’s Molecular Mastery
Petroleum operates as a thermochemical backbone across mechanical, pharmaceutical, infrastructural, and consumer systems. In 2022, R4.5 trillion was invested into refining infrastructure. Processes like catalytic cracking (480–550 °C) and steam reforming (800 °C+) produce olefins for plastics, over 400 million tonnes per year. PET fibres from paraxylene and ethylene glycol at 260 °C dominate textile production. Nylon and acrylics from adipic acid, hexamethylenediamine, and acrylonitrile comprise 60%+ of clothing globally.

Lubricants that are hydrocracked from heavy gas oils under 80–120 bar make up 90% of the 40 million tonne market, supporting engines, hydraulics, and turbines. Petroleum distillates such as petrolatum and paraffin bolster topical creams, wound-care, and injections, anchoring a $25 billion pharma sector.

Polymers and antioxidants from oil preserve food and stabilise cookware and cosmetics. Bitumen supports 100 million tonnes of road surfacing. Butadiene and styrene form the rubber sustaining tyres and seals. Xylene and isopropanol are key to semiconductor fabrication.

Petroleum’s invisible mastery isn’t just energy, it’s molecular magic. Its absence would trigger a systemic domino collapse.

The Slow Collapse of Oil

By the 2040s, fuel prices may exceed R300/litre, refineries stall, and extraction shifts to marginal fields. Petrochemical supply chains may fracture. Maritime logistics and plastics production, cornerstones of commerce, falter. Electric alternatives fail to replace embedded oil in polymers, lubricants, and infrastructure.

In the 2060s, major industries may unravel. Packaging disappears, electronics fail, food spoils without oil-based preservatives or fertilisers. Semiconductor production halts. Hospitals struggle without petrochemical carriers and synthetic polymers. Solar and wind infrastructure may corrode without oil-derived resins.

By the 2070s, geopolitics may destabilise. Petrostates weaponise the dwindling supply. Fuel replaces currency. Grids fail as lubricated turbines and insulated transformers deteriorate.

By 2080, oil extinction leads to terminal collapse. Vehicles rust; roads crumble. Synthetic fuel efforts may spark fatal methanol explosions. Death tolls may exceed 3 billion due to famine, disease, and collapse. Petrochemical-dependent freight ceases, and semiconductor fabrication vanishes.

With no substitute for oil’s diversity and molecular versatility, the world faces regression. Its end may not come in a sudden fire, but in a slow, painful, suffocating silence. The machines stall, cities darken, comforts fade and life as we know it is irreversibly altered.

This is no mere Technical Bulletin; it’s a prophetic dissection of a world that dared to build everything on oil… and forgot to look beyond it. Now one question remains: will we act before this vision becomes reality?’
This is a summary – to view the full article, please click here: WearCheck Technical Bulletin 93

31/07/2025

Risk management –Intelligence –Hub, a mutually beneficial network of varied players in the risk

31/07/2025

When transporting sensitive, refined or hazardous materials on rails, Kiruna Wagon’s Side Dumper offers an extremely simple but safe option for sealed transports. This technology is developed in the Arctic part of Sweden, proven to resist the harshest of climates.

As the Side Dumper is equipped with a roof, it is optimized for sealed transports. The loading and unloading can be performed from both sides as well as from the top, a solution for simple use which supports good economy when goods are unloaded at more than one station. The Swedish copper producer Boliden frequently uses this wagon for its transport of copper ore concentrate.

https://www.riskmanagementinsight.co.za/2024/03/05/the-simple-and-safe-solution-for-rail-transports/