Schaeffler acquires autinity Schaeffler Australia has welcomed its global parent company’s acquisition of autinity GmbH, an IT company that specialises in machine data recording and evaluation. Condition monitoring of machinery and equipment as well as digital networking in production are of great interest to both Schaeffler’s internal and external customers throughout Australia and New Zealand, says Mark Ciechanowicz, industrial services manager, Schaeffler Australia. These include key Schaeffler Australia markets, among them mining and energy production (inc wind power and mineral processing); food, beverage and primary processing; bulk materials handling; and broader industrial and road and rail machinery systems. The purchase of 100% of autinity shares, completed last month, is an important step in implementing Schaeffler’s global and local digital agenda, with autinity systems GmbH specialising in digital condition monitoring and machine data recording. Global prices beef up steel costs Pacific Steel has lifted prices to New Zealand customer by 14% following rising international prices. In a letter to its customers, Pacific Steel said the price rise was “an outcome of international steel price movements since the middle of the year, traded steel prices have increased here in New Zealand throughout that period,” Stan Clark, Pacific Steel’s sales and marketing manager wrote. The letter went on to say that the price rise has followed reviewing of its previous pricing structure and reflected the shift in the marketplace. 40 10 December 2017 Fulton Hogan revs up workplace learning with virtual reality Leading New Zealand civil engineering and resource company Fulton Hogan is pioneering new ways of using Virtual Reality (VR) to help team members upskill in realistic training scenarios without compromising safety. Using the company’s VR Boil Out app, developed together with Corvecto, Fulton Hogan employees have the opportunity to virtually perform the Boil Out procedure step-by-step, and see the potentially harmful consequences of any mistakes – all while in a safe environment. The Boil Out procedure involves decontaminating bitumen sprayers and tankers once water has become present. The unintended mixing of water and bitumen can create a ‘boil over’ effect where bitumen can be sprayed with considerable force over a wide area, putting people’s safety at risk. Fulton Hogan innovation manager Chloe Smith says that VR training eliminates the risks of training in a ‘live’ situation and has also improved engagement during training, helping team members to retain crucial knowledge. “Trainees don VR goggles as well as headphones, which makes the simulation highly immersive,” Chloe says. “You actually feel like you are standing on top of the tank, looking down from a height. Along with this the sound effects are so realistic you really do feel like you are physically present in the scenario.” The risk factors are outlined clearly at the start of the training and when mistakes are made, trainees are virtually transported to a room where a screen outlines the errors they made and the steps they should have taken. They are then able to repeat the task, with knowledge of their previous mistakes, and improve their performance. Trainees are tracked throughout the process, recording all the decisions that were made, and how long they spent completing each task. This data is added to their training records for future reference. “Our experience with VR for the ‘boil over’ training confirms what we have already learnt from our significant investment in virtual driver training – that our team members relate to the gamification of the technical learning and really get into it with an enthusiasm that is sometimes not there with traditional classroom training,” Chloe says. In 2015 the company, which has more than 3,000 vehicles on the road, purchased a pair of state-of-the-art simulators capable of re-creating a range of New Zealand driving conditions including night driving, sudden road obstructions and conditions including wind, rain, fog and snow. The simulators are now transported around the country so that the company’s 3,800 New Zealand-based employees, as well as school students and community partners, can broaden their on-road skills. Fulton Hogan says VR technology has proven to be especially effective for training team members in potentially unsafe activities and the company is now exploring the use of VR training in other similar operational areas. Fulton Hogan’s VR training app was selected as a finalist in the Innovation in the Education, Training & Development category at the 2017 New Zealand Innovation Awards. New focus on safely managing hazardous substances On December 1 the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 came into force. The aim is to reduce both the immediate harm to people and longer-term illness caused by hazardous substances in the workplace. It’s no small matter. A hazardous substance is any product or chemical that has explosive, flammable, oxidising, toxic or corrosive properties – and they’re everywhere. Around one in three New Zealand workplaces use, manufacture, handle or store them. This includes factories, manufacturers, farmers and growers, printers, collision repairers, hairdressers, retailers and many more. They are in commonly used products such as fuels and LPG, solvents, cleaning solutions and agrichemicals. “Used safely, hazardous substances can contribute to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity,” WorkSafe’s general manager operations and specialist services Brett Murray says, “but they also pose real risks to the people working with or around them. “The harm from inhaling toxic vapours or having contact with some substances is often unseen. Workers may be unaware they are being exposed, and the effects of exposure may not be seen for many years.” Hazardous substances are a major contributor to the estimated 600-900 deaths and 30,000 cases of serious ill health from work-related disease each year in New Zealand. This is in addition to the fatalities and immediate harm through accidents, such as fires and explosions, and unsafe use. “It’s time this changed,” says Mr Murray. “The Regulations bring an expectation on all those working with hazardous substances to know what those substances are, the risks they pose and how to manage those risks.”
EN-Dec17-eMag
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