INDUSTRIAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS

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1 CONTROLLED INDUSTRIAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS

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3 Leaders In Environmental Innovations The EMS Group has now cemented it s position as one of the market leading contractors operating within this field. Through substantial investment, and a company culture that strives for best of class practices, the Group has been at the forefront of both technical and health and safety driven advances within the industry. This involves understanding clients problems, requirements and, where necessary, designing new innovative solutions to meet the client s needs. At EMS Group, through our risk management strategy, we have been able to design specific high quality products, which have successfully been rolled out to various Blue Chip organisations. EMS Group Holdings Ltd are pleased to introduce controlled industrial cleaning solutions that are safe, environmentally friendly and cost effective. With all three solutions specific Risk Assessments must be undertaken to ensure suitability of application. Detailed Method Statements can then be designed to suit each.

4 making RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT our world a safer place

5 ICETECH DRY ICE CLEANING What is dry ice cleaning? Dry ice blasting or cryogenic blast cleaning as it is known as in the industry is a safe and environmentally friendly process of cleaning graffiti, ductwork, oil, dirt, grease, chewing gum from all types of surfaces leaving them highly sterile. This method has improved the cleaning standard of companies across a broad range of industries leading to increases in productivity, product quality and environmental responsibility coupled with substantial savings. How does it remove contaminants? Pellets of solid carbon dioxide are propelled at high velocity from the dry ice machine which impact onto the surface and returns back to its natural state of carbon dioxide gas. It expands up to 800 times the volume of the pellet which breaks up the coating making it brittle. As result it simply pops the contaminant off the surface from inside out. What are its advantages over conventional methods of cleaning? Unlike sandblasting which chisels or cuts the contaminant from the surface (and may cause damage) or chemical cleaning which can create a toxic or hazardous waste the carbon dioxide simply lifts the contaminant away from the surface. As a result the contaminant tends to fall to the floor and can simply be vacuumed away with minimal effort. There is no secondary waste generated. All surfaces which require contaminant removal will need to be checked on an individual basis to ensure that dry ice is a suitable option for cleaning. It will not damage electrical wiring and controls, switches and relays and leaves no thermal shock behind on metal surfaces. What are its limitations? Dry ice cleaning will not completely remove rust or oxidation from metal. Since CO 2 is non abrasive it does not remove oxides other than what is on the surface and will not remove burn demarcations in metal from welding or heating due to its inability to remove surface layers. CO 2 blasting on wood will raise the grain as the pith is lowered. Health and safety Like most industrial processes there is always an element of danger and dry ice blasting is no exception. The dangers that operators will be exposed to consist of noise, compressed air, solid carbon dioxide and: Noise: the noise levels can reach up to 130dB(A) which will require emissions to be reduced to as low as possible under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations Operators will be required to wear ear protection at all times during the cleaning process. Compressed air: pellets leave the nozzle of the pistol at 300m/s and as a result the gun should not be aimed at other persons or the direction of where others may be standing. Hoses used will be positioned so that they are kink free and all fittings will be tightened correctly before commencing operations. Only trained operators will be allowed to use the ICETECH equipment. Dry ice/solid carbon dioxide: the temperature of dry ice is -79 o c and congelation (the dry ice solidifying around the nozzle) will occur. This may cause burns to the operator or others who come into contact with the ICETECH equipment. Therefore long sleeve clothing and heavy duty gloves are required to be worn at all times during the cleaning process. Atmosphere deduction: as CO 2 produced during the cleaning process removes oxygen from the atmosphere, works should only be undertaken in well ventilated rooms to reduce the risk of asphyxiation to the operatives. PPE: as always, correct PPE should also be worn which take into account the location where works are undertaken and the dangers associated with such works should be clearly identified by risk assessment. Is dry ice blasting friendly to the environment? Although carbon dioxide is produced into the atmosphere it is however a natural element which comprises of just 0.03% of our atmosphere. Dry ice pellets are made of recycled carbon dioxide and thus contribute no new CO 2 and therefore minimal impact on our environment. Dry ice blasting prevents the use of chemicals, toxic substances or solvents and thus their release in to the environment which can be harmful to wild life, organic life forms and rivers etc. It also inhibits bacterial growth by up to 75% by sanitizing as it disinfects.

6 WATERFED POLE CLEANING SYSTEM What is Waterfed Pole Cleaning System? The Waterfed Pole Cleaning System is a safe and environmentally friendly process of cleaning dirt and grease from canopies, windows, facia and cladding leaving them clean, spotless and streak free. Windows will stay cleaner longer as no detergent is used, leaving no residue. How does it remove contaminants? Heated pure water is less dense and therefore absorbs dirt more readily and dries very quickly. What are its advantages over conventional methods of cleaning? The all weather Waterfed Pole Cleaning System has its own self contained water system which can produce up to 1000 litres of heated pure water which cleans windows and other surfaces more efficiently than conventional methods. The system comes in easily manageable sections and operatives can use the system from ground level up to a height of 65ft (19.5m). It is lightweight (carbon fibre) and when all sections are attached weighs just 11.10kg. Both features reduce the need to work at height from ladders and injury due to musculoskeletal disorder. The Waterfed Pole Cleaning System can also be used to clean external surfaces such as windows, profile sheeting, marble, ceramic tiles etc and eliminates working at height. It is faster and therefore more economical. Health and safety Like most industrial processes there is always an element of danger and the Waterfed Pole Cleaning System blasting is no exception. The dangers that operators will be exposed to consist of slips, trips and falls and manual handling. Slips, trips and falls: operators should ensure that all attached hoses are laid without kinks and not placed in areas where members of staff or the public are likely to use. If this is not possible than they should be clearly identified by safety warning signage. Operators should also ensure that hoses are behind them at all times when using the system. All excess water residue is to be cleaned by a wet vac at regular intervals so as to prevent slipping. This applies especially in cold weather were ice may form due to drop in temperature. Musculoskeletal injury: although the pole system is very light it generally requires two operatives to hold it while it is being positioned prior to cleaning commencing. Once in place it an be operated by one man. PPE: as always, correct PPE should also be worn which take into account the location where works are undertaken and the dangers associated with such works should be clearly identified by risk assessment. Is the Waterfed Pole Cleaning System friendly to the environment? No detergents or chemicals are used and therefore are not released into the environment thus causing no damage to wildlife, plants or water eco-systems.

7 BLAST N VAC: DRY BLASTING RECOVERY SYSTEM What is Blast N Vac Recovery System? Many jobs now require that old style, productive, but highly offensive, open blasting be abandoned in favour of a more controlled approach. The industry recognises vacuum blasting as a better alternative and there is no more proven system on the market than the Blast N Vac. It is a dust free fully enclosed dry blasting system which is ideally suited for the removal of toxic coatings, and graffiti on open face brickwork. How does it work? The Blast N Vac machine mixes abrasive particles with compressed air to allow them to be blown on to the work surface at high speed which strips back the paint and other contaminants to original surface and all residues are contained and vacuumed back into the system. The system can also operate at low pressure ranging from PSI. The heavy particles are separated from the dust; the particles are then allowed to fall into a collection drum. The mullet-cartridge dust collector captures the fine dust allowing it to fall into the collection drum and the air then passes through a H.E.P.A. filter to ensure that the discharge air is clean. With no moving parts, this air powered venturi system is the ultimate in reliability. What are its advantages over conventional methods of cleaning? Normal sandblasting cuts the contaminant from the surface, but causes toxic or hazardous waste to become airborne. Blast N Vac retrieves dust, residue and abrasive at the point of blast and eliminates the negatives traditionally associated with open blasting - contamination, dust, poor visibility, operator exposure, shut down work surrounds, clean up. It allows blasting to be undertaken where no other methods would be acceptable. Health and safety Like most industrial processes there is always an element of danger and dry blasting is no exception. The dangers that operators will be exposed to consist of noise, compressed air and manual handling. Noise: the noise levels can reach up to 100 db (A) which will require emissions to be reduced to as low as possible under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations Operators will be required to wear ear protection at all times during the cleaning process. Compressed air: particles leave the nozzle of the pistol at around 100PSI and as a result the head of the system should not be aimed at other persons or the direction of where others may be standing. Hoses used will be positioned so that they are kink free and all fittings will be tightened correctly before commencing operations. Only trained operators will be allowed to use the Blast N Vac equipment. Manual handling: the equipment used is heavy at the point of the head and therefore operatives should work for 25 minutes at a time and then take a break. A nozzle holder can be utilised to reduce the need for manual handling and thus reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injury. PPE: as always correct PPE should also be worn which take into account the location where works are undertaken and the dangers associated with such works should be clearly identified by risk assessment. Versatile and able to work in all locations The Blast N Vac System can work in horizontal and vertical positions and can, by using an extension hose, be operated up to 30 metres from the equipment. Continuous blasting As it is air powered there is a constant supply of compressed air to the cleaning and vacuum nozzle which enables the work to be completed quicker, cleaner and thus is cost effective and reduces downtime. Is Blast N Vac friendly to the environment? Dry blasting prevents the emission of toxic substances (lead paint) into the environment unlike conventional blasting. The unit has a self contained collection drum which can hold up to 250 litres of waste. There is no need to clean up large areas as the vacuum system negates the need to do so.

8 Contact us Global house, Geddings Road, Hoddesdon EN11 0NT t f e info@emsgroup.org w emsgroup.org ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED Registered Office: Global House, Geddings Road, Hoddesdon, Herts EN11 0NT. Registered in England No: VAT Registration No: