When it comes to synthetic slings, Beaver Brands leads the way in the areas of materials handling, lifting and load restraint, height safety and fall prevention and personal protective equipment

Beaver Brands is one of the largest manufacturers and importers of synthetic slings within Australia and New Zealand. With a team of
industry experts in the
field of manufacture,
rigging, materials handling
and engineering, Beaver
is closely aligned with all
industry groups in an advisory capacity with regard to workplace practice and inspection of slings.

Round and flat synthetic slings contain a variety of features to assist users in their operating environment with a view to enhancing workplace safety. They maintain different safety factors because round slings have load- bearing fibres protected by an outer cover, whereas flat slings’ outer fibres are the very construction that supports the load and are unprotected. That’s why the flat sling has an additional safety factor of 8:1.

Synthetic slings have a mandatory three-month inspection requirement as governed by the Australian Standards, this however still remains a confusing issue for users. Beaver recommends users familiarise themselves with the product standard and recognise that some companies and specific worksites employ more stringent inspection criteria. Looking into most accidents involving synthetic slings, it appears that it’s frequently the result of the sling being cut during the lifting operation due to sharp edges or the load shifting during the lift. Beaver recognises

this and offers a range of additional protection options for the slings—
both hard edge protection and an assortment of synthetic and PVC that can be retrofitted to the slings. Beaver’s Australian manufacturing capabilities means these can be tailor-made to suit any application. Beaver even produces a shackle protection pad for slings being used through shackles. The underlying consideration for safe use of synthetic slings is always the contact point of the sling to the hook and to the apparatus been lifted. The rigger, dogman or competent person who is securing the load should always take time to ensure that the contact surface is as smooth as possible and whether required edge protection should be employed. That person should ensure all kinks and twists are removed from the slings to ensure the optimum performance for the lift.

Another commonly asked question
is the use of synthetic slings in a chemical environment. This is always
a very difficult question because
there are hundreds of thousands of different chemicals and compositions. Most synthetic slings are made from polyester which offers good resistance to acid based chemicals, however alkaline solutions can be very damaging to polyester slings. One good option is to run a test of the solution with the sling in a controlled experiment, which could see the synthetic sling exposed
to the chemical for a 24 hour period. The sling could then be washed and returned to the manufacturer for a
load test and ultimate break test in a certified testing facility such as Beaver’s in Erskine Park, Sydney. This would allow the manufacturer to record the degradation of the sling due to its exposure to the chemical. If there was no degradation in the performance of the sling, a determination for its use could then be discussed. There would be the requirement for increased inspection criteria to be undertaken as the impact long- term on the sling would not yet been determined.

The care and maintenance through regular inspection for synthetic slings is important to prolong the life of the product. Synthetic slings can be washed with fresh water and should always be left to dry, ideally by hanging up, to allow the water to run off them and dry naturally. They should be stored in a well vented space. This regular maintenance of synthetic sling helps to identify any problem areas or situations requiring repair, and thus increasing service life and greatly improving safety in the work place.

In recent times Beaver, under licence to Slingmax in the USA, supports a very impressive range of products
that incorporate some exotic fibres and blends to improve the strength,
performance and characteristics of
synthetic slings. These slings, called
TwinPath, incorporate hi-cut resistant covers made from completely different material to the load bearing fibres inside. The use of exotic fibres has seen a great reduction in the tare weight of the synthetic slings. These slings are designed for the replacement of steel hardware rather than other synthetic slings. This is reflected in the price— the Twin Path is lifting expensive steel hardware. Whether it be bridge beams or heavy construction pieces, the items being lifted can run into millions of dollars. That is why the development of lifting equipment under the hook is foremost in design of Twin Path.

Learn more at www.beaver.com.au

Risk assessments should be conducted prior to any Work at Height, or Confined Space Work being carried out to identify hazards that exist and the risks they pose.

AS/NZS1891.4 contains a Hierarchy of Control which provides an ideal platform for development of risk assessments. Below find sample Risk Assessment Procedure for working at height.

Reference to local authorities is also recommended.

This table is a sample only as many other hazard factors can and will come into account. Other issues to be addressed at this stage include, but are not limited to: Nature of the work, surface materials, fragile roofing material, personal training levels, competency, weather conditions, surface conditions, etc. Reference should be made to AS/NZS1891.4 for the Correct Use, Selection and Maintenance criteria for Height Safety Systems. It is recommended that wherever possible a ‘Restraint technique’ system is used. This is a system where a person using fall arrest rated equipment, is prevented from reaching a position from where a fall is possible.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS

General principles of Safely Working at Heights

Work sites today pose hazards that can cause serious harm. The responsibility to end each day safely is everyone’s responsibility, employers and employees. An awareness of the hazards at workplaces allows them to be safety addressed.

This principle has been used in many very high-risk occupations for some time, and the benefits have been rewarding with a noticeable reduction in accident statistics. A risk assessment—hazard reduction programme should be used by all working at height. Identification of the hazards is working safely – avoiding injury or death

WORKING AT HEIGHTS

General terminology used in Fall Prevention

Restraint Technique – To control a person’s movement by means of a combination of a harness and an energy absorbing lanyard that will physically prevent the person from reaching a position at which there is a risk of a free fall.

Restrained Fall – A fall, or the arrest of a fall, where the person suffering the fall is partially restrained by a restraining device such as a pole strap or is sliding down a slope on which it is normally possible to walk without the assistance of a handrail or hand line.

Limited Free Fall – A fall, or the arrest of a fall, where the free fall distance prior to the system taking the load does not exceed 600mm.

Fall Arrest – A fall or the arrest of a fall where the fall distance prior the fall arrest system taking any load exceeds 600mm either vertically or on a slope on which is not possible to walk without the assistance of a handrail or hand line. The maximum free fall distance permitted with an energy absorbing lanyard is 2m. (Refer note on fall clearances)

FALL ARREST CONSIDERATIONS

When using fall arrest type equipment, it is essential that there be adequate clearance under the area of work so that in the event of a fall, the user will not strike the ground or any other hazardous objects during the fall.

If it is assessed that the occurrence of a fall would endanger the user then other alternatives of fall protection systems must be considered. This may include the use of shorter shock absorbing lanyards, retracting lanyards or adjustable lanyards. In each case the fall clearance must be identified and the hazards associated with fall clearance eliminated.

The benefits of reducing free fall distances are multiple. If the free fall distance is reduced then the load on the system and the person are reduced, also the recovery method may be simplified and time may be significantly reduced.

Wherever possible the attachment point for a fall arrest system should be located above the attachment point on the users harness. When this is not possible, the shock absorbing lanyard length must be reduced to ensure that the maximum fall distance of the user is limited to 2m (Consult AS/ NZS 1891.4cl 8.1). A user should never climb above the attachment point using a fall arrest shock absorbing lanyard as this only adds to the free fall distance which may take it over the permitted 2m.

As at 1 December 2014,
166 Australian workers had been killed while at work
in the previous 12 months. And tragically, the construction industry accounts for a significant percentage of those deaths. In fact, in the five years between 2007 and 2012, 211 construction workers died from work-related injuries. The total number of deaths equates to 4.34 fatalities per 100,000 workers, which is nearly twice the national rate of 2.29, safety has never been more important
in this industry.

So you can understand the frustration of local businesses with products and services focused on workplace safety when they see work sites that put workers at risk. Workplace safety is a complex issue—too large to cover in detail in one article. But we can look at a couple of aspects of workplace safety that should be front of mind wherever you work.

Personal safety

There is a wide range of Australian standards which can give manufacturers a goal to reach in terms of safety standards for equipment. However, if workers aren’t aware of the standards or are using experience rather than law to guide their choices, they’re going to potentially run into problems. Even for something as simple as appropriate workwear, tradition can work against you if you’re not aware of the products and materials out there that can keep you safe and save you money in the long term, explains Troy McNally of MAK Workwear.

“Take, for example, a customer who purchases a 100 per cent cotton shirt and pants and are using them for such trades as welding—where he’s obviously not wearing any protective coverage over his uniform and the actual arc flash off the welder fades the fabric and makes it really brittle,” he says. “The fabric recommended for that area should be a flame retardant fabric. But some guys, welders especially, constantly buy the 100 per cent cotton clothing, and then wonder why there are holes and why it’s fading. In those circumstances the garment might only last a week, or not even that, depending on how they’re working.”

The importance of the correct
material is more than just avoiding a
few holes and colour fading. “Flame retardant and antistatic materials are used in the mining industry, for example,” McNally continues. “Antistatic is basically to prevent any friction or causing explosions where there’s potential gases in hazardous areas. Higher requirements, especially ARC-rated clothing, is also necessary on those sites. It does vary and once again it does come down to the task being performed by the actual wearer. Obviously throughout these industries, there are many different variations of tasks being performed.

According to McNally, clothing requirements do vary a fair bit between companies, the nature of the site and the task being performed, but “it does come down to the safety officer who’s
in charge of that business to basically enforce what the guys are to be wearing based on overall Australian and New Zealand standards”.

Fire safety

Adherence to Australian Standards is a big issue around safety. The consensus appears to be that if people just pay attention to them, the majority of safety issues disappear. That appears to be the case with safety equipment such as fire equipment. Different work sites will require different extinguishers (and don’t forget, if you are a self-employed tradesman your car can count as a work site).

The basic standard is AS 1841 and
all fire extinguishers that are sold in this country have to comply with that standard. At the end of the day, no fire extinguisher, whether it’s put into a domestic home or commercial application, is mounted and installed without it having complied to the appropriate Australian standard.

The Fire Protection Association of Australia has an excellent website at www.fpaa.com.au which offers technical advice, accreditation and licensing information and more (as well as details of ‘providers of choice’) to help with any fire safety questions you may have.

Gorilla Ladders common sense tips for ladder safety are:
- Don’t use a ladder in high winds
- Always maintain three points of contact—never stand on the top platform without a harness
- Always wear clean, slip-resistant shoes
- Check your ladder rungs, treads and hinges before you use it
- Use the right ladder – never prop up or artificially extend a ladder
- Always make sure the ladder is on level ground

Ladder safety

Beyond meeting Australian standards and ensuring you’re using equipment correctly, the majority of safety is common sense. Where you don’t have specific safety rules to fall back on, all employers have a general duty of care under Section 21 of the OHS Act to provide and maintain a healthy and safe workplace, systems of work and plant for employees and others. So, even if there are no specific regulations on

ladders, the employer must take all reasonable steps to make sure that any risks associated with

working on ladders are eliminated or reduced as much as possible.

The general principles for working safely at height involve everyone on site. Being aware of hazards and prepared
to address them has led to a noticeable reduction in accident statistics.

According to Gorilla Ladders, “the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says almost 3500 people are injured every year due to ladder falls. Most injuries can be avoided by ensuring the ladder is safe. Ladders are tools: you should apply safety rules to them as you do for any other on site tools.”

Working at heights

According to Beaver Brands, when you’re using fall-arresting equipment,
it is essential that there be adequate clearance under the area of work so that in the event of a fall, the user will not strike the ground or any other hazardous objects during the fall.

If it is assessed that the occurrence of a fall would endanger the user then other alternatives of fall protection systems must be considered. This may include the use of shorter shock absorbing lanyards, retracting lanyards or adjustable lanyards. In each case the fall clearance must be identified and the hazards associated with fall clearance eliminated.

The benefits of reducing free fall distances are multiple. If the free fall distance is reduced then the load on the system and the person are reduced, also the recovery method may be simplified.

Wherever possible the attachment point for a fall arrest system should be located above the attachment point on the users harness. When this is not possible the shock absorbing lanyard length must be reduced to ensure that the maximum fall distance of the user is limited to two metres. A user should never climb above the attachment point using a fall arrest shock absorbing lanyard, as this only adds to the free fall distance.

On-site safety

Even though safety officers on large work sites are dedicated, sometimes they are not always across changes to Australian standards, says Grant Whitbourn from Pratt Safety, an independent Australian firm which has been supplying safety products for the last 40 years.

So in the case of, for example, portable eyewash stations—a vital safety feature for anyone working with chemicals on a work site—a standard eyewash facility could be a couple of plastic bottles attached to a wall. However Pratt Safety’s SE4050 Gravity Fed Portable Eye Wash unit provides 15 minutes of water flow, as specified in AS 4775 for emergency eye wash stations. “The other product may be cheaper, but if you’ve got a large chemical spill, your workers are going to need more than two squeezy bottles of water or saline solution to get the chemicals out of their eyes,” says Whitbourn.

The natural enemy of safety on a large work site, says Grant Whitbourn, is space and cost. “On construction sites, they need a certain amount of real estate to put their site office and materials,” he explains. “We have a range of dangerous goods storage cabinets which cover the flammable, corrosive range of products that get sold onto construction sites or industrial areas or universities, any sort of major science projects like that. We also have a range of gas cages for storing of gas bottles on site, for forklift bottles or plumbers G-sized bottles, aerosol cages for storing of aerosols of any particular type whether they be cans or bottles. We also have a range of spill containment covering plastic portable bunding of 200-litre drums down to 20-litre drums, from one-drum tray to a four-drum spill pallet, through an IBC, through a 1000-litre IBC container as well. If people
don’t use proper containment according
to the standards, accidents can happen.
Look at gas bottles for example, they’re
stood up on walls behind a chain—if there is a fire they are going to explode and could turn into a projectile.

Nowadays, says Troy McNally, there
is more willingness on the part of c companies to work with suppliers to make safe gear to order. “We work with safety officers to develop the products and ensure what we have developed for that company is correct and works well,” he explains. “So the big brands work with us and that is how we develop new ranges, based on what the market is demanding.”

F or over 60 years, Bollé Safety Eyewear has dedicated themselves to fashioning
the ultimate in protective eyewear. Through forward thinking, superior product design and innovative technology they have created a diverse range of products that cater worldwide for all markets including manufacturing, mining, construction, public works, aeronautical, government and defence.

More importantly, they have developed safety eyewear people want to wear! Mostly this is the biggest hurdle for OH&S officers to overcome.

As a continuation of their innovation and desire to develop products for
the broader market, Bollé Safety has launched new lens technology. Bollé Safety’s new platinum lens coating system is an exclusive anti-fog and anti-scratch coating which exceeds international standards for anti-fog and anti-scratch protection.

The platinum coating is ideal for working in high humidity environments, typically found in Australia. Heat
and humidity can be a dangerous combination in the workplace. High humidity creates increased moisture and high heat increases worker perspiration, combined this can lead to increased fogging to protective eyewear. Bollé Safety’s new platinum coating eliminates the risk of employee’s removing their eyewear to decrease fog.

This permanent coating is applied
to both sides of the lens and offers a high resistance to scratching (1.4 cd / m2), to the most aggressive chemicals and delays the onset of fogging for two minutes, exceeding the EN166 K and N option* dramatically. It can be used for indoor and outdoor use and is offered on a variety of different lens options and frame styles, so you can match your protective eyewear to a specific application!

Platinum is now available on Bollé Safety’s new models Rush Plus, IRI-S, Hustler Seal as well as Sidewinder, guaranteeing greater safety, reliability and comfort. In all circumstances
and at all times the Platinum lens innovation guarantees your eyes improved protection.

All Bollé Safety eyewear is tested and approved to AS/NZS 1337.1.2010 for medium impact protection.

Bollé Safety – Innovative Vision. bollesafety.com.au

Nestled on the water’s edge, Crab Claw Island Resort is a relaxing escape from the everyday. The complex has elevated cabins connected by walkways through the trees and palm gardens; refreshing swimming pools; an elevated open restaurant with views across the harbour; boat ramp; wildlife and natural beauty galore.

Crab Claw Island Resort is in the business of creating memories, not selling beds or beer or meals or fishing bait, but creating a space in people’s lives that they can look back on in years to come and smile. This is all about providing a consistent, high quality, service experience for visitors.

Crab Claw’s ‘Island’ restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving a wide selection of tasty,
a la carte meals. The fully licensed bar holds a selection of wines, icy cold beers and soft drinks that will quench the thirst and cleanse the pallet of any weary traveller.

All resort accommodation is air- conditioned, with an en-suite, linen, towels, ceiling fan, fridge and balcony. Rooms are configured to hold a double and two single or a double and four single beds.

There are 19 shady, limited power caravan and camping sites situated 75 metres from the water’s edge and boat ramp. BBQ facilities are available.

Crab Claw Island is a perfect place to launch your boat and access the Arafura Sea. Located at the base of Bynoe Harbour, Crab Claw Island is sheltered from all but the worst of the tropical weather. Our private, concreted boat ramp enables you to easily launch and retrieve your boat, even when it’s windy.
Bynoe Harbour hosts some of the

best fishing grounds in the Northern Territory. Five islands are nestled in the mouth of the Harbour and the harbour coastline is made up of mangroves, fringing and sub tidal reefs, sandy beaches, seagrass and mud flat/sand flat habitats.

An artificial reef constructed from the former Crab Claw Resort Jetty that was damaged by a cyclone and subsequently demolished, is now home to huge Jewfish, which is accessible by small boats.

The tidal creeks and gutters play host to the famous Barramundi, Salmon, Mangrove Jack, Bream, Prawns and Mud crabs while Snapper, Mangrove Jack, Javelin, Tarpon, Mackerel, Trevelly can be found around the oyster rock outcrops. The in-shore and off-shore reefs are great places for larger specimens of Golden Snapper, Coral Trout, Jewfish, Tuna, Groper, the odd Red Emperor—all of which will put up a magnificent fight.

Crab Claw Island offers exciting experiences year round. Many visitors stay for the first time during the most popular time of year, May to October, the ‘dry season’. It’s the perfect time to fish, relax by the swimming pool
or walk through the cycad forest. Our visitors often return to experience the vibrancy of the ‘tropical summer’ from December to March. Crab Claw Island Resort is open all year round with something unique to offer to
everyone as the seasons change.
 For more information www.crabclawisland.com.au

Don’t underestimate the importance of water. According to Scott Sandford, target market manager,waterproofing, at Sika Australia, the simple act of not getting waterproofing right is enormously costly. “It’s fairly common knowledge within the building industry that water ingress is the largest contributor to building maintenance costs,” he says. “More than 80 per cent of building claims are associated with water ingress. If left unattended over time water ingress can cause structural ramifications—the structural capacity of the building can degrade.” Waterproofing is a complex issue, and can be very costly to identify and fix. Frequently, the starting point for remedial work involves destroying other work. So it benefits all involved
in construction work to be across the parts of the National Construction Code and relevant Australian standards.

“For example, there’s AS 3740,
which deals with domestic wet areas, and there’s also AS 4654 which is for external areas,” explains Sandford.
“AS 4654 has a point one, which
deals with product requirements and specification, and a point two, which addresses the detailing and installation requirements of the products. I think the most important thing to be across
is AS 4654.2 because when it comes
to waterproofing, invariably where
you have issues is less about the product and more about the installation. It’s also important to deal with a reputable supplier with ISO9001 quality management systems, whose products are compliant with the relevant national or international standard, and can provide technical support.”

Which is an issue for all material advances in the field—there are individual variables on every job, says Jeff Kirkley, Bostik’s national market development manager tiling.

“Bostik can offer you a complete waterproofing system,” he explains. “Problems can arise when you get
on site and there are multiple metal, timber and concrete substrates, or other substrate materials involved. That’s why it’s far better for us to be involved on site at the design stage. We can help assess the installation and make the best suggestions. For instance, if there is inclement weather pending, we have a product called Dampfix PU. This is a full polyurethane, which means you can apply it on a dry substrate, and even if it rains five minutes later, it will not wash away. Whereas the more common high performing water-based acrylics, like Dampfix Gold and Dampfix 3, need to fully cure for approximately 24 hours before they are completely waterproof.

“More than 80 per cent of building claims are associated with water ingress.” Scott Sandford, Sika Australia target market manager, waterproofing

Hard rain on a newly applied acrylic membrane can pierce the product’s skin, causing uncured resin to be washed down your facades and drains. This can cause it to plug or block the drain. This is due to these products requiring to fully cure before becoming 100 per cent waterproof. All water- based systems, while being the most high performing and cost effective, need to fully evaporate to cure.”

His confidence comes from the degree of research and development into all new products manufactured in Australia by Bostik. “All product development is done through our R&D lab in Sydney. This is Bostik’s centre for excellence in the southern hemisphere,” says Kirkley. “We make sure we exceed the standards and not just match them. Once we
go into full production of a new product, every batch is QC-
checked before it’s deemed fit for sale.”

The recently formed Australian Institute of Waterproofing has taken some steps towards addressing the potential problems in application, offering training packages and technical advice with a view to raising the overall standard of work in the waterproofing industry.

On its website, it states: “All too often we find the waterproofing details on project specifications are non-existent or very lacking in proper details. We find the waterproofing lumped in

with all sorts of other items such as tiling, painting, plumbing, structural engineering and such. A particular material may or may not be the ideal product for the job in some or most cases and is used only because it’s handy and in stock. We all should be looking further afield for specific products that are best suited for the job at hand in the first instance.”

“A national standard or trade recognition would help raise the standard of waterproofing,” says Sika Australia’s Scott Sandford. “There is currently no AS/NZS standard that addresses sub-grade waterproofing. BS8102:2009 is a code of
practice that provides a
holistic approach to the
protection of
below-ground
structures from
groundwater.

It recognises the importance of having all stakeholders, including architects, engineers, builders, materials suppliers and sub-contractors involved in the creation of a robust waterproofing specification. According to BS8102,
the specification should include redundant waterproofing systems. This recommendation is often overlooked and is crucial in limiting unforeseen costs in the event of construction issues.

“A common phrase you hear is ‘We don’t have the budget’, yet remedial costs far outstrip those of using redundant systems,” says Sandford.

“This is why Bostik confidently offers a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty,” says Kirkley. “The tradesman also needs to give an application warranty.

“Unfortunately, there’s currently no enforced requirement to have
a waterproofing licence in Victoria. Until this changes, it’s left up to the individual applicant to warrant his/ her application. More builders and designers are seeking a system warranty, so whenever we do waterproof demonstrations, we
offer applicants a draft copy of an application warranty. They can insert their own business name, their
ABN or ACN, and contact details. This is what a builder or a project manager wants; the applicant can set themselves apart from the pack by offering a complete system warranty.”

Kirkley adds that’s why it’s important, no matter which group of products you’re going to use, that you look for
an overall brand system that can be warranted, rather than chasing multiple suppliers around if something goes wrong. “The problem you’ve got is that we don’t test everybody’s product every week,” he says. “So if they change something in their membrane to give it more water resistance, more elasticity, and it affects the adhesive bond strength, they adjust their adhesives to adapt for that. If we don’t know and they put our adhesive over it, then there’s a chance it could be an issue. This is why a complete single brand system approach is always the best practice.”

As the Australian Institute of Waterproofing points out on its website: “The budget usually will dictate what will be spent on the waterproofing, but as professionals in the industry providing a service that is critical in the overall build of any project, we must insist on the correct product and application process be undertaken in every instance.”

Just as revolutions in a car’s engine are measured each minute, the revolution of building a race car can be measured almost as often. “Racing is full circle all the time,” says Les Creely, workshop manager
of Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM). “You race—you hopefully don’t crash— you come back and repair the car, then you go racing again.”

Creely knows this acutely because it’s his job to make sure every department at GRM has what they need. “There’s a lot of organisation. I basically get all the bits and pieces for everyone, so they’ve got all the components for their car.”

What he means is the thousands of parts that make up a race car, distributed to 39 full-time GRM staff who build the vehicles from scratch.

“From our point of view, everything is very time-controlled. You can’t afford to miss anything because the race starts without you—the car has to be ready.”

To pinpoint where the process starts is hard to define. You see the cars are continually being built and rebuilt—in many cases, every few days.

“The pit opens at 10am and it’s
just go, go, go,” says Creely. “Every single item has to be ready two weeks before that deadline—that goes for everyone involved.”

Starting with the engineers, “who we affectionately call the propeller heads”, says Creely, “they come up with their demon ideas and will say ‘we want

to make this component’, and they’ll draw it up and give it to me. So I’ll get it made, give it to them to test, try it out on the car. If it works, great, we’ll order another 10. If it doesn’t work, we’ll put that on the shelf and they’ll come up with some other great idea.”

The engineers are constantly
testing everything—in the workshop
and at the track. They’ll double-check maintenance of the shocks, change
all the valving in it to go to the next track—which will be a different track altogether. It’s up to the engineers
to get all the data from the race, download it and analyse it, and come up with where the car needs to be
if they come back to that track next year. They’ll look at what the car did and didn’t do, what the temperatures were … It’s a complex process—certainly
not as simple as going in and cleaning some parts and sending them back.

You could say the propeller heads are what keep the cycle of the race car in motion. “There are two engineers per car for racing. One is a data collector and one is your race engineer,” explains Scott ‘Scotty’ Compson, manager of

the composite department. “So one is deciphering information and the other one is coming up with the decisions. We hope.” And it is the engineers
(and drivers) who keep Scotty and his team continually busy. “Engineers are always chasing the lightest component for the car, while maintaining as

much strength as you can. And
that’s constantly evolving, constantly changing and I am always looking for new materials, new ways to try and overcome wear on the undertray and making things as light as possible.”

Repairing the undertray is one of the most common jobs for the composite department. “This happens at every race, every round,” says Scotty. “Rear impact is also very common, because cars are driving into each other.”

It’s a fact of racing, but when collisions happen, Scotty and his
team have to make sure there is a replacement part ready to go. “I used to get precious about my parts when
I first started, and when I watched a race and something got busted I would be like, ‘Oh God’, but now I just think, ‘Well, they’re keeping me in the job!’”

However, there are still some nail- biting moments. “I do get nervous watching racing and seeing our cars go around, thinking, ‘Is it going to hold together?’ You don’t want the phone to ring and hear someone say, ‘These front bars are cracking and falling to bits’. In fact, when a car

has an accident and a component flies off, this is a good thing because if it stays on and flaps around, the car will get called in for a black flag. Then your race is done and dusted— you’re back in the pit lane.

After the race, the cars come out of the truck to be serviced and need to be turned around in a few days—before the next race starts.

Back in February 2014, the ante was amplified by the switch from  building Holden race cars, to building Volvo S60s. “From a project point of view, going from Holden to Volvo, there was a lot of consultation with engineers, in particular Scotty Campbell whose job is to get the body shape right.”

While Volvo wanted the race car to look as much like the road car as possible, it was Campbell’s goal to make it as fast and light as possible.

“We maintained the integrity of the S60 so people could recognise it on the track. The challenge was to make it all fit.” CScotty Compson, GRM composite manager

“We maintained the integrity of
the S60 so people could recognise
it on the track. The challenge was
to make it all fit. For example, you
still have to fit the wheels under
the mudguards, panels are subtly modified—so the actual shape has changed quite a bit to make it work,” says Scotty Compson. The two Scotts worked together looking at how they were going to build each component as light, strong and efficiently as possible, as well as factoring in
how to make the moulds suit the manufacturing processes.

But it’s not just Scotty and his team who are constantly evolving. Every race team is trying to evolve faster than the competition.

“Scotty is very particular with his job,” says Creely. “Everything that comes out of his composite department is first class. If you look at the other teams’ components—which we have—we’ve had the advantage of looking at other teams’ components over the years and the stuff that comes out of Scotty’s workshop exceeds their quality tenfold.

“Scotty is very humble, but he’s incredibly good. Even when we take things to the painters to get sprayed— painters who do the same for other race teams—they just admire our work because it’s so easy for them to put paint on. They don’t need to have to re-work it or mess around with it. We’re not trying to pump up our own tyres, but a lot of people struggle to achieve the standards these guys
do,” says Creely.

It comes back to great teamwork and a dedicated crew. As the GRM team prepares for its next race, it’s all hands on deck. Don’t miss the next issue where we get the rundown on what happened behind the scenes during the 2014 racing season.

It started from humble beginnings back in 1972, when Jeff Freeman began selling abrasives to the Australian industrial market from a shopfront

in Heidelberg, Victoria, under the company name of Durable Abrasives.
In 1974, Flexovit BV Holland appointed Durable Abrasives as the sole industrial distribution agent for the Flexovit brand of cutting and grinding wheels in the Australian market, explains Chris Davis, manufacturing manager of Saint-Gobain Abrasives Australia. At that time, Roger Freeman joined the company, overseeing the development of the business alongside Jeff Freeman, with a view toward cutting and grinding wheels.

A few years later, due to popularity and market demand, the company changed its name to Flexovit Abrasives Pty Ltd, and proceeded to build its own manufacturing plant in Campbellfield, Victoria.

In 1978, the factory commenced manufacturing in Campbellfield, where it continues to operate to this day. Starting with just one press and three ovens, the company has developed significantly— now with a footprint of nine presses and 12 ovens, employing 60 staff on a three- shift operation, five days a week.

Flexovit Abrasives, under the Freemans’ direction, saw a rapid company expansion. This led to the next evolutionary step of developing sales into the Pacific region and South-east

Asian markets, as well
as becoming the number- one choice for cutting and grinding wheels in Australia.

In 1988, Flexovit
Abrasives (Australia) Pty
Ltd was sold to Flexovit
Abrasives NV, which was subsequently floated and
made a public company on the Dutch stock exchange. Davis explains, “In 1999, Saint-Gobain purchased Flexovit NV and the Australian company name changed to Saint-Gobain Abrasives.”

“As part of the Saint-Gobain (S-G) company, which is the world leader in the habitat and construction market, Flexovit provides high-performance abrasive solutions for the industrial, construction, mining, automotive, aviation and DIY markets,” says Davis. “Basically, everywhere there’s a power tool used for cutting and grinding steels and masonry, we cover it.”

In supplying products to a wide variety of industry markets, S-G regards customer service as paramount to its continued success. Having a manufacturing plant in Australia allows S-G to provide unsurpassed service
in terms of speed and efficiency.

“Because we’re a manufacturer, we can make local decisions when there are any changes in regional conditions, while our competitors are restrained to catalogues

“Being on the ground to offer educated and informed advice and support allows Saint- Gobain to work faster.” Chris Davis, Saint-Gobain manufacturing manager

or products that may suit other markets, but not necessarily the Australian market,” Davis says. Having very competitive lead times means S-G can bring products
to market quickly and react if there’s
a shortage of certain products.

Safety in use is of paramount importance to S-G. “With cutting and grinding wheels which can reach speeds of 290km, the personal safety of machine operators using Flexovit Abrasive wheels is of primary concern to S-G,” says Davis. As such, Flexovit Abrasive wheels are designed, manufactured and safety tested in accordance with the highest Australian and European standards.

“Safety in use is our number-one priority,” says Davis. All cutting and grinding wheels conform to Australian Safety Standards AS1788.1-1987 and European Safety Standards EN12413.
In addition, Saint-Gobain is a founding member of the Organisation for the Safety of Abrasives (oSa)—a voluntary organisation governing the European abrasives industry that sets very strict rules for manufacturing processes, with on-going product testing carried out during production to ensure that wheels comply with the highest safety standards when in use. These standards create consistency in the manufacturing process, which is another key factor in the Flexovit success story. “The industrial market relies upon and expects a consistent quality of product, and because our manufacturing processes are aligned to this, it helps us offer solutions that provide quality and consistency,” says Davis.

During manufacturing, S-G considers caring for the environment to be a major priority. It maintains its plant in Australia so that it is compliant with ISO 9000:2008 and Environmental Management AS/NZ ISO14001:2004 standards.

S-G has been able to continually grow and innovate by reacting quickly to the market. Davis says,“S-G has a plan to continually invest in new plants and production processes that ensure it can deliver cost-effective solutions that are relevant to the customer needs and which continue to grow
the business in Australia.”

As an example of its dedication to innovation, S-G offers on-site support
for both industrial and retail customers, including dedicated sales teams. “S-G has a team of dedicated application engineers, or AEs, who are specifically tasked to work with end users, visiting you on-site to offer technical or efficiency gains in your work environment.”

By having trained AEs working directly with customers and end users, S-G endeavours to get the best value and finish on applications, while providing product use and safety instruction wherever applicable. Quite often, such visits lead to better solutions for the users of Flexovit products, based on detailed examinations of the tasks

being conducted. “Being on the ground to offer educated and informed advice and support allows S-G to work faster,” says Davis. “It’s a faster way of offering solutions, which gives S-G the ability
to leverage other AEs around the world who have similar experiences. This level of expertise and technical support for customers is unparalleled. As we know, one abrasive does not fix all solutions. In thin wheels alone, we have 400 different wheels, so it is not as simple as one size fits all. Even a small change in formulations can bring big productivity gains to end users.”

S-G’s continual innovation and
impetus to excel has never been more apparent than in its recent investments in technology and the brand. “In 2012, S-G made significant investments in machinery to increase production efficiency of Australia’s largest selling wheel and, over the next 18 months, further investments will be made in automation and process improvement,” says Davis.

As the only manufacturer of thin wheels in Australia, the S-G factory proudly employs local staff in Victoria, producing millions of wheels a year.

“S-G has an operation in Australia with modern, world-class equipment and a strong commitment to quality, with a dedicated work force,” states Davis.

S-G made a further commitment in November 2014, with the Australian Made campaign. “We want to keep Australia working by promoting and supporting the local manufacturing sector and exporting of Australian Made products,” explains Davis. The iconic green-and-gold logo will appear on all wheels manufactured in the Campbellfield plant.

If that wasn’t enough, S-G has also launched a new range of rail cutting wheels. “With high-carbon steels now being introduced in the market, we have added to our extensive range of products, with a softer wheel formulation that will cut hardened steels faster. Often in the rail maintenance industry, timeframes are restricted for the line work and track work and faster cutting solutions are required— which we can now offer.”

There’s no slowing down for S-G. The goal for 2015 is to continue to be the market leader in Australia for the complete range of abrasives for any application, including reinforced cutting and grinding wheels, flap discs and wire brushes, and Norton bonded and coated abrasives, as well as a range of surface blending and tape products, diamond cutting blades and machines for masonry applications.

It’s rare enough that you find established parklands expanding in a major capial city. But that was one of the gifts to the people of Brisbane in the middle of last year, when work on the Legacy Way tunnel resulted
in the largest upgrade to the Botanic Gardens since they opened in 1970. Additions will include a kitchen garden, amphitheatre, forest walk, playground and an 18-megalitre lagoon to help drought proof the area.

The Legacy Way is Brisbane City Council’s 4.6-kilometre road tunnel that will connect the Western Freeway at Toowong with the Inner City Bypass (ICB) at Kelvin Grove. The plan is that, once open, Legacy Way will almost halve peak-hour travel times between the Centenary Bridge and the ICB.

The $1.5 billion cost is necessary, Brisbane Council says, because “Brisbane’s popularity as a place to live and work has created strong population, employment and economic growth over the past decade. Under the Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Regional Plan, Brisbane must find room for 156,000 additional dwellings by 2031. With this growth comes a challenge in dealing with traffic congestion.

Traffic congestion not only impacts on our lifestyle but our economy, by causing delays to goods, increased business operating costs and environmental costs.

“In future years, the Australia TradeCoast precinct near Brisbane Airport will become an economic hub for the region, experiencing substantial jobs growth, transforming
it into south-east Queensland’s
second biggest employment generator, behind the CBD. The continued growth will put more pressure on key arterial roads. A motorway standard road
is needed to fill the gap that exists between the Western Freeway and
the Inner City Bypass. Legacy Way
will meet this need.”

But the project is also an example of how major contemporary infrastructure projects are made possible by a community focus and an international team. The company responsible for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of Legacy

Way, Transcity, is a joint venture between Spanish tunnelling and civil infrastructure giant Acciona Infrastructures, Italian tunnelling specialists Ghella and Brisbane’s local experts BMD Constructions. It’s also a boon for local suppliers such as CSS Member Allfix Fasteners, which has been supplying the project with fixings and associated products from the start. On a project like this, explains Allfix account manager
Craig Williams, supply has to be
very much “on demand”.

“Even though they work to a program, there’s a lot of things changing on a daily basis,” he explains. “As much
as Transcity’s engineers do all of the geological surveys and oil testing prior to work commencing, they often run into issues as they’re progressing through, and then they call on us to be able to supply a particular product, or a particular piece of machinery, or a particular item, to keep the project going.”

At the end of last year, as this article was being written, the project was going through its final stage. “That means all the mechanical services are in there doing all the fans for ventilation and smoke control, cameras, signs, speakers, lights and public address systems. Prior to that, when the tunnel linings were going in, there was a lot of heavy-duty fasteners and tooling, boring equipment, carbide drills, and specialised gear.”

“In some cases, I would take the supplier reps on site with me to discuss the specifications with the engineers directly.” Craig Williams, Allfix Fasteners account manager

The process of meeting those challenges is straightforward, but
still not always easy. “Transcity run everything through a procurement office at Toowong. So the foreman, or the engineer on site, will put a request into the procurement officer, who email out a request to quote. We’ll go away and source and quote on the product, and hopefully that results in an order.

“The biggest challenge of that, however, is that for whatever reason, a lot of the major suppliers are no longer warehousing here in Brisbane. So a
lot of the product had to come from Sydney or Melbourne. And quite often, you don’t have much lead time to be able to supply that product.”

Meeting those challenging lead times is possible because of the depth of relationships Allfix has with their suppliers. “What we were able to do
in those situations, depending on the product, was to go back to some of our key suppliers and requested project pricing,” explains Craig Williams.

“So, we all benefit by working
closely with suppliers on one side
and procurement on the other. In
some cases, I would take the supplier reps on site with me to discuss the specifications with the engineers directly, which helps us determine whether it’s worthwhile for us to set project pricing for the duration of the project.”

So in the specific case of Legacy Way, Williams says, there were plenty of occasions where, “what we would do is actually connect one of our suppliers, who also have engineers, to the relevant engineer on site, to either get a product specified or overcome something that they hadn’t foreseen, where they weren’t sure on what fixing they should be using, or whether the application for the fixing they were using was correct”.

An example of this is the relationship with CSS supplier Powers Fasteners. “There was quite a number of times where I’d get an inquiry come through where I didn’t have the capacity or the expertise to handle it,” says Williams, “so I then would call on Powers’ major projects manager, Nick Stewart.”

The benefits of working with international teams are almost always positive (despite the occasional communication challenge, which
can be met by a combination of drawing pictures and pointing at things). With the project 80 per cent complete at the time of writing, the project has also cemented networks that will benefit future infrastructure projects in the state.

“Once a project is finished, obviously, the people you’ve been working with will move on to another project, and there’s a lot of infrastructure work happening in Queensland at the moment,” says Williams. “Infrastructure was neglected for some time, so it’s taken a lot to keep up with the natural expansion of the city.”

Some of the other upcoming projects may include local L&G projects, or
the upcoming BAT tunnel, which is
a proposed new north-south tunnel that will deliver bus and rail together

in a world-first design. It combines
a railway and a busway in a single, double-decked, 15m-wide tunnel beneath the Brisbane River and Brisbane’s central business district. And with each new project, local suppliers, local communities and local construction firms all benefit.

The winners are:
Andrew Godwin from Qld Peter Dinis from WA Chad Elphick from NSW Rod Turpin from Vic John French from Tas

If you want your fat chance
of winning a trip to Crab Claw Island in the Northern Territory, turn to pages 32 and 33, to find out more, and start packing your bags!