REVOLUTIONARY AIR-SAFE Devices Help Eliminate Safety Risks
The patented AirSafe 1000 line of locking devices has been awarded the OH&S New Product of the Year in the Lockout Category.
Scalar LLC, located in Raleigh North Carolina, grew from the industry need for a locking device that is both innovative and practical to secure remotely actuated air-driven valves. The device had to be simple to use and provide both physical and visual protection in lockout/tagout applications. The device had to present a vast improvement where the current industry practice of locking the air line only falls short.
When working on or around air actuated valves, it is critical to protect workers by locking the actuators to prevent unintentional operation. At present, the common industry practice is usually removing the air line and attaching a locking device, often called scissors, to the air line itself. This method works but is hardly fool proof. The lock is on only the air line and leaves the actuator and valve unsecured and ready to be connected to a different air source. This situation represents a subtle, but significant hazard.
When only the air line is locked out, mechanics may not associate the lock with the correct counterpart valve. A mechanic running control tubing to a newly installed valve near a locked-out valve may fail to notice the lock on the air line and can possibly connect to the wrong valve. In this case, there is nothing to prevent connection of the new control air source to the wrong actuator. . . a condition that can have profoundly serious repercussions. Such errors can and do occur, especially during projects in which new valves are installed near existing valves, where multiple contractors are working in close proximity, and when work scopes span across trades. For example, it is not uncommon for one contractor to install air-actuated valves as part of the piping package, and another to run the control air tubing as part of the instrumentation and controls package.
The effort to develop a safer locking system was guided by two incidents: one in which the wrong valves were tubed, and the other, disassembly of a live valve. Both incidents occurred because there was nothing physical or visual on the valve actuator indicating a locked out state. Either of these incidents could have resulted in severe injury or death. Clearly, common industry practice is inadequate.
The Scalar AirSafe 1000-S locking device is designed for use on air-actuated valves with ¼” Swagelok ™, Hoke ™, or compatible connectors. The AirSafe 1000-P is designed for use with ¼” Push-to-connect style fittings. Both AirSafe 1000 devices attach directly to the valve actuator air fitting after removing the supply air line. Locking the actuator air inlet provides a direct physical and visual indication the actuator/valve is locked out. With proper installation of an AirSafe 1000, a lock and a tag, no connection to the actuator is possible. The lock and tag are a highly visible indication showing the actuator and valve are locked. The AirSafe 1000 is a complete, comprehensive lockout/tagout solution for air-actuated valves, eliminating dangers associated with the current industry practice of locking only the air line itself.
We at Scalar LLC believe the AirSafe 1000 locking devices will become the new industry standard for securing air actuated valves.