The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has found that hundreds of products are in breach of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations, and has advised companies to examine the compliance of their products and the suitability of their equipment for handling dangerous and hazardous fluids.
However, there is a way to avoid violations of REACH and being yellow carded by the auditors.
It’s as simple as using the right pump for the job.
A leaky pump that’s high maintenance and a potential hazard
As a coating or chemical manufacturer, you already appreciate the intricacies and importance of housing and moving hazardous chemicals. There are a few ways these chemicals might escape and cause problems, such as a ‘weeping’ leak or a complete seal failure. Strategies to secure these chemicals need to be airtight, literally.
Compliance and safety are essential and this can easily be compromised by using an inferior pump. Even a regular pump runs the risk of leaks and downtime due to wear and tear on seal faces and the associated maintenance and repair.
Mag drive pumps do not have mechanical seals and use static o-rings, so there is no leaking and no escape to the atmosphere.
It’s more than just minimising downtime, it’s also about maximising uptime and productivity by using a pump that can be relied upon. Imagine a pump so reliable that you could ‘just fit and forget it’.
Putting your staff at risk of chemical exposure?
We don’t use the word “hazardous’ lightly. The right chemical in the wrong place could do a lot of harm to your workforce.
However, a leak need not be as dramatic as employee exposure to toxic chemicals for it to become a serious problem.
Even a mild leak that doesn’t harm a soul may result in an administrative nightmare. Any leak would need to be reported and kept on record and would no doubt incur an investigation from the appropriate authorities. Add to this the loss of productivity due to the downtime this investigation would require and the cheaper pump that allowed for the leak quickly becomes an exorbitant expense.
Non-compliance is expensive
Being found in breach of the REACH regulations may not make your company unique but this non-compliance may cost you more than you imagine down the line.
Cheap comes at a serious contamination cost, moreover, when it comes to diminished productivity and increased downtime. A contaminated batch is expensive, and then eliminating it safely and replacing it with a new uncontaminated batch, even more so.
But what about the minefield of gambling with your reputation? What if your company becomes synonymous with leaking hazardous materials? Not the kind of PR any chemical company would want or need. Especially when compliance is affordable. A leak of something like hydrochloric acid could burn a hole into your good name as well as everything else.
Should authorities decide to cease operations after finding your company non-compliant due to leaking equipment, for example, there are numerous ways that you may start to lose more money than you are able to make. This is when “inexpensive” equipment quickly begins to cost more than you bargained for.
Damage control? The wrong pump gives you no control
Should the worst scenario happen, and a hazardous chemical was to somehow leak,the consequences are at the very least an administrative headache.
Stopping the leak, cleaning it up, reporting it and ensuring that it does not happen again sounds simple, but the process would be far from it. The time, admin, loss of income, increased expenses and other innumerable inconveniences and potentialities could rapidly escalate.
Volatile and toxic chemicals are true to their nature, so keeping them contained is of the highest importance.
We can help you contain these chemicals better and maintain your production consistency with a pump solution that offers control as well as peace of mind.
Feel free to contact us for more on how our equipment can help you do that.
You never know if you are getting the best value for your money unless you compare.
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