Confined space safety in foundries.
CCI S.p.A.

CCI SpA (colatacontinuaitaliana) is a leading company in the national and international market of semi-finished copper products. Operating in high-risk environments, it chose to rely on Genesi Protection to secure the foundry’s confined spaces, in particular, the cooling tower shutdown, a very delicate activity that takes place only twice a year.

The challenge was to protect maintenance workers from illness or injury during cleaning and maintenance of equipment in the copper metal processing factory.

Process and issues

The main critical areas and related risks identified for operators in the CCI SpA factory included:

Melting furnace: raw copper is loaded into the furnace and subjected to high temperatures to be melted.
Risk: inhalation of harmful fine dust.

Casting wheel: The molten metal is then directed by the casting wheel into the appropriate shapes. The casting wheel is used to distribute and control the flow of molten metal.
The “delivery zone” is the part of the wheel where the molten metal is directed to the specific casting areas. In some systems, water may be present to cool certain components of the wheel itself or to reduce the adhesion of the molten metal to surfaces.
The “return zone“, on the other hand, concerns the recovery of metal that is not immediately used or is discarded during casting. This metal is collected and reintroduced into the casting process to be used again. 
Risk: burns from contact with residual metal, risk of falls, exposure to gases or vapours.

Cooling tower for semi-finished products: After melting, the semi-finished products must be cooled rapidly to avoid deformation or damage to the material. The tower lowers the temperature of the molten copper before subjecting it to subsequent processing steps.
Risk: falls from height, slipping, exposure to bacteria due to poorly disinfected systems.

Bag filter: During processing, fumes and fine dust are generated. The bag filter purifies the air by removing these particles to ensure a safe working environment. It sucks in polluted air by retaining the dust and releases the purified air into the environment.
Risk: exposure to hazardous dust and risk of falling.

Pickling tank: Semi-finished copper products may need chemical cleaning to remove oxides and impurities. For this, they are immersed in an acid solution that cleans them.
Risk: exposure to hazardous chemicals and risk of intoxication.

Evaporative tower with heat exchangers: This plant cools hot fluids from other processing steps through evaporation. The exchangers maintain safe working temperatures.
Risk: falls from height, slipping and exposure to bacteria.

Solutions installed in the CCI SpA foundry

The safety of operators during maintenance work was the top priority of the project. 
A risk assessment was carried out in the CCI Spa factory to examine the possible risks to which operators could be exposed during normal maintenance activities.
An in-depth mapping of confined spaces and work areas with critical rescue in case of an emergency was also carried out. This analysis made it possible to identify the most dangerous areas and to design the most suitable solutions for each critical area.

• Melting furnace: given the impossibility of permanent installations in the area adjacent to the melting furnace, Genesi SCPH double hoist installations have been provided. This solution allows safe access for operators inside the furnaces for extraordinary maintenance to restore the linings, which are subjected to high thermal stress. 

• Casting wheel return zone: floor bases have been provided, near the tanks, for the installation of the Genesi SC12NW.

• Casting wheel delivery zone: given the presence of water in this area and the height that can reach up to 4 metres, the area can be dangerous for maintenance operations. To address this risk, wall-mounted bases were installed under the grates to support the Genesi SC12NW, which is equipped with specific equipment for confined space management.
  Bases were identified to provide a safe and stable anchor, even in a humid environment and in the presence of water. 

• Cooling tower for semi-finished products: given the absence of protection around the perimeter of the structure and the need for safe access to the internal tanks, SK-21 straight floor perimeter guardrails, ALU12 anchor points and the Genesi SCPH hoist were installed for quick and reliable rescue in the event of an emergency.

• Pickling tank: EAR12 anchor points and the Genesi SCPH hoist were installed to ensure effective horizontal extraction in the event of an operator’s illness.

• Boldrocchi bag filter (air filtration system): access at height has been made safer thanks to the Vertical X lifeline and ALUXRAIL rail, installed under the existing carpentry.
  This system was designed to facilitate rescue operations from floor-level hatches and evacuations from vertical accesses.

• Evaporative tower with heat exchangers: the fan, positioned at the top of the evaporative tower with water tanks underneath, requires daily maintenance to ensure correct operation. To protect the operators during normal inspection activities, an ALUXRAIL rail was installed under the existing carpentry, combined with a rescue device in case of emergency.
  In addition, a gangway was constructed to facilitate safe access to the fan area, improving operations and reducing risks to personnel.

• Holding: to ensure horizontal extraction in the event of an emergency and secure anchorage, the ALU12 anchor point was installed under the travelling girder, combined with the Genesi SCPH hoist with an under-beam anchorage pendant.
  
  

Training and coaching with Genesi Academy

In addition to the installation of the security solutions, Genesi Academy carried out field training sessions, training the operators during a normal maintenance activity. The objective was to make the staff autonomous in managing the different systems and their configurations.
This investment in staff training proved to be fundamental in ensuring the effectiveness of the installed solutions with correct use and greater awareness of emergency protocols.

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