Published in the August 2014 Australia’s Mining Monthly
For an industry that exposes personnel to heat, chemicals, dust and dirt, providing an adequate eye care and burns response is critical when every second counts to help prevent serious injuries.
In order to provide an immediate care solution, Spill Station Australia has designed and built a fully mobile, solar-powered safety shower and eye wash.
The trailer-mounted unit can be transported to any chosen location with full 1500-litre water tanks. Once the unit arrives at its location, it can be made operational within five minutes.
Spill Station managing director Nathan Cartwright said the unit could be used almost anywhere.
“This product has a wide range of applications in mining, gas, exploration and drill sites,” he said. “It is also ideal for shutdown in all locations, as mains or tank water may not be available.”
The Australian made unit is constructed with 50mm aluminium skinned insulation panels to ensure comfortable and compliant water temperatures.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of the temperature control, water temperature tests were conducted on a unit in Western Australia over a three-month period.
“Over 89 days, there were 60 days where the temperature soared over 30C but the unit’s water temperature, which started at 20C, did not vary over 4C,” Spill Station said.
The pumps on the unit are powered by a 235 amp-hour deep cycle battery, meaning that even without the twin 120-watt solar panels, the maintenance free battery can power the water pumps for up to 40 hours.
Being an Australia-made product also means that the trailer has been manufactured to withstand the country’s rugged conditions and the unit can also be easily customised by Spill Station to suit individual requirements, including the addition of GPS tracking or SMS usage alerts.
The solar shower has storage space to allow for the inclusion of a burns first aid kit and defibrillator to continue first aid while waiting for further medical assistance.
It complies with all aspects of the Australian Standard for safety shower and eyewash equipment, AS4775.
Spill Station has already exported units to Malaysia and the Philippines, with further projects in development.
