DRIVER / REASON FOR SHIELDS

Many different motivations exist for the installation of safety shields. What is the driver behind ?

Your current requirements?

Recent incident or near-miss on site, or associated site

Very often, site incidents or near-misses will necessitate a safety review, at which time safety shields are considered as corrective or preventative action. 

Industry regulations

Various regulations exist, some specifying safety shielding (SOLAS, marine industry) and others recommending shielding as a control measure (EP15 energy industry).

Company-wide policy/philosophy & best practice

In an attempt to reach the goal of ‘zero accidents’, many large companies create and insist upon safety policies and requirements that often include safety shielding. 

Insurance requirement

The cost of site fires, explosions and personal injury is significant. Industrial insurers now focus specifically on spray-out and oil mist prevention, and often insist on safety shielding.

Other

There are a variety of other reasons to fit shields, including pollution control, general site cleanliness and protection of nearby electrical equipment