VBSF Safety Award won
The VBSF association awarded its 2020 safety prize at Swissbau. In the wreaths came an innovative development for locating gas leaks. The application can reduce plant downtimes and the risk of personal accidents.
The 2020 Safety Award of the Swiss Association of Fire Protection and Safety Professionals (VBSF), endowed with 5000 Swiss francs, goes to the Distran company in Zurich. The SME with 15 employees wins the award for its innovative device for detecting gas leaks. Founded in 2013, the startup specializes in inspections using ultrasound. The search for leaks using ultrasound is well known. What is new about the development, however, is the visual representation of the leakage on the integrated display in real time, emphasizes Florian Höchli of Distran. According to him, any type of gas leak, including vacuum and steam leaks, can be located. This is possible at a maximum distance of 50 meters, says Höchli, who demonstrated the award-winning application at the VBSF event. The application is intended to reduce plant downtimes and, in particular, the risk of personal accidents. The development of the device also includes the ability for the user to take photos and videos to record the findings during the leakage inspection. An additionally developed reporting tool enables simple and fast communication, for example to the maintenance team.
How does the technology work?
Leakages generate an ultrasonic noise. These waves in the kHz range strike the leak detector, which is equipped with 124 sensors. Thus, the ultrasonic signal can be identified, the exact position determined and shown directly on the display. In addition, the leak rate is calculated and also displayed. This makes it easier for the user to assess the risk outside and in the danger zone, reduces the need to work at heights, supports priority setting during maintenance and enables the findings to be reported during an inspection, as Höchli explains.
The safety award is now endowed with 10,000 Swiss francs
The next Safety Award will again be awarded in two years. To make it more attractive, there will only be one category: The prize money for the winning project will be increased to 10,000 Swiss francs. As before, the jury will also be able to award two recognition prizes of 2,000 Swiss francs each. Of course, for excellent development, the VBSF will provide a certificate with which a winner can decorate his or her company centerpiece. (rs)
