DON’T FLUSH DOWN YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL THE DRAIN REPUTATION

AIR SPRINGS SUPPLY says its Pronal pipe stoppers are environmentally cost- effective and help operators of port, cargo and logistics facilities protect against spills and runoff of potentially hazardous or harmful liquids from their fuelling, operations and distribution areas.

The inflatable pipe stoppers are used for ‘rapid and effective’ blockage of such spills into pipeline systems from which they might enter environmentally sensitive watersheds and port areas surrounding such businesses.

“Pollution of marine and waterway areas has become a much bigger issue in recent times as industry facilities overlap with growing urban areas and marine facilities expand into remote and environmentally sensitive resource development locations. This is placing pressure on business to ensure that it demonstrates community awareness of shared water resources by ensuring it has anti- pollution planning in place,” says Air Springs Supply National Marketing Manager James Maslin.

Pronal plugs not only contain spills that might otherwise flow through drains, but are also for pipeline maintenance, testing and emergency tasks in industrial, packaging, processing and distribution facilities. They are used for pollution prevention in projects where pipeline sealing and testing operations need to be conducted not only with complete safety and environmental security, but also with considerable speed, to maintain flows of liquids and gases.

The stoppers can be rapidly deployed, easily transported and widely applied in remote, temporary and permanent industrial situations where heavy vehicles are being serviced, loaded or unloaded. They are suitable for all types of pipelines including concrete, cast iron, steel, stainless steel and PVC. Stock types and sizes fit pipelines up to 2115m metres inside diameter and customproduced models over 3000mm, says Maslin.

Sometimes stoppers are permanently located in pipelines for instant remote inflation with compressed air or other gas where there is a risk of toxic runoff at different stages of production, or where spillages occur. In other instances, they are used to seal off sections of pipe where leaks are occurring, serving the dual role of enabling pressurisation of that section so leaks can be detected, then protecting the men in the pipeline from any product flows while they work to fix the problem.

Pronal stoppers are extremely strong and durable in service, being hot vulcanised in a mould to give outstanding service life, promises the manufacturer. They are described as enormously strong, the result of the global experience of the elastomer products specialist, which produced the inflatable bags used to lif t sections of the Titanic from nearly four kilometres underwater in the Atlantic Ocean.

The material used in the stoppers and the production method (customised dilatability) also means they are extremely versatile, says Pronal. External surfaces are also customised to particular needs, such as exposure to gas or petroleum products or where long term installation is required. Naturally (as with any rubber- based product) direct or prolonged exposure to petroleum- based products is not recommended, but even so the stoppers have strong emergency use applications in such industries, where speed of deployment is vital.

“The big advantages of the technology also include simplicity, portability and re- use,” says Maslin. “Maintenance staff doesn’t need huge amounts of gear on-site and the stoppers themselves are easy to transport around plants to remote locations, where they can be used, moved on, and used again and again. They are an ideal method by which to achieve compliance with statutory requirements in a cost- effective and efficient manner.”

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“POLLUTION OF MARINE AND WATERWAY AREAS HAS BECOME A MUCH BIGGER I SSUE I N RECENT TIMES AS I NDUSTRY FACILITIES OVERLAP WITH GROWING URBAN AREAS AND MARINE FACILITIES EXPAND I NTO REMOTE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT LOCATIONS. THIS I S PLACING PRESSURE ON BUSINESS TO ENSURE THAT I T DEMONSTRATES COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES BY ENSURING I T HAS ANTI- POLLUTION PLANNING I N PLACE.”