Barry Brown of Barry Brown and Sons with his innovative milk vat design that has impressed WorkSafe judges.HALLAM businessman Barry Brown of Barry Brown and Sons is a finalist in the small business category in this year’s WorkSafe Victoria awards for his innovative milk silo design.
A simple variation on the conventional design put Mr Brown’s concept at the top of a list of 110 entries.
Mr Brown designed and built a milk silo with an entry hatch on the side at waist height, rather than high on top of the storage tank.
“The sideplacement of the entry hatches removes the need to climb on top of the tanks, minimising the risk of injuries from falls,” he said.
Despite the simplicity of the design and the obvious advantages, it has taken Mr Brown 10 years to convince the industry that side entry was the way forward.
“It makes it safer, and easier for people getting in and out of the tank when they are inside it carrying out maintenance or repairs,” Mr Brown said. “It would be usual for a milk silo to be entered about five times a year for cleaning and servicing.
“As well as the risk of climbing on to the top of the silo, about twoandahalf metres above ground, there are typically no handholds around the entry hatch.
“Water and detergents used to wash the surfaces of the silo can also make it slippery and particularly dangerous to climb.”
In another advantage, the new tanks incorporate a liquid coolant, which is less prone to leakage or pipe rupture than the traditional gas coolant systems.
WorkSafe spokesman Michael Birt said this helped minimise the need to enter the tanks for repairs and reduced the risks associated with working in confined spaces.
“Confined spaces can be highly dangerous and in some cases, deadly, environments for people to work in,” Mr Birt said.
“Incidents in confined spaces have resulted in serious injury, death and multiple fatalities.
“A poorly ventilated place may become dangerous if there is an unsafe level of atmospheric contaminants or the oxygen and ventilation levels are poor.”
Mr Birt said the concept could be adapted to suit other industries that required storage and transportation of coolliquid products, such as wine.
The WorkSafe Victoria Awards will be announced at a gala dinner in Melbourne on 27 October as part of Work Safe Week from 23 to 28 October.
This year, hundreds of community events will be held across the state to highlight the importance of workplace health and safety.
