Royal London Society for the Blind Success
Cleaner and safer
Working practices at the Industrial Services division of the RLSB have improved in terms of safety, cleanliness and productivity following installation of an automatic degreasing machine.
As an employer, The Royal London Society for the Blind is especially attentive to health and safety issues. 'Our 40 employees are either partially sighted or blind,' says sales manager Robert Kershaw; 'the additional complications are obvious.'
These concerns naturally influence equipment purchase, and latest moves to improve working practices at the Industrial Services division in London include acquiring an Agisonic automatic degreasing machine from Vixen Surface Treatment. This has enabled the RLSB to replace its existing manual wash and rinse process, bringing improvements in safety, cleanliness and productivity.
The Agisonic is equipped with a PLC control, making it far friendlier for staff to operate, as Kershaw explains. 'An audible buzzer signals when the automatic cleaning starts and finishes, and all buttons and switches on the control panel have been enlarged and illuminated for the operator to find. This has simplified the process and reduced the risk to staff.'
The RLSB uses the machine to clean brewery extractor pumps, which go inside beer kegs. It distributes to three of the larger breweries in the UK, so cleanliness is paramount.
The Agisonic machine uses an immerse wash coupled to a strong flushing action; the component basket is moved rapidly up and down while submersed in a moving hot, water-based cleaning fluid. Its predecessor required three operators - now only one is needed.