The age of the breakaway coupler
Time to break away?
Does elevating your current – or future- project with a much-deserved boost in safety feel like your next step? Great! The Wiese safety expertise is yours for the taking. Get in touch today!
Want to know more? Contact us!Philosophy to count on
When we talk industrial transport of chemical liquids and gasses, safety is paramount. No cutting corners, no compromising. A major tool in this philosophy? The breakaway coupler. Our trusted resource, your go-to partner in assuring the safety of your site and all who work there.
In the past, we were informed by one of our clients of an accident that took place in their trainyard. A train, carrying a load exceeding 100 metric Tons and of a size to match it, came to move with the loading arms still attached. Luckily, no one was harmed but the loading arms were severely damaged in the process. The load of the train also contained no hazardous materials. What did happen? The loading arms got wrenched out of their original positions and suffered considerable mechanical damage, requiring sizeable repairs.
High time we brought the breakaway coupler to everyone’s attention.
The tools to reflect a true safety culture
Now, what does a breakaway coupler do, you ask? This vital piece of equipment is designed to – literally — break once the end of a safe working envelope is reached, providing additional security in case the worse happens. Cable-actuated, it only takes a sudden force for the cable to remove the collar and dismantle the system. This leaves the loading arm in place, steady as ever.
Considering the weight of your average loading arm, having the breakaway coupler in place instantly removes the risk of the structure tippling over. It’s the kind of peace of mind that comes along with installing the necessary emergency breakaway couplers. Instead of having an on-site accident only to learn from it afterwards, this piece of technology was meant to avoid damage from the start.
Safety has always been a major focus point for Wiese Europe. That’s why we’re already implementing breakaway couplers for clients across the globe for over 20 years. We’re always looking to work with clients who share this mindset. Now, it’s natural for financial dimensions to feature in the process leading up to any project. That’s where the Wiese voice is heard.
We’ll always try to inform clients of the importance of installing breakaway couplers in future – or existing – loading arms. There are solutions to be implemented if there’s even the slightest risk. Consider it a physical piece of insurance in support of the safety culture your team deserves.
Safeguard the future
To go back to the case mentioned at the start. It’s always advised to reflect on the risks present in your particular sector. The more severe the consequence of a possible accident, the more important the presence of a breakaway coupler might just turn out to be.
Are you working with volatile chemicals? Especially when accidents can result in overwhelming damage and severe human casualties, it’s good to consider the security breakaway couplers can bring to the table. Too often companies choose to wait for an accident to happen instead of proactively preventing them from occurring at all. Emergency breakaway couplers can prove the tools to your need in this venture.
Is it a sizeable investment? It might be. However, you can’t put a prize on human lives, as well as peace of mind.