Total Lockout design Key Interlock for Water Industry

Our latest Interlock assignment saw us working closely with a client operating in the Water Industry. The site was a Sewage Treatment Works close to Bradford, UK.

The client was looking for a solution to prevent two different hazardous chemicals from ending up in local water or drainage network. We closely reviewed their requirements and quickly concluded that a key interlock system would be the most appropriate solution to their problem.

Our client free issued us their valves and after careful measurement the details were sent to Alcatraz Interlocks. Total Lockout are an Alcatraz’s Distributor and our employees have over 70 years’ experience of valve and machine guard Interlocks. Alcatraz took our survey details and used them to design a special mounting kit to allow a mechanical, key operated Interlock to be installed on the top of each of the valves.

This project proved to be more challenging than most as the host valves were plastic bodied and the stem area (which the mounting kit bolts to) was quite complex in design. In brief, standard Alcatraz Interlocks would have been too large and heavy for this application. Furthermore, the standard lever length would have applied too much torque to the host, risking damage to the plastic valves below.

In this situation, special interlocks had to be designed and manufactured to suit the valves which required small external dimensions, minimal weight and low torque to operate.

Once fitted, the interlock system will ensure that any chemical spillage is captured by special collection tanks rather than going into the standard surface water drainage system.

This was an interesting and exciting project for Total Lockout. Predominantly our Interlocks are supplied to our clients in the Oil and Gas industry, but it is clear the Water/Waste Water Industry has an increasing number of applications for Interlocks.

For more information on the Interlocks we provide, see our Interlocks Section or contact us on +44 (0)1376 325506 / sales@totallockout.com