COMBINED CYCLE THERMAL POWER STATION BOILER REPAIR IN GERMANY

Continuing with the goalof converting Health and Safety into a VALUE for Grupo Aldomer, we emphasize the importance of safety when working at height.

In Spain, around 50 workers die each year from blows as a result of falls, being the third most common form of fatal accident during work hours (10%), behind non-traumatic pathologies (44%) and personal protective equipment ( 14%).

For the possible explanation and search for causes for this type of work accidents related to falls in height, we could find many different factors:

• Lack of training and information
• Use of personal protection equipment that is wrong or in poor condition.

In the specific case of working at height, worker training is essential, due to the complexity of the equipment intended for this purpose and its misuse; 25% of workers who at some point have to perform work with a risk of falling from a height, do NOT use the appropriate EPIS or PPE or use them in a scenario that requires a specific fall arrest system and with configuration and design parameters Associated with each situation. Depending on the Health and Safety campaign, we comment on the following:

Remember:

• Any work over 2 meters without effective protections (individual or collective) is prohibited.
• Hold the handrail on stairs and move carefully.
• Always keep 3 points of contact when using vertical ladders.
• The anti-fall PPE should only be used in cases where the protection of collective protections is not technically possible, since they do not prevent the materialization of the risk (fall in height), they simply reduce the consequences.

When using a harness:

• Adjust it properly. A badly placed harness can cause serious injury in the event of a fall.
• Check that it is in good condition and that it has no visible damage.
• Make sure you anchor to a sturdy point of sufficient height to stop the fall before impact. Whenever possible, do it above the head and on the same vertical, to reduce the drop factor and the pendulum effect.
• Do not jump between different levels.
• Do not run.

Before climbing a scaffold:

• Check that you have a green label with an effective date and follow all the indications reflected.
• Make sure the maximum scaffold load is adequate and respect it.
• Verify that the scaffold is not damaged and that it adapts to the needs of the work.
• Keep the hatch of the access ladder closed except when you are climbing or going down the stairs.
• Any modification of the scaffolding by personnel outside the specialized company that installs and certifies it is strictly prohibited.

ALFRAN commits to integrating the basic principles of health promotion at work. The Luxembourg Declaration, promoted by the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP), establishes the main principles of action and the reference frame for good management for workers’ health. With this certificate, ALFRAN reinforces its strong commitment to the health of all company collaborators.

In all work activities, to achieve an acceptable level of safety, it is vitally important to ensure and maintain adequate conditions of order and cleanliness. The lack of order and cleanliness in the facilities is a risk factor that deserves special attention since it is the cause of many accidents, falls due to stumbles or slips, bumps or steps on objects, and deterioration of equipment or facilities, which can lead to results other than those expected.

To achieve the goal of keeping the company “clean and tidy”, all staff must assimilate concepts such as:

1. Eliminate the unnecessary and classify the useful:

– Have the means to eliminate what is useless, prioritizing the elimination according to its usefulness.

– Classify according to utility and collect the useless in containers.

– Separate those elements that should not be in contact with others.

– In the case of flammable products, use metal drums with a fire-resistant lid.

– Machines with possible leaks must have a collection and drainage system.

– Act on the reasons why waste accumulates.

2. Store the material in appropriate places so that it can be easily located:

– Put everything in its place and eliminate what is useless.

– Collect tools on shelves that are easy to locate and identify.

– Designate the locations based on their functionality and speed of placement.

– Delimit and indicate the location of things.

– Classify waste properly.

3. Avoid dirtying and, if it gets dirty, clean immediately:

– Eliminate and control everything that can dirty.

– Cleaning is the means of controlling the state of things.

– Cleaning people must be properly trained and equipped.

– Quickly eliminate residues or substances that can contaminate and cause accidents.

– Avoid slippery floors due to oils or grease. Windows will be cleaned to allow light to enter.

– Keep changing rooms, showers, etc. clean.

– Involve staff in cleaning the environment.

– Control the critical points that generate dirt.

4. Generate work habits aimed at favoring order and cleanliness, etc:

– The characteristics of the floors, ceilings, etc. They shall be such as to allow easy cleaning.

– Standardize procedures by order and cleanliness.

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At Alfran, we are proud to announce the opening of our new integrated refractory castables manufacturing plant in Perundurai, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This facility will be our third integrated plant worldwide, joining our existing plants in Spain and Mexico, further strengthening our production capacity to meet growing international demand.

This strategic milestone marks a key step in our global expansion, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and proximity to our customers in the Asian market by providing high-value solutions and optimizing operational efficiency.

Boosting Efficiency and Competitiveness

With significant production capacity, this new facility will not only reduce response times and improve logistical efficiency for our regional customers but also become a key pillar in strengthening our presence in Asia and enhancing our global competitiveness.

Commitment to Sustainability and Local Development

The Perundurai plant has been designed according to strict European environmental standards. In addition, this project contributes to the economic development of the region by generating direct and indirect employment, as well as technical training of local workers by our EMEA experts.

At Alfran, we are committed to sustainable growth, innovation, and excellence in all our projects, consolidating our global leadership and strengthening our ability to deliver high-quality, innovative solutions to customers worldwide.

We would like to thank ABC de Sevilla for the interview with our Executive President, José María Domínguez, where he shares details about this important milestone.

Read the full interview on ABC de Sevilla: https://www.abc.es/sevilla/economia/grupo-aldomer-salta-india-abre-fabrica-dos-20250128072308-nts.html

Braskem Idesa awards Alfran with a performance result of 100% in the third quarter of 2020. One more time, we are recognized for our performance in the works related to refractories and thermal insulation, that we have been installing in the petrochemical installation, located in southeast Mexico.

During the past months Alfran-HTR, our subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates, made the main shutdown at Unit 2 of Fujairah Cement Industries. In this project, 65 meters of bricks were installed in the rotary kiln, 138 tons of dense concrete in different units of the plant and 120 tons of our Lite LW 23 AS insulating concrete. The entire ALFRAN-HTR team was congratulated by the client for the prompt and perfect execution of the work. The outcome of a good job is a satisfied customer!

alfran® as a company with Corporate Social Responsibility has decided to fight to convert its workplace, gradually and starting with our headquarters in Spain, into “Smoke-Free” sites for the health of our employees and their families. This measure will apply to both enclosed and open places.

Our team was present at the major maintenance shutdown of the W8 furnace, belonging to the Rio Branco do SUL unit of the Votorantim Group, located in Paraná State, southern Brazil. Our client, once again, preferred the Alfranjet shotcrete technology, whose objective is LESS PEOPLE + LESS TIME = MINIMUM RISK OF CONTAGION. They were applied in different areas with excellent results. The work was carried out within the established deadlines with optimal performance.
As always “the outcome of a good job is a satisfied customer”.

Since 2007, Refractarios Alfran has been the main player in both the refractory materials supply and installation at Votorantim Cimentos plants, in southern Spain.

Alfran has been the company chosen thanks to its knowledge of the facilities, the quality of its materials and our qualified personnel, mastering all installation methods and knowing perfectly the material requirements in each area, in the different maintenance shutdowns carried out at its plants in Cordoba and Niebla (Huelva).

We must highlight that castables such as ALFRAN CLEAN 85 G, ALFRAN ABR CLEAN, or DRYTECH 70 are commonly used in these cement plants, with exceptional performances.

To combat the risks of accidents and damage to health, the application of technical and organizational measures is a priority. These measures are designed to eliminate risks at source or to protect workers through collective protection provisions.

When these measures are not enough, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is imposed. The PPE act fundamentally reducing the consequences derived from the materialization of the risk. The protective efficacy will depend on the adequacy of the individual protection equipment at the pre-existing levels of risk.

The correct selection and use of the appropriate PPE will minimize the consequences and damages should the risk materialize. Therefore, the mandatory use of them is of vital importance.

Awareness campaigns in Alfran

With the aim of raising awareness among all employees towards active behavior in the prevention of occupational hazards and advancing their integration at all levels, different Awareness Campaigns will be carried out during 2019.

For this, maximum involvement and collaboration is necessary, highlighting the members of the Health and Safety Committee, Delegates and Prevention Technicians, Intermediate Managers and Project Managers.

The Management and Prevention Department request the involvement of all to achieve the proposed objectives.

Alfran attended the 23rd Arab International Cement Conference and Exhibition (AICCE 23). It was held in Amman – Jordan, from November 20 to 22.

Our assistance in this fair, one more year, has served as a meeting point with our customers and partners / agents of North Africa and Arab Countries.

Our stand was attended by our Refractories EMEA Director, along with other collaborators from Spain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

We hope that AICCE 23 will give us the opportunity to collaborate with new potential clients in the near future

The presence of Alfran in AICCE

It is not the first time that Alfran has presence in this fair. Last year Alfran not only had a stand, but also presented a paper on the new development ALFRANMAG 85 HG: “Magnesia-Spinel castable. An innovative solution for Clinker kilns” which was very well received as an innovative solution