Food industry

Food safety is one of the main concerns in the food industry. Securing processes and production areas is central to this. A security system can ensure that unwanted or unauthorized persons are not admitted to critical installations. The access control system records which individuals are authorized, but also where individuals have been and whether there have been attempts to enter areas without valid access.

Smart cameras can indicate if individuals are outside certain permitted zones or paths. When production machines are malfunctioning, a security camera can verify the situation on-site, allowing for appropriate deployment of maintenance and/or emergency services.

When security systems are linked with production systems or other databases, it is possible to screen not only employees but also visitors in advance before they gain access to the production environment. For example, upon the arrival of suppliers or visitors, the license plate of their vehicle is read, access to the site is granted, and they are possibly guided to the designated location. This directly records when and at which location(s) someone was present. An application of this is the delivery of raw materials by suppliers with tankers. Using ANPR (license plate recognition) cameras, you verify that a delivery has taken place. This way, you have more control over your production process in addition to safety and can hold those involved accountable.

Waste treatment and recycling

The number of waste fires has increased significantly in recent years. Usually outside working hours, in the evening or on weekends. These fires are often caused by smoldering in a waste pile or ignition sources, such as old batteries that are not always collected separately in practice. Because the consequences can be significant, it is important to detect smoldering at the earliest possible stage and take quick action. Waste processing areas are often large, dusty, and/or open. Moreover, many conventional fire detection systems respond to smoke, flames, or temperature at the detector – which means there is already a fire. Therefore, a different form of detection is necessary to detect smoldering in the waste and prevent a fire.

We found a solution in the innovative application of thermal camera technology. One or more (thermal) cameras register the temperature in the waste storage. If the measured temperature is higher than the set alarm threshold of 50°C, an alarm is sent to response services. The alarm threshold can be set higher during working hours, for example, to 200°C. This is due to the use of heavy machinery that also generates heat.

During working hours, flashing lights can warn the staff present if the temperature rises. At the end of the workday, the alarm threshold is automatically reset to 50°C. In addition to temperature measurement, the cameras also provide overview images of the situation on-site. These can be used for analysis of the waste processing process but also provide emergency services such as the fire department with the necessary overview if an incident unexpectedly occurs.

The logistical process of waste processors can be optimized by allowing access to the site and buildings based on license plate recognition. Early registration ensures that drivers do not need to be registered when they want to enter the site. This can apply not only to suppliers but also to the fire department and other emergency services, who can act extra quickly if necessary.

Optimal control over situations and incidents is achieved with an integrated SMS or PSIM system, which allows data from the operational process to be combined with data from, for example, security systems, ERP/CRM systems, and HR systems. From all these linked systems, an operator (based on Standard Operating Procedures) always receives the right information at the right time during an alarm and is guided step-by-step – provided with the necessary situational insight – through the response/handling process.

Petrochemistry

In the petrochemical industry, the safety of people on-site is of utmost importance. Early detection of situations and preventing them from escalating into an incident or even a calamity is essential. Cameras and other sensors from a multitude of systems are used for this purpose. Upon detection of a situation, the right people are automatically informed, who may still be able to prevent an incident. If a situation does escalate into an incident, emergency responders and other emergency services can be alerted; for example, via an app with the necessary camera images of the situation on-site. Through this app, they can also be guided to the correct location with a route planner.

An access control system provides valuable information, such as who is present on the site at a given time. Or that in the event of an incident, someone may have been left behind who has become unwell…

During a shutdown for maintenance, many external/temporary individuals, such as contractors, come on-site. The registration and notification process of these contractors can be done in advance via a portal. Early registration ensures that control and approval can take place thoroughly and according to the correct steps. Upon arrival, they are registered and can often automatically and immediately drive onto the site. This significantly simplifies and makes the logistics surrounding such a situation less time-consuming.

Information from security systems

These examples indicate that security systems, when combined and linked, can provide valuable information and deliver significant efficiency improvements. The further the integration goes, the smarter the solution can become and the greater the contribution to process improvement. You already have many measurement points, sensors, and perhaps even cameras. So the data generated by these systems is already available; it just needs to be combined intelligently, integrally, and securely.

The added value of data bundling from one or various systems is only possible if there is a good understanding of the operational risks and challenges. It goes far beyond configuring a camera system with a certain recording period and therefore requires extensive coordination and advice. The system integrator plays an essential role in this. It does not always have to be about large-scale projects as often thought. It is usually possible to start small. Feel free to contact one of our specialists for more knowledge and inspiration!