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Disposable membrane filter manufacturer Pall Ilfracombe has installed Rejuvenator matting from TMC mats at its Devon facility, both for its anti-fatigue properties and its suitability for clean environments.
Opened in 1978, the plant manufactures high performance, high technology disposable membrane filters under carefully controlled cleanroom conditions. The filters are used by Pail's worldwide customer base in the pharmaceutical, electronic and food and beverage industries.
The company is part of Pall Corporation, the world's largest and most diverse filtration, separations and purifications company with operations in 30 countries. The UK site is located in North Devon for its Atlantic weather system, which ensures that it is one of the outstanding environmentally clean areas in the UK--vital for Pall's manufacturing process.
Muscle fatigue
The 400-strong workforce are divided into two main business units. In the Pleated business unit, where filters are made specifically for the pharmaceutical industry, the personnel are often on their feet for long periods of time, standing at their workstations operating machinery and carrying out manual tasks to produce the membrane filter cartridges.
Standing for long periods causes physical fatigue--the leg muscles are totally static and constricted as they work overtime to keep that person in an upright position. Blood flow is greatly reduced, causing pain and discomfort, and as the heart is required to work harder, the body begins to run out of energy.
Ergonomics experts maintain that changes in posture can relieve the back and leg problems caused by all-day standing https://www.footguru.net/best-shoes-for-standing-all-day/ With an anti-fatigue mat, the muscles subtly contract and expand as they adjust to the flexibility of the mat, which increases bloodflow and the amount of oxygen that reaches the heart, greatly reducing fatigue.
Independent research has proved that this reduces muscle stress and that increased circulation can lower fatigue levels by 50%.
According to Nick Draper, health and safety co-ordinator at Pall: "We researched the market extensively for new anti-fatigue matting. TMC had an established reputation in the market for providing high quality mats that reduce the effect of worker fatigue."
Pall had other important criteria for the selection of TMC's mats. Since the nature of the department's work is carried out in cleanrooms, the atmosphere is very tightly controlled. The disposable filters produced at the site are used for large-scale biotech drug manufacturing, to pre-filter biological solutions, removing contaminants to manufacture protein-based, vaccines and blood products. Contamination in a production process can shut down plants by destroying products and hindering regulatory compliance.
"As our filters are used for drug manufacturing we have to ensure that bacteria and dust are kept to an absolute minimum in our processes, while still providing the right support and resources to ensure the highest levels of safety and comfort for our staff," says Draper
Dirt trap
Pall bad used anti-fatigue mats for some time, but these were ridged and trapped dirt as the day progressed. As a result, they had to be removed at the end of each day and jet washed to remove the dust and bacteria. As the mats were heavy, this was both a time-consuming and heavy manual daily task.
TMC's Rejuvenator mat is made from 100% urethane, which means that its abrasion- and chemical-resistant outer skin acts as protective shell around the soft, air-cushioned centre. As a result, this unique material sheds fewer particles into tire air as it is walked on, reducing the effect on tire room's atmosphere.
Furthermore, the matting returns to its original shape after it has been walked or stood on, providing a superior supporting base and reducing worker fatigue. "We tried out sample matting from other companies, but found that TMC best matched our specific criteria for a cleanroom application," says Draper. "We initially had the mats on trial from TMC and they were willing to customise the final product to meet our exact specifications."
Since installing more than 80 mats at the site, Draper claims that worker fatigue has been significantly reduced and feedback from the staff has been very good. In addition, the daily cleaning of the mats takes much less effort and time. Due to the new design a simple wipe-down of the exterior to remove daily dirt is now all that is required to keep the cleanrooms dust-free.
Following the success of the matting, Pall is considering extending its use across all its business units at Ilfracombe as well as at other locations.
Opened in 1978, the plant manufactures high performance, high technology disposable membrane filters under carefully controlled cleanroom conditions. The filters are used by Pail's worldwide customer base in the pharmaceutical, electronic and food and beverage industries.
The company is part of Pall Corporation, the world's largest and most diverse filtration, separations and purifications company with operations in 30 countries. The UK site is located in North Devon for its Atlantic weather system, which ensures that it is one of the outstanding environmentally clean areas in the UK--vital for Pall's manufacturing process.
Muscle fatigue
The 400-strong workforce are divided into two main business units. In the Pleated business unit, where filters are made specifically for the pharmaceutical industry, the personnel are often on their feet for long periods of time, standing at their workstations operating machinery and carrying out manual tasks to produce the membrane filter cartridges.
Standing for long periods causes physical fatigue--the leg muscles are totally static and constricted as they work overtime to keep that person in an upright position. Blood flow is greatly reduced, causing pain and discomfort, and as the heart is required to work harder, the body begins to run out of energy.
Ergonomics experts maintain that changes in posture can relieve the back and leg problems caused by all-day standing https://www.footguru.net/best-shoes-for-standing-all-day/ With an anti-fatigue mat, the muscles subtly contract and expand as they adjust to the flexibility of the mat, which increases bloodflow and the amount of oxygen that reaches the heart, greatly reducing fatigue.
Independent research has proved that this reduces muscle stress and that increased circulation can lower fatigue levels by 50%.
According to Nick Draper, health and safety co-ordinator at Pall: "We researched the market extensively for new anti-fatigue matting. TMC had an established reputation in the market for providing high quality mats that reduce the effect of worker fatigue."
Pall had other important criteria for the selection of TMC's mats. Since the nature of the department's work is carried out in cleanrooms, the atmosphere is very tightly controlled. The disposable filters produced at the site are used for large-scale biotech drug manufacturing, to pre-filter biological solutions, removing contaminants to manufacture protein-based, vaccines and blood products. Contamination in a production process can shut down plants by destroying products and hindering regulatory compliance.
"As our filters are used for drug manufacturing we have to ensure that bacteria and dust are kept to an absolute minimum in our processes, while still providing the right support and resources to ensure the highest levels of safety and comfort for our staff," says Draper
Dirt trap
Pall bad used anti-fatigue mats for some time, but these were ridged and trapped dirt as the day progressed. As a result, they had to be removed at the end of each day and jet washed to remove the dust and bacteria. As the mats were heavy, this was both a time-consuming and heavy manual daily task.
TMC's Rejuvenator mat is made from 100% urethane, which means that its abrasion- and chemical-resistant outer skin acts as protective shell around the soft, air-cushioned centre. As a result, this unique material sheds fewer particles into tire air as it is walked on, reducing the effect on tire room's atmosphere.
Furthermore, the matting returns to its original shape after it has been walked or stood on, providing a superior supporting base and reducing worker fatigue. "We tried out sample matting from other companies, but found that TMC best matched our specific criteria for a cleanroom application," says Draper. "We initially had the mats on trial from TMC and they were willing to customise the final product to meet our exact specifications."
Since installing more than 80 mats at the site, Draper claims that worker fatigue has been significantly reduced and feedback from the staff has been very good. In addition, the daily cleaning of the mats takes much less effort and time. Due to the new design a simple wipe-down of the exterior to remove daily dirt is now all that is required to keep the cleanrooms dust-free.
Following the success of the matting, Pall is considering extending its use across all its business units at Ilfracombe as well as at other locations.
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