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New air stream helmets at

Aurubis‘ secondary smelter

and lead refinery

January 2015

Dr. Ino Bauer

Aurubis AG

Hamburg

Germany

www.aurubis.com

2

Agenda

1. Aurubis

2. Former air stream system

3. Advantages of new system

4. First experiences

5. Success in blood lead values

Flat rolled products

Aurubis, an integrated copper producer

RECYCLING MATERIALS

CONCENTRATES

BU Primary Copper

BU Recycling /

Precious Metals

SULFURIC

ACID

Iron silicate

Other

metals

PRECIOUS

METALS

BU Copper Products

WIRE ROD

SHAPES

Other semi-finished products

CATHODES

3

Copper productionMines and

recycling marketsCopper processing

Processors and end users

4

Aurubis’ fully integrated metal production

Areas of blood lead monitoring

Primary smelter(copper)

Hamburg, Pirdop

dorérichbullion

doréanodes

dorécoinsCu-PM bullion

Secondary smelter(copper)

PM materials(market)

Secondary smelter(lead)

Hamburg

Copper tankhouseHamburg, Olen,

Pirdop

Anode slimeTreatmentHamburg

E-furnace KRSHamburg Lünen

Copper tankhouseLünen

Anode slimesmelting

(E-furnace)

Lead refinery

Precious metalsrefinery

Cupellation

Copper line Lead line

cathodes cathodes

Precious metals line

Maintenance Sampling PM-Laboratory

In Hamburg

total 287 workers;

in Luenen approx.

200 workers

are monitored

1. Aurubis

2. Former Air stream system

3. Advantages of new system

4. First experiences

5. Success in blood lead values

5

Agenda

Old system (3M) with disadvantages for workers

and cleaning teams

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Disadvantages / problems with old system

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• Weight of helmet (fan and filter included in helmet)• Size of helmet problems at works in narrow space

• Air stream in visor – can‘t be regulated

• Filterclass P2 (fan and filter inside helmet)• Dust deposits inside the helmet due to technical set up

(coarse filter fan fine filter) and the positioning inside the helmet

• Separate battery pack with cable plug

• Filterclass P3 (fan and filter as backpack) „ Jupiter system“• Uncomfortable design problem for forklift operators

• Heavy weight of backpack• Non optimized ergonomic design• Fan and filter in the helmet are replaced by a tube – same size of helmet

• Lifetime of rechargable batteries not sufficient (NiCd; NiMh)

• Spare parts are running out of supply

• Complicated disassembling and cleaning of parts

Old system (3M) complicated disassembling,

cleaning and fitting

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Agenda

1. Aurubis

2. Former air stream system

3. Advantages of new system

4. First experiences

5. Success in blood lead values

New 3M helmet Versaflo™ M-300 and

Adflow™ filter unit

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Modern and practical design, better sealing

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Easy and quick disassembling

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Backpack – system with battery, fan and tube

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NiMh orLi-Ionbattery

fan

Filter pressurecontrol

Charge controlunit andaccusticwarning

Filter unit

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Combinationfilter

Fine dustfilter

Coarsedustfilter

Electro-staticprotection

Cover

Accessories can be mounted easily

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Aluminizedsplashprotection

Gold coveredvisor

Facts and figures

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Costs: 800 – 900 € per unit (helmet plus filter unit)

Weight of battery pack: 2.5 kg for NiMhapprox. 1.5 kg for Li-Ion (new generation)

Runtime of battery pack: NiMh – after a while less than 1 shift!!!Li-Ion – no longtime experience

Air volume: Approx. 160 l/min

Advantages of new system

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• Better design – smaller shape – suitable for work in narrow spaces

• Less weight

• Larger field of view (larger visor)

• Better sealing between visor and helmet shell

• Accustic warning for low battery status and high filter pressure

• Larger filter surface

• Pressure regulated air flow

• Separation of filter unit and helmet – no dust in helmet

• Better ergonomics of helmet and backpack

forklift operators can sit much more comfortable

• Higher filter class (P3) plus combination filter (A2B2E2K1HgP3)

protection against carcinogenic elements like As, Cd, Hg,…

• Accessories can be mounted easily

• Flexible air flow direction by adjustable lid

• Quick disassembling, easy cleaning

• Less noise – due to removal of fan away from the helmet

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Agenda

1. Aurubis

2. Former air stream system

3. Advantages of new system

4. First experiences

5. Success in blood lead values

First practical experiences

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+ High acceptance – high request at the beginning of implementation

+ Approx. 260 helmets in Hamburg

+ Fast and easy disassembling, cleaning and mounting

+ Ergonomic backpack

+ Gold coated visor and other accessories are welcome

+ Reduced usage of half masks

- High investment (equipment, charging stations, spare parts…)

- Lifetime of battery pack (NiMh)

- Worn sealing at the connector of tube and filter unit

- Worker often open the visor when talking to each other

- Cold air at winter – risk of comming down with a cold

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Agenda

1. Aurubis

2. Former air stream system

3. Advantages of new system

4. First experiences

5. Success in blood lead values

Blood lead development site Hamburg

50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 20

520

470

530

650 665 670

450

500520

400

8570 70 75 70 60 60 50 50 50

270

240

210 220 225205

180160

120140

440

400380 390

415380

340 340320

270

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Range

5% Perzentile

Median

95%Perzentile

n= 313 303 313 343 370 422 491 542 643 598

Blood lead level [μg/L]

year

Begin ofimplementation

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Questions?

Thank you!