Article for ‘Fire Protection Management’.
We are pleased to see the publication of this month’s edition of Fire Protection Management – the journal of the Fire Protection Association. IT is
February 29, 2024
A client was aware of an issue with similar model ceramic insulators at a different sub-station location. They were keen to provide protection to the vicinity of their own sub-station, with the minimum impact on ongoing use and operations. A solutions with COTS ballistic panels at the SJH determined performance levels was developed that also provided access at to the existing steps and security gates.
Global changes to retail patterns, with increasing online shopping and the associated returns has increased the amount of parcel traffic. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend and it is widely assumed that this increase in parcel traffic will become the norm. This raises the issue of post boxes and their safety. The parcel slots allow for potentially larger devices to be placed within and the level of protection they provide needs to increase accordingly. Using established technology and adapting it into a novel design SJH Projects have developed the concept that provides the required protection whilst maintaining the practical user interface for the customer and the postal service staff.
The body employs a minimum metal approach and uses the benefits of fibre reinforced composites and our blast mitigation technologies for what they do best.
Processing facilities, whether in the energy or chemicals sectors, have critical points or items of equipment that are fundamental to business continuity. The vulnerability of these key points could be determined by proximity to other potentially dangerous equipment or to hostile actions by a third party. To meet a particular client’s requirements, SJH Projects designed a kit-form enclosure to protect both single and double valve assemblies. These kits catered for craneage capability, the limited access and the hazards afforded by extensive pipework and overhead obstacles.
SJH Projects were approached to assist in the development of some prisoner restraint equipment.
There was, and still is an issue, with legal cases against the police for injuries and in some cases deaths in custody that the claimants were attributing to chest/thorax compression injuries caused by the police during the arrest and consequential processing phases.
The aim was to look at possible solutions that secured the prisoner in such as way that their chest was protected from compression. This was of potential benefit to both prisoner and the arresting/ processing officers. In the event of any traumatic illness, compression to the chest could be removed as a factor. It is not uncommon in such arrests situations for the prisoner to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs of unknown origin and quality. These can cause agitation and place metabolic stresses on the prisoner outside of any arrest situation.
We looked at two scenarios for this project, one in which the prisoner would be laid out flat to restrain their legs as well as arms and the other was for a walking prisoner to be transported in the rear seat of standard police car or van.
A client had a requirement to perform development and batch acceptance testing on their product that presented a blast and chemical hazard in the event of failure. A free standing armoured containment unit was developed that facilitated filming, instrumentation and atmospheric venting.
SJH Projects successfully led and produced the technical proposal for a turnkey explosive laboratory for a foreign national Ministry of Defence. This service was provided on behalf of a UK company hoping to become the prime contractor. A site visit and meetings with the senior commanders set the scene and established the starting point, current skills and infrastructure.
Through an extensive network, appropriate specialist partners were identified and brought into the team. The detailed proposal included the new buildings and services, all the internal specialist laboratory equipment and access to very high level training programmes for potential staff both in country and at leading UK establishments with Government support.
As might be expected for such a programme the paperwork was considerable and the bureaucracy top notch but perseverance paid off and the contract was awarded in June of 2016.
There is a lot of excellent HVM (Hostile Vehicle Mitigation) equipment out on the market. There are times however when the circumstances dictate a bespoke solution. This particular scenario featured a floor level inside the building that was lower than the outside. There was also conflicting demands between the preferred height of the wall from a HVM perspective and the need to let in light for the day to day use of the internal space. This project required embedding the right level of reinforcement into the existing wall width and then anchoring it to provide the right balance between stopping the vehicle and not transmitting too much force into the structure of the building. This project employed extensive Finite Element Analysis modelling and discussion between architects, structural engineers and contractors.
NP Aerospace (which has since become ‘Morgan’), a key UK Defence company wished to add landmine protection footwear to its range of personnel protection equipment. Although experienced in the production of composite armour systems for both vehicles and personnel, they did not have specific experience in this niche sector. NP Aerospace and SJH Projects worked together to develop a strap on overboot that provides protection from many of the common anti-personnel landmines that litter the worlds previous (and current)war zones.
The test programme was conducted in line with the latest NATO protocols and used surrogate test limbs that were specifically designed for just such a purpose.
TheMB100 landmine overboots were launched at the DSEI show in London in 2005. A paper on the development programme was presented on behalf of NP Aerospace by Steve Holland of SJH Projects at the Personal Armour Systems Symposium (PASS) at the Royal Armouries in Leeds in September 2006. This symposium pulls together the leading specialists in personnel protection from around the world.
It is an intrinsic risk with jet engines that one of the fan blades might detach whilst the engine is spinning at very high speeds. Technology built into the engine casing is usually enough to decelerate and contain such a fan blade so that is does not leave the engine altogether. If it did it could pose a threat to the wing, a neighbouring engine or even the passenger compartment.
Some engines however are mounted within the wing of the aircraft and this existing technology is not sufficient to prevent the detached fan blade from impacting with the walls of the engine bay. SJH Projects worked with AML UK Ltd to produce and test a composite armour engine bay lining for just such an occasion. With a very limited space envelope and tight weight restrictions, a variety of potential configurations were tested. The customer was then able to select from the successful candidates which option was the most suitable for use over the full life span of the aircraft.
We are pleased to see the publication of this month’s edition of Fire Protection Management – the journal of the Fire Protection Association. IT is
Praedium Consulting Malta Ltd and Mine Action and Training MAT Kosovo have put up a great post on LinkedIn about the Detsafe 8M units provided
An informative day at the 63rd Meeting of the ‘UK Explosion Liaison Group’ at the HSE in Buxton. Their first ‘in person’ meeting since Covid,
