Industrial Safety at Casa Sauza's Working Areas

por Abraham Padilla Abraham Padilla | Dec 21, 2021 1:01:15 AM

Industrial safety at Casa Sauza. Brigade.
Casa Sauza is committed to the safety of its staff with "always focused" work teams: On a day-to-day basis, before we start any activity in our work areas, we first of all make sure that everything is in optimal conditions so that the job can be carried out without any risks, to avoid accidents. Discover the controls that we have carried out and that have led us to achieve zero accidents.
 
We are always looking for new and safer ways to guarantee or continue with our zero accidents goal while also being more productive. I will share here some controls that we have implemented and that have proven to be very helpful in terms of achieving our goals. I will also share some of the achievements that we have earned at Casa Sauza.

Industrial Safety Controls at our Warehouse

The tequila warehouse area is classified as a high risk area, which is why the tanks are firmly attached to the floor and have flame arresters that help liberate the alcohol gases that are being produced. At the same time, it prevents any outside fire from entering the tanks.

Visual Aids for Safety at the Working Areas

There is an adequate lighting. Our electrical installations include pumps, contacts and explosion-proof light bulbs. Each tank is identified with a hazmat sign that indicates the flammability risk of the tequila that it stores. It also indicates each of the tank's capacity and the name of the substance that it contains.

As a visual aid, we have established levels that tell us how many liters each tank contains, as well as put a mark on them that indicates their maximum filling level, which is at a 90% of their capacity. This prevents spills and complies with mandatory requirements .

All of the pipes that are visible within the area, such as tequila, water, air and electricity pipes, are properly signaled and identified according to the color code established in the NOM-026-STPS-2008.

Spill Containment at Working Areas

We also have containment dikes, the floors are kept clean and without cracks. There is a well-covered entrance drainage which will block the passing of tequila in case of a spill and keep it in the area so it is not spread to other sites and avoid thus, soil or water contamination.

Staff Safety At Working Areas

For the safety of the staff that works in high risk areas, there are safe means to ascend, descend and remain on the pipes or tanks, such as portable ladders with protection, fixed platforms with guardrails, marine ladders, ramps and fall arrest systems. All of the staff wears dielectric safety footwear and adequate clothing.

All the containers that work under pressure are classified as critical and have calibrated manometers and safety valves, as well as the authorization required in NOM-020-STPS-2011. They also undergo periodic review routines that monitor the proper functioning of the equipment.

Permits that Involve Security Measures

To carry out the internal cleaning of a tank, a work permit for confined spaces must be requested. This permit indicates certain guidelines (control measurements) that must be fulfilled before starting the job, as well as during its execution. It regulates, for example:

  1. The conditions that the tools to be used must be in
  2. The conditions of the staff protection equipment, which should be adequate, in accordance to the work that will be carried out.
  3. The training of the staff so they get the knowledge needed to carry out the job
  4. A previous and continuous monitoring of the conditions of the atmosphere inside the woking area in order to measure the amounts of oxygen present in the air as well as the existence of toxic and/or explosive substances, among others.

For working at heights, it is also necessary to previously request a specific permit in order to carry out the job. This permit regulates important issues such as the health of the personnel, tools, ladders and the conditions of the climbing equipment; the use of protective equipment for the staff, such as footwear, helmet with chin strap, harness, gloves; and that the area is marked and cordoned off, indicating that work is being carried out, thus blocking the passage of personnel not involved in the activity.

Fire Safety

At Casa Sauza's warehouse, there are both manual and automated fire-fighting systems, such as fire extinguishers, hydrants, carts with alcohol-resistant foam, sprinklers, among others. There are also emergency alarms that give an alert in case of any incident, as well as a continuous monitoring systems that detect the presence of smoke and heat.

Safety Brigade

One of Casa Sauza's achievements is that we have our own brigade group. All of its members are properly trained and have all the personal protection equipment that is required for every specific need or incident that may occur.

In the event of a spill or product leak, our trained and authorized staff can immediately act and take care of the situation. When dealing with a spill, they all count with personal protection equipment, such as Tyvek suits, facial masks, masks with filters against vapors, and rubber boots.

Preventive Safety Measures at Working Areas

In the warehouse area of Casa Sauza, periodic assessments are carried out in order to measure the exposure of our staff to alcohol vapors when carrying out their activities, the noise generated by the equipment that they work with as well as the lighting conditions of the warehouse, among others. This assessment's goal is to prevent any illness caused by the exposure of our staff to abnormal working conditions.

The results have been favorable, in accordance to the implementation of our internal controls, such as:

  • Staff training
  • Comply with the legal requirements
  • Asses each area according to its own risks
  • Have the necessary personal protection equipment, according to the area and activity to be carried out.
  • Routine assessment of fire-fighting networks, extinguishers, and personal protection equipment
  • Periodic feedback on critical controls of our staff and rescue teams
  • Drills in different areas and feedback on them
  • Identified areas according to their specific risks
  • Carrying out the activities according to the recommendations that have already been agreed on according to their risk.
  • Every activity, regardless of how simple it may seem, must be carried out by trained staff.

All of these are measurement controls that help us avoid accidents and work-related diseases, as well as to improve the environment at which we carry out our jobs.

If you want to know more about Casa Sauza's tequila production processes, you can click on the links below:

Come and visit Casa Sauza so you can learn how the modernization of our production processes deliver the purest tequila that you will find in the market.

Click here for more information on Casa Sauza Guided Tours

 

 

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