The Port Kembla Coal Terminal has a stringent fire safety protocol in place and as part of its ongoing maintenance, requires up to nine very heavy cylinders to be lifted from ground level to a height of 20m regularly. The cylinders each weigh 121kg.

The Inergen gas cylinders are critical components of the fire safety system that is installed at Port Kembla, which includes 28 fire panels and more than 100 Inergen cylinders located in switch rooms throughout the terminal.

Tyco team members Trent Green and Steve Caple devised a creative solution to address heavy lifting by designing a specialised Inergen Cylinder Lifting Harness that enables heavy cylinders to be moved with the use of a crane.

The Inergen Cylinder Harness is now improving workplace safety at the site, according to Tyco.

The Tyco team has also been formally recognised by Port Kembla Coal for their safe methods of work and efforts in developing the solution.

The harness has subsequently been approved as a product and incorporated into the Tyco Fire Australia Cylinder Handling Procedure.

Several fire branches in Australia have also purchased the harness and it has been adapted for use in other industries.

There are now three new harnesses designed to lift carbon dioxide cylinders and two different size harnesses which are being used to lift cylinders onto ships with low ceiling spaces.