Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a chemical producer based in Bangkok, has introduced a 100 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) brand it is calling DEJA. The new product is part of what Indorama says is its plan to deliver responsible and sustainable growth. In addition to having its headquarters in Thailand, Indorama operates sites in 31 countries.

DEJA is available in flake, pellet, fiber and filament form and can be used in multiple applications. To produce DEJA, Indorama says it expects to recycle 140,000 metric tons of plastic bottles per year.

In a news release announcing the product, Uday Gill, Indorama Ventures CEO of Fibers, says, “IVL’s heritage in pioneering recycling technology across 100 percent recycled PET flake, pellet, fiber and filament applications has enabled our performance-led product ingredients to achieve a global reputation as a quality, industry benchmark. It follows that a progressive product needs a progressive brand. We celebrate our products’ performance and proudly acknowledge their sustainability with our new premium brand DEJA, whose sustainable messaging will resonate with both our converters and their customers. We are confident that IVL’s DEJA brand will enable conscientious converters to differentiate and to increase their margin along the supply chain, giving consumers the confidence they need to select sustainable, purposeful products.”

Kinshofer, a German-based global manufacturer of excavator and loader crane attachments with U.S. offices in Sanborn, New York, announces it has expanded its line of excavator attachments with the addition of its KSB-Series hydraulic breakers. The new line features a monobloc design and other standard elements to increase durability and comfort for operators working in the construction, demolition and recycling industries.

The KSB-Series encompasses eight models for .5- to 12-ton excavators. The smallest unit, the KSB 1, weighs 155 pounds and can complete 900-1,100 blows per minute with 207 foot-pounds of energy per blow. The KSB 12 is the largest in the series at 1,191 pounds with 600-800 blows per minute at 1,696 foot-pounds.

“With the addition of the KSB-Series, Kinshofer now has more options to help customers find the attachments that fit the individual needs of their operations,” rancois Martin, Kinshofer North America general manager, says. “This line of lightweight breakers gives our customers more versatility with what projects they can take on without sacrificing the quality and safety they’ve come to expect from Kinshofer.”

All models in the KSB-Series are manufactured as a single piece without tie rods, which makes them resistant to linkage strain during operation, the company says. The monobloc design is also designed to reduce maintenance needs and increase productivity. The breakers are also equipped with an optimized nitrogen inertial energy recovery system. Like other nitrogen systems, the KSB system increases power to the machine and reduces stress on the excavator arm in hard rock or difficult breaking situations by using energy generated by piston rebound to increase strike power. According to the company, the KSB-Series breakers feature 300 percent longer nitrogen charge life with the use of special sealing rings on the floating support.

In addition, all KSB-Series models are equipped with operator comfort-enhancing features. All Kinshofer breakers are designed to limit vibration from transmitting to the frame. This design feature also reduces wear on bushings and other excavator components, the company says. The KSB’s monobloc design also reduces noise levels during operation thanks to the sealed casing and soundproofing material. The low noise level reduces disruption and is ideal for operation on job sites with strict noise ordinances such as those near hospitals and in urban areas. The breakers are also tapered, improving visibility and safety during use in difficult areas, such as near walls.

“The KSB’s monobloc design and additional safety features embody Kinshofer’s core values,” Martin says. “We are dedicated to bringing our customers durable equipment to help them complete every job safely and efficiently. We believe in the quality of our products, including the new KSB breakers. Our comprehensive two-year warranty is our guarantee customers are getting Kinshofer quality.”

Pittsburgh-based American Zinc Recycling Corp. (AZR) has announced that it plans to repair and restart its zinc smelter in Mooresboro, North Carolina, “as soon as practicable,” according to a company news release. The facility, which removes and refines metals to make special high-grade zinc and continuous-galvanizing grade, caught fire on April 28. 

According to the news release, damage to the plant caused by the recent fire was largely limited to a discrete area of the plant and no injuries arose from the fire. 

“We look forward to repairing and restarting our Mooresboro plant, which had been fully constructed and was successfully producing zinc before the fire," says Rodrigo Daud, CEO of AZR. "The fire began from an ancillary unit that was adjacent to the cell house, and we will be redesigning this unit to minimize the possibility of future incidents. The response of the fire department and the other first responders, along with the safety focused, specific actions of our employees, prevented any injuries and enabled the fire to be contained."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule that revises 14 provisions in the recordkeeping, general industry, maritime and construction standards that the agency says may be “confusing, outdated or unnecessary.”

The revisions are expected to increase understanding and compliance with the provisions, improve employee safety and health and save employers an estimated $6.1 million per year.

The revisions include: an update to the consensus standard incorporated by reference for signs and devices used to protect workers near automobile traffic; a revision to the requirements for roll-over protective structures to comply with current consensus standards; updates for storage of digital X-rays; and the method of calling emergency services to allow for use of current technology.

To protect employee privacy and prevent identity fraud, OSHA is also removing from the standards the requirements that employers include an employee’s social security number (SSN) on exposure monitoring, medical surveillance and other records.

The agency estimates that its revision of updating the method of identifying and calling emergency medical services may increase construction employers’ combined costs by about $32,000 per year, while two provisions—reduction in the number of necessary employee X-rays and elimination of posting requirements for residential construction employers—provide estimated combined cost savings of $6.1 million annually.

OSHA says it is not moving forward with proposed revisions to the lockout/tagout general industry standard, personal protective equipment fit in construction, the excavation construction standard, or the decompression tables in the underground construction standard.

OSHA proposed the changes in October 2016. This is the fourth final rule under OSHA’s Standards Improvement Project, which began in 1995 in response to a presidential memorandum to improve government regulations. Other revisions were issued in 1998, 2005 and 2011.

The full final rule is available online.