HSE

The luminaires are suited to hazardous environments such as petrochemical plants. (Image source: Emerson)

Emerson has launched the Appleton RNLED and RELED Series, two new lines of recessed and surface-mount LED luminaires suited for hazardous and corrosive industrial environments including offshore rigs, chemical and petrochemical plants

Certified to ATEX and IECEx hazardous location standards, Appleton RNLED and RELED Series luminaires feature solid-state LED technology to ensure a longer service life, instant-on directional illumination, and dramatically lower energy and maintenance costs.

Highly versatile and configurable, the luminaires are offered in three distinct platform geometries covering the broadest range of ceiling configurations and lighting requirements with lumen outputs from 1,508 to 7,789 lumens and four colour temperatures (5000K, 4000K, 3000K, and 2200K). Emergency battery backup options are available. Also provided is 0–10V continuous dimming capability for integration with Appleton Group Lighting Controls infrastructure.

Appleton RELED luminaires are dual-certified for Gas Groups in ATEX/IECEx Zone 1 and Zone 2, and Dust Groups in Zone 21 and Zone 22, making it the specification choice for primary hazardous zones where high ignition-risk classification is mandatory. Appleton RNLED luminaires are certified for Zone 2, Zone 21 and Zone 22 applications, delivering ATEX/IECEx compliance at optimised cost.

All models are certified to robust mechanical standards, including resistance to vibration, corrosion, and impact. The luminaire’s IP66-rated, gasketed enclosures can be specified in rugged 304 stainless steel, 316L stainless steel, or painted 304 stainless steel, each selected for specific corrosion resistance profiles in chemical, marine, offshore, and washdown-intensive environments. The high-impact-resistance housing is rated to 20 Joules (IK10), with a wire guard fitted on tempered glass cover to protect against mechanical impact in high-traffic industrial zones.

In addition, advanced thermal management maintains safe junction temperatures across the full operating temperature range, preserving both lumen output and driver longevity. Lumen maintenance life is estimated at more than 150,000 hours at +55°C (+131°F).

The RNLED and RELED Series are engineered for simple deployment without compromising electrical compatibility or serviceability.

The field-replaceable LED driver allows maintenance technicians to swap the driver module on-site, reducing repair time in hazardous area environments.

Complacency can lead people to do something they know increases the likelihood of mind or eyes not on task. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

At a lively and thought-provoking SafeStart webinar, Larry Wilson, CEO and founder of SafeStart, explained the neuroscience behind complacency, how often it is a contributing factor to incidents, and what techniques and strategies can be employed both at a personal and a company level to combat it

In high-risk environments, incidents rarely happen due to lack of skill; they happen when attention drops and complacency sets in. It is the combination of complacency with serious human factors that causes that causes the majority of serious incidents and fatalities.

The dangers posed by complacency have been recognised throughout history, as illustrated by an old Africa proverb “You only encounter the wild beast on the familiar trail.”

Delving into the two stages of the complacency continuum, Larry Wilson explained how neurological factors mean that it is inevitable that complacency sets in around the time that competence is achieved. And while competence is essential (who would trust an incompetent train driver or incompetent forklift truck driver?), with competence comes complacency, and that complacency can lead to mind not on task, or mind not on risk.

“You might be thinking about driving, but you’re thinking, is it the next right or the second right hand turn? You’re not necessarily thinking about that transport truck that is right beside you,” said Wilson.

At the second stage of complacency, it can start to affect decision making, as illustrated by statements such as “I’ve been doing this job for 20 years and never been hurt yet.”

“Once you get to the first stage of complacency your mind can wander. As soon as you get past the first stage of complacency, you become very susceptible to the active states, the active human factors such as rushing, frustration and fatigue. These can contribute to eyes not on task, mind not on task, line-of- fire, and balance/traction/grip issues, which increase the risk of injury.”

Critical error reduction techniques

Wilson then introduced the critical error reduction techniques to combat complacency which include:

• Self-triggering – It is important to recognise the active states and to self-trigger at this stage. “As soon as you realise you’re rushing, using too many things at one, or feeling frustrated, or feeling tired, you have to quickly think eyes; mind; line of fire; balance/traction/ grip. These are the four critical errors that can hurt you, and normally if you think about those errors, you will be much less likely to make one.” However it is not enough to self-trigger – reinforcement is needed. “It takes 66 repetitions to change those neural pathways,” Wilson noted.

• Good safety habits – These include strategies such as looking out for things that could cause you to lose your balance, traction or grip; looking for line of fire potential; moving your eyes before moving hands, feet, body or car; testing your footing or grip before you commit your weight, etc. Working on these helps to compensate for complacency. Wilson emphasised th e importance of working on one habit at a time, and gradually improving all five habits.

• Analyse close calls and small errors – “Every time you bump and scrape into something ask yourself, why, and think about how it could have been worse. When you contemplate the worse case scenario, it adds a bit more voltage in terms of creating those neural pathways.”

• Look at others for the patterns that increase the risk of injury.

Wilson went on to discuss how critical decisions are influenced or compromised by the four states - rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency - or a combination of those states, and how they can lead to not following rules, procedures and PPE standards.  For example not checking critical pieces of equipment, not using PPE or a device you would normally use or following a safe procedure you would normally do, being overly complacent with other people so you don’t anticipate potential problems, or being complacent enough to do something you know increases the likelihood of mind or eyes not on task, such as driving while on the phone.

He shared the example of a maintenance technician fabricator with 40 years experience, who was cutting off bolts with a grinder, a task he had done many times before. However a colleague had put the bolts on back to front, a source of frustration. The technician was not wearing a face visor, as he normally would, and took a deliberate risk by conducting an unsafe procedure. The grinder kicked back and cut him in the face.

“So for complacency, we need to focus on the critical error reduction techniques for complacency. For the people that are making the exception, we need to get them to self trigger on the states that are causing the exception. And by pointing out the traps that almost everyone falls into, and getting them to think about the states and the critical error reduction techniques, we will get safe behaviour on a voluntary basis. We want to create a culture of voluntary compliance.”

Wilson gave the example of a site in Nigeria which had gone five years without a lost time incident. Particularly impressive had been the staff parking lot, where every single car was voluntarily backed in without any sign instructing this, following sessions with SafeStart.

He went on to recommend tools and techniques companies could take to combat the second stage of complacency, such as ‘rate your state’ activities, toolbox talks, refresher training, near-miss reports etc.

These can be combined with actions people can take on a personal basis, such as using the critical reduction techniques, working on the safety habits, and using tools such as ‘rate your state’ to assess the likelihood of making a critical error.

“For example when you get into the car, ask yourself, ‘How am I doing: am I rushing, feeling frustration, fatigue, complacency?’ And halfway through the drive, ask yourself again.”

“You can’t beat complacency – it’s the way your brain is hardwired,” Wilson concluded. “The key thing is to recognise that you don’t have to let complacency beat you.”

Access the webinar

Keen to learn more? The webinar can be accessed here.

The IMIST standard addresses risks in the energy sector. (Image source: Shutterstock)

OPITO explains why its IMIST standard remains essential for global safety

Across the energy sector, work is becoming more mobile, projects more complex, and operating environments more demanding. As technologies and energy systems evolve, many of the fundamental risks that workers face remain unchanged. Today, having a shared understanding of safety across the sector matters as much as ever.

The International Minimum Industry Safety Training (IMIST) standard from OPITO, the global, not-for-profit skills authority for safety-critical industries, provides that shared foundation. By giving the global energy workforce a consistent baseline of safety awareness, it supports safer decision-making, strengthens personal accountability, and builds trust across employers, assets, and regions.

“The core purpose of IMIST is to build a universal foundation of safety awareness and behaviour,” explains Lucie Booth, product development manager at OPITO. “The standard gives every worker – regardless of where they are in the world or who they work for – a baseline understanding of hazards, controls and safe systems of work.”

That consistency is critical in an industry where personnel regularly move between employers, assets, and even countries. “A minimum standard ensures that every worker is aligned on how hazards arise, how they can escalate and how they’re controlled,” Booth says.

OPITO’s IMIST standard addresses risks that are familiar across the sector. These include both major accident hazards and the everyday operational risks that contribute to incidents over time. IMIST also focuses on common operational hazards across worksites and regions. The standard also covers organisational contributors to incidents, such as weak permit to work controls, inadequate risk assessments, and unsafe behaviours that go unchallenged.

“The aim is to ensure workers understand both the technical and behavioural patterns that contribute to incidents,” Booth explains.

OPITO’s IMIST standard is built on the understanding that safe operations depend on workers’ personal responsibility as well as technical compliance.

“Across multiple units, the standard emphasises that safety isn’t just about knowledge,” Booth explains. “It’s about individual behaviour and accountability, which is something that’s so important within the energy industry.” Booth says.

The standard reinforces practical behaviors such as selecting appropriate PPE, intervening when unsafe conditions arise, and feeling empowered to speak up. By embedding these expectations, the standard supports organisations in cultivating a strong safety culture, where workers make safe decisions consistently and proactively.

“The standard ensures workers across different countries, operators, and contractors all have the same minimum level of competency,” Booth explains. “Whether IMIST is delivered in Ghana or in France, it’s exactly the same.”

With assessment, delivery conditions, and outcomes all standardised, employers can trust what an OPITO-approved IMIST certificate represents. Workers also benefit from this consistency and recognition as they move between roles and regions.

For organisations across the sector, IMIST remains a practical reference point for establishing safety fundamentals.

As the energy sector continues to respond to changing conditions, the need for shared understanding and consistent safety behaviors remains constant. IMIST provides the common foundation that organizations rely on to support operations and build a positive safety culture.

The X1 Series is an advanced universal marshalling system engineered for hazardous areas and high-integrity SIL applications. (Image source: GM International))

The X1 Series from G.M. International is an advanced universal marshalling system engineered for hazardous areas and high-integrity SIL applications. Designed for upstream, midstream, and downstream facilities, the X1 Series combines space efficiency, functional safety, and seamless system integration in complex industrial automation environments

Universal marshalling for hazardous areas

Oil refineries, gas processing plants, offshore platforms, and petrochemical facilities require reliable interface modules capable of operating in extreme temperatures and classified areas.

The X1 Series offers a complete portfolio of pass-through modules, galvanic isolators, signal conditioners, relays, and intrinsically safe modules. Supporting both analog and digital field signals, it ensures seamless interfacing between DCS, PLC, and field instrumentation systems.

Fully compatible with intrinsically safe loops, the system can be safely installed in Zone 2 / Div 2 hazardous areas, making it ideal for oil & gas installations where safety compliance and operational continuity are critical.

SIL 2 / SIL 3 certified functional safety

Certified to SIL 2 and SIL 3 in accordance with IEC 61508, the X1 Series meets the highest functional safety requirements for emergency shutdown systems (ESD), fire & gas systems, and critical process control applications.

Its fail-safe architecture includes mechanical polarisation keys that prevent incorrect module insertion, reducing human error in high-risk environments. The integrated gateway automatically identifies each module’s unique ID and configuration parameters, enhancing diagnostics, traceability, and overall system integrity.

Compact Design for Space-Constrained Control Rooms

Control rooms and marshalling cabinets in oil and gas facilities often operate under strict space constraints. The compact board design of the X1 Series significantly reduces cabinet footprint, lowering installation, wiring, and maintenance costs.

Configurable 8- or 16-channel I/O cards enable tailored solutions for project-specific requirements while maintaining spare channel capacity for future expansion, an important advantage for long-term industrial infrastructure projects.

Built for extreme industrial conditions

Designed to operate from -40°C to +70°C, the X1 Series withstands harsh industrial environments typical of onshore and offshore installations. Its IP20-rated housing, DIN rail TS35 mounting, visible LED diagnostics, and maintenance position allowing field device checks without cabinet unwiring improve reliability and operational efficiency.

For operators seeking a SIL 3 universal marshalling solution for hazardous areas, the X1 Series delivers a robust, scalable, and future-ready interface platform for the global oil & gas industry. 

For more information click here: Series X1 Flyer