Industrial safety company Smith Flow Control (SFC) offers a high quality key management system to complement its key interlock system.
SFC has designed a range of horizontal key cabinets to hold operational keys and ensure safe application under secure supervisory control. Each interlocked system has a dedicated, engraved tag location within the key cabinet to ensure total integrity and all keys are visually displayed inside the cabinet during periods of normal operation.
Once the initial key has been retrieved from the central key cabinet, an operator can begin the sequence of key transfer events that allows dangerous machinery and critical valves to be operated in a safe and pre-determined way, eliminating human error.
To facilitate this, key cabinets should be located in a secure place, typically a control room. Initial keys are typically issued by the permit officer. Key cabinets have lockable doors to prevent unauthorised access.
Throughout the procedure, the control room has a clear indication of work in progress at any time; a transparent perspex window provides visual key status. Smith Flow Control also offers a more advanced version of this key cabinet, which incorporates micro switch actuation to signal key movements.
