Blue Grass teams recently developed a material-handling system designed to assist technicians with a repetitive, heavy-lifting task.

“Before we began loading carbon filter trays into the Munitions Demilitarization Building filter banks, we focused on safety, did some research and designed a system that takes the effort off our workers,” said Ken Ankrom, systemization manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “We are using roller conveyors and a filter-lifting device designed for the close confines of the filter banks.”

During operations, the main plant’s 14 filter banks will be the final step in cleaning facility air before it is released to the atmosphere. Each of the banks will hold 288 carbon trays, plus pre-filters and high-efficiency particulate air filters, said Ankrom. The crews will handle more than 4,000 trays as they work to load the filter banks.

“Each new tray weighs more than 35 pounds and a used tray will weigh around 80 pounds,” said Ankrom. “We’re very focused on our zero-injuries goal, so we came up with a way to keep our workers safe.”

The operation to install the filters into the filter banks using the new handling system is underway and is expected to be complete by the end of November.