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COMPANY:
South32

Inflatable Debris Fall Protection Cushions for Mining Storage Silos

Giant Inflatables Industrial engineered a custom inflatable fall protection plug to shield mining personnel from falling debris during silo repairs.
Inflatable Debris Fall Protection Cushions

Back Ground

South32 Logo
COMPANY:
South32
LOCATION:
Western Australia
South32 Worsley Alumina operates a major bauxite mine in Western Australia. The company transports extracted bauxite on an overland conveyor belt to a refinery. The facility processes bauxite into white alumina powder for export to smelters worldwide. Maintenance activities at the refinery require workers to work in and under the cone-shaped storage silos, introducing safety risks for workers and equipment below from falling overhead debris.

Challenge

During refinery maintenance, crews often replace liners and outlet nozzles inside vertical cone-shaped silos. Over time, hardened chemical scale builds up on the vessel’s internal walls. During maintenance, pieces of scale weighing up to 50kg break free and fall from heights of up to 10m. This falling debris threatens personnel working at the bottom of the structure.
The technical challenge involves tight access constraints. Crews must insert the safety device through the top access ports measuring between 600mm and 850mm, or through the tank’s narrow bottom nozzle.

Maintenance takes place during the summer, and the inflatable debris-fall protection cushions need to withstand ambient internal temperatures up to 40°C and be resistant to low concentrations of residual caustic chemicals left after initial washing.

Inflatable Debris Fall Protection Cushions 3D Rendering

Design and Fabrication

Giant Inflatables Industrial engineered a single, double-stack drop-stitched cushion plug to fit the conical geometry. Designers finalised a design comprising a 1900 mm-diameter top layer and a 1500 mm-diameter bottom layer, forming a 400 mm-high debris fall protection pad.

Fabricators chose high-tensile drop-stitch construction for the primary impact cushions. This multi-layered material utilises thousands of internal polyester threads. When pressurised, the material creates a rigid flat surface that blocks heavy debris. The drop-stitch configuration can withstand the severe impact force of a 50 kg block falling from a height of 10 m.

To install the debris fall protection units, workers roll the uninflated plug into a tight cylinder to fit through the restricted access to the silo. Giant Inflatables Industrial added heavy-duty steel D-rings on the exterior surface of the units, allowing crews to lower, position, and secure the lines from outside the vessel. The inflation valve connects to a 230V Bravo pump, which provides rapid deployment and reliable pressure control.

Inflatable Debris Fall Protection Cushions Secondary Image

Results

The inflatable fall-protection plug successfully mitigated safety risks at the South32 mine. The drop-stitch system wedges securely against the sloping steel walls. The high-strength dropstitched design intercepts falling scale, ensuring absolute isolation for the personnel below. Giant Inflatables Industrial provided a practical tool that maintains high safety standards while accelerating the facility maintenance schedule.
Inflatable Debris Fall Protection Cushions

A closer look

Giant Inflatables Industrial added heavy-duty steel D-rings on the exterior surface of the units, allowing crews to lower, position, and secure the lines from outside the vessel.
The inflation valve connects to a 230V Bravo pump, which provides rapid deployment and reliable pressure control.
The drop-stitch configuration can withstand the severe impact force of a 50 kg block falling from a height of 10 m.

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