Abstract
Waters was project manager responsible for the design, specification and prototype manufacture of the PSS® Merlin™ control panel for Dräeger Safety Europe. The control panel used advanced radio telemetry and incorporated a control board, signalling device and portable radio unit, allowing the Fire Entry Control Officer to monitor the status of up to 12 individual team members simultaneously, from outside the incident. The device is an electronic breathing apparatus control system, incorporating state of the art data radio technology; and including a pressure gauge, temperature monitor, low air warning system, alarm, and signalling device. It was the world’s first fully automatic control system of its kind, offering a level of monitoring and protection previously unavailable. The control board is a battery-operated, self-contained unit and had to be carefully designed to withstand the extreme demands of the Fire Service. Waters expertise in developing electro-mechanical products and his ability to enable contributors’ from different design disciplines to collaborate on a joint project facilitated the successful development of the product. Waters subsequently translated the process knowledge with respect to multinational product development and manufacturing organisations for the benefit of supply chain North East SMEs in terms of the development of their own branded products and OEM component business opportunities. This advocacy and research resulted in strategic input to the InSTeP and CMI ERDF projects for medical product development for North East England SMEs. The PSS® Merlin has been presented in papers at conferences around the world, including the British Council Exhibition, Tokyo, 2003, New Zealand Oil and Gas Conference, New Zealand, CAFC, Niagra Falls, Ontario CA: Interprotex, Zagreb, Croatia: Asia Pacific Occupational Safety & Health Organisation (APOSH3) Conference, Singapore and NSC: National Safety Congress, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Original language | English |
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Publisher | Dräeger Safety Europe |
Publication status | Published - 21 Jul 2002 |