Archive: May 26, 2025

DEKRA Industrial champions a safety-first approach across high-risk industries

May 26, 2025

DEKRA Industrial continues to lead from the front in industrial safety, compliance and customer-centric performance. As the company celebrates a century of safety and service this year, it does so with purpose and pride: bringing innovation, rigour and care to some of South Africa’s most complex and high-risk environments.

As part of DEKRA Global’s SEMEA region, DEKRA Industrial RSA is strategically positioned to offer expanded services across Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including oil-rich markets such as Saudi Arabia.

Unique approach to high-risk challenges

A key aspect of DEKRA Industrial’s success is its ability to respond to industry realities. “We operate in high-risk sectors where the margin for error is razor-thin,” notes Managing Director Johan Gerber. “Whether working in petrochemical plants, power stations or confined industrial spaces, our teams apply expertise and behavioural safety principles to prevent incidents before they happen.”

The challenges facing South African industry – including mental fatigue, overwork and economic strain – are top of mind for the company. “One of the biggest hazards today is complacency,” Gerber cautions. “Employees are under pressure, and it is easy to slip into shortcuts. That is why our training also addresses mindset and awareness: focusing on practical, repeatable habits that reinforce safety,” Gerber explains.

DEKRA Industrial’s internal culture campaign #WhyIWorkSafe encourages personal ownership of safety and integrates human connection into its HSE protocols. This approach, combined with an investment in digital tools and AI platforms, provides the company with real-time data on performance, reaction times, and improvement areas.

Holistic safety offering

From advanced inspection services and NDT (non-destructive testing) to Learning Management System (LMS) training and occupational development, DEKRA Industrial and the DEKRA Institute of Learning – the company’s adult-based education and training division – provide a fully integrated safety solution. Together, these two arms of the business combine operational precision with human-centered training – delivering measurable value to clients across high-risk sectors.

As Johan Gerber explains, NDT is not just for critical failures: “There are thousands of examples where a potential hazard is identified and prevented daily. These include detecting hydrogen leaks in turbine systems, identifying defects in boiler tubes which – if not repaired – could lead to load shedding, and uncovering serious faults during inspections at high-risk industrial sites. Any one of these could have escalated into a catastrophic incident without early intervention,” he advises.

This proactive approach is embedded in the DEKRA culture. The company continues to assist clients to mitigate and reduce risk, maintain regulatory compliance and ensure long-term operational safety through a blend of global innovation and local execution.

A culture of safety is the best defense

In an era of accelerating workplace pressures, ageing infrastructure, skills shortages and shifting regulatory demands, DEKRA Industrial is doubling down on its safety-first approach, backed by both global benchmarking and local excellence.

“Safety is a deeply embedded value at DEKRA Industrial. It is more than a department: it is how we operate, how we think and how we grow,” says Gerber. “Whether it is through advanced training, on-site inspections, or the digitisation of compliance systems, we believe that safety is the foundation on which everything else is built.”

This commitment is reflected in DEKRA Global’s implementation of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a key performance indicator Group-wide. The company recently achieved a global NPS of 55.7 – an increase of 1.1 points from 2023. A score above 50 is considered excellent according to Bain & Company benchmarks, indicating high levels of client trust and loyalty.

Safety in practice

Alongside customer satisfaction, DEKRA Industrial has rolled out targeted LMS training across its teams on global standards for compliance, data protection and information security. “We have ensured that every employee – from field staff to managers – has access to clear, structured training modules,” explains Chris Mörsner, Head of Training and Consulting at DEKRA Institute of Learning. “This includes sessions on anti-corruption, personal data handling and safeguarding sensitive information. We believe knowledge is a safety tool in itself.”

The organisation’s 10th consecutive NOSCAR Award, awarded in 2024, further underscores its industry leadership. Conferred after a rigorous audit process, the NOSCAR represents more than just compliance – it signals a culture of ongoing, proactive safety management. The company also achieved its highest-ever NOSA audit score in 2024 and continues to record zero Lost Time Injury Frequency Rates (LTIFR) and zero Disabling Frequency Rates (DFR).

As the company enters the next 100 years of iconic global safety leadership, its strategy remains clear: to evolve with industry needs, invest in its people, and deliver a holistic value proposition to clients.

“We are proud of where we have come from – and very excited about where we are going!” concludes Gerber.

Vertical integration: potential ‘golden thread’ pulling the steel supply chain closer together

May 13, 2025

Strategic partnerships carry and add value across the entire industry – and those between steel fabricators and hot dip galvanizers provide invaluable opportunities to improve efficiencies and quality control, says Robin Clarke, Executive Director of the Hot Dip Galvanizers Association Southern Africa (HDGASA).

“If we want to be globally competitive, it is imperative that all in the South African steel industry work together. Balanced vertical integration is key. Through developing cohesively integrated relationships – where we actively take ownership of the outcomes –  we will create the economies of scale required to deliver quality at the correct cost,” Clarke maintains.

Balanced integration

In the context of the fabrication and galvanizing sectors, Clarke explains that although the ultimate vertical integration is predicated upon capital investment and equity, a wider variety of options to partner or collaborate can be put on the table: “Vertical integration happens when companies take ownership of suppliers, their own conversion process, as well as distribution – thereby increasing production efficiencies and improving cost and quality control, for the  benefit of mutual customers.”

Despite this impressive array of potential benefits, there are also some challenges for those seeking equity partnerships. These include access to upfront capital for both shareholders –  and investment in specialised technology required for different applications (galvanizing of fasteners versus larger poles for example); as well as potential misperceptions around the creation of monopolies.

“Bearing all this in mind, balanced integration is required to exclude the risk of over-specialisation, to take into account changing market conditions and to ensure industry versatility.

As Africa offers moderate steel product volumes with diverse requirements, retaining the flexibility to pivot and take advantage of a wider variety of opportunities within the market is important,” Clarke acknowledges.

Despite some challenges, the benefits of balanced vertical integration are manifold.

“Hot dip galvanizing  provides corrosion control for steel and iron articles. So, the typical workflow may be the design of the steel article, sourcing of the steel best suited to galvanizing, the fabrication of the article, the hot dip  galvanizing process itself and, finally, distribution to the site – upon which the customer takes ownership. It is imperative that each phase along this value chain operates at optimal efficiency to achieve global competitiveness,” he explains.

Successful vertical integration

Clarke points out that there are already local examples of successful vertical integration. Fabricators of transmission towers and road furniture have added galvanizing capacity to their manufacturing processes.

“Furthermore, there are joint ventures in the manufacturing and galvanizing of earth retention parts for mining and road construction – as well as in the fasteners sector,” he observes.

Some galvanizers also offer paint solutions and can specify duplex coating options for extremely corrosive environments.

Horizontal integration

Examples of horizontal – or sideways – integration within the galvanizing sector include co-operation between galvanizes and processors of zinc ash and dross for conversion into zinc- based products such as fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and chemical additives – and the reprocessing of spent pickling acid for re-use.

Beyond fabrication

On large projects, Clarke proposes that service providers consider teaming up in the spirit of integration – thereby achieving the necessary economies of scale, and improving their respective logistical efficiencies.

Through being fully aligned,  stakeholders can extend this beyond simply securing the contract: “If you have a single point of responsibility in a vertically integrated chain, purchasing power increases – as does the speed and efficiency of production. Also, an integrated quality control system spans the entire project interface, minimising disputes and expediting resolutions to potential problems – all of which is ultimately beneficial to customers ” he continues.

The HDGASA has found that this also facilitates effective standards and quality training of integrated and aligned teams: “We are still providing the same information, but we are now talking to a wider and better aligned audience.

In this way, it is possible to ensure that standards and quality are specified and agreed upfront. When that happens – and in much the same way as successful vertical integration does – quality standards run like golden threads pulling the various stakeholders in the steel value chain closer together,” Clarke concludes.

Nitralife: revolutionising laser welding efficiency and cost with Nitraweld

May 8, 2025

Laser welding represents the most significant advancement in welding technology in nearly 80 years. Nitralife, a local and international pioneer of nitrogen used for tyre inflation – as well as on-demand, on-site nitrogen generation – is at the forefront of this pivotal development.

As laser welding increasingly replaces traditional TIG welding in fabrication, the ability to use nitrogen as a shielding gas – rather than expensive, cylinder-supplied argon – has transformed how the fabrication and manufacturing sectors approach cost, safety and scalability.

Nitralife’s locally manufactured, on-site Nitraweld nitrogen generators now enable fabricators to produce their own high-purity shielding gas independently.

“This is a hugely important, watershed moment,” says Tom Sowry, Nitralife Managing Director.

“For the first time, customers can generate their own shielding gas for laser welding on site: eliminating delays, reducing hazards and reducing costs dramatically.”

Greater productivity, fewer barriers

The Nitraweld nitrogen generator is engineered specifically for laser welding. Compact, modular and powered by the customer’s own compressed air, the unit is available in standard models to support one, two or three welding points. Larger systems can be customised for higher throughput and integrated with existing welding lines – thanks to built-in storage vessels and user-friendly ball-and-tube flow meters familiar to any experienced welder.

“The market has responded very enthusiastically, with fabricators reporting significantly fewer production interruptions, reduced handling and safety risks, and lower long-term operating costs” Sowry advises.

It is worth noting that laser welding typically consumes up to 25 litres of nitrogen or argon per minute per welder – so a traditional supply via cylinders for multiple welders would quickly become a bottleneck. Nitralife’s solution removes that barrier completely – offering consistent, uninterrupted gas flow 24/7,” he adds.

Customised and available in days

However, this innovation does not stop with end-users. Nitralife is also collaborating with OEM (original equipment manufacturer) laser welding machine suppliers – offering bespoke, co-branded nitrogen generators that integrate seamlessly into their customer offerings.

“These machines can be customised in the supplier’s brand colours and delivered rapidly – often in a few days. For the supplier, this provides a unique differentiator; and for the fabricator, it means one unified, future-ready system,” Sowry comments.

The Nitraweld generator series has been carefully designed to meet the real-world duty cycle of laser welding: “We have built our Nitraweld generators with a ball and tube flow meter – identical to what you get on a typical cylinder,” explains Sowry.

This intuitive design gives welders precise control over gas flow, ensuring clean, consistent welds without over-consumption. The units are compact and only require compressed air –  making them the perfect fit for production floors, mobile setups, and OEM integrations.

Whether supplying two welders or scaling up for twenty, each unit can be tailored to meet specific pressure, purity and throughput needs. Also, as they are manufactured locally, even bespoke versions can be delivered in a matter of days, not months.

The future of laser welding has arrived

“Laser welding is cleaner, faster, and more energy-efficient,” Sowry explains. “When paired with on-demand, on-site nitrogen, the cost, safety and logistics benefits are impossible to ignore. Customers are choosing this not just for cost-effectiveness – but to take full control of their productivity.”

Gas cylinders are increasingly seen as outdated and disruptive. They are expensive per kilogram, difficult to store, slow to replace and inherently dangerous, at 200 bar pressure. The operational reality is clear: downtime due to gas logistics is unacceptable. Nitralife’s Nitraweld generators address all of these issues with one revolutionary solution.

“By owning their shielding gas supply, fabricators and manufacturers no longer depend on erratic deliveries, avoid safety risks and benefit from scalable, reliable production.

Laser welding is the future – and Nitralife’s nitrogen technology is the enabler thereof,” Sowry concludes.