-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueSales: From Pitch to PO
From the first cold call to finally receiving that first purchase order, the July PCB007 Magazine breaks down some critical parts of the sales stack. To up your sales game, read on!
The Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
High Priority of Fire Protection at Peters
June 7, 2023 | PetersEstimated reading time: 3 minutes

A good dozen employees have successfully completed their fire safety assistant training at Peters. "This training is not only important, but mandatory for every company - especially in the chemical industry," says plant manager Dr Thorsten Meyer. "Besides preventive fire protection, as a fire protection and evacuation helper, you take initial measures in an emergency, such as extinguishing fires, assigning escape routes and supporting the employer in fighting fires to the best of your ability," reports Helmut Schrangs, responsible trainer from the Krefeld-based company Hauser Sicherheitstechnik GmbH, at the beginning of the course. As a former fire-fighter, the technician who has undergone a vocational training for fire protection is a specialist in his field.
As a company of the chemical industry, Peters handles highly flammable substances, such as conformal coatings or solvents. Paper or plastic parts, too, can also quickly burst into flames. Tilman Sehlen, responsible for safety at work and environmen-tal protection, made sure in advance of the course that em-ployees from all departments such as warehouse, laboratory, production and administration, took part in the training. The one-day training that takes place on a voluntary basis, covers a theoretical and a practical part.
Outdoors in the Peters yard, the first practical topic is the hand-held fire extinguisher: What is in it? What are its functions? What is the weight of the steel bottle? How much does it extinguish in an emergency? How do I activate the nozzle in a flash? What about maintenance? "Some of us didn't realise beforehand that the common 6-kilo extinguisher is empty after only 12 seconds," says Jörg Staack after the fire-fighting exercise. "Of course, after 28 years of service, I know where most of the 120 fire extinguishers on the premises are located and how to activate them," says the lab employee.
The training course brought the technical employee and the team of helpers both knowledge and new insights. "When you see the pressure wave and heat that the explosion of a can of deodorant spray causes, you can well imagine what happens in an emergency and how important it is to intervene professionally," says Jörg Staack. The expert Helmut Schrangs from Hauser has staged such an explosion of a spray can for demonstration purposes. Evidently, the course to become a fire protection assistant is only an initiation that cannot be compared with the classical fire brigade vocational training. "But we have been made fit and feel prepared for emergencies," says Jörg Staack. Hans-Dieter Berger from the warehouse and Mustafa Tasdemirli from production see it the same way. They all have been trained now to be fire protection assistants at Peters.
Despite all precautions, it can quickly happen that a crate catches fire, for example," says Jörg Staack. In that case, courageous extinguishing from the red bottles with powder, foam, carbon dioxide or water is crucial to nip the source of the fire in the bud. "You also have to know that the use of extinguishing powder is completely harmless for the mucous membranes," the laboratory employee explains a finding from the course. All participants are proud to be operational fire protection assistants now. "This is an additional qualification that can also be useful in other areas of life," says production employee Mustafa Tasdemirli. The helpers’ team repeats the one-day training at intervals of three to five years.
According to the workplace directive ASR 2.2, it is mandatory that at least 5 % of the workforce has been trained as fire protection assistants. With a good dozen, we have twice as many in our ranks, which also takes into account the increased risk from inks and solvents," reports plant manager Dr. Meyer. Training is of high priority at Peters. There are always enough employees interested in the training who care about safety. After all, it is a matter of safety on the large factory site at Hooghe Weg 13 in the Kempen industrial estate "Am Selder", having an operating area of 40,000 square metres - that's eight football grounds. "The principle of responsibility applies here. Everyone is called upon to contribute to serving operational safety. Based on this responsibility, we have never had any problems recruiting sufficient fire protection assistants," emphasises Peters CEO Ralf Schwartz. The CEO expressly underlines the commitment of the interested staff members and thanks them for their readiness. "If something should actually happen, we can absolutely rely on these troops before the fire brigade arrives. That gives us all a good feeling.
Suggested Items
Confronting the Challenges of an Aging Workforce
07/15/2025 | Becky Calwell and Myriam Sullivan, Jobs for the FutureElectronics manufacturers have faced persistent workforce challenges as they struggle to find skilled workers to meet rising production demands, while rapid advancements in technology raise the bar for technical expertise. These ongoing issues highlight the need for innovative workforce strategies to address talent shortages and adapt to the industry’s evolving demands.
TTCI Joins Printed Circuit Engineering Association to Strengthen Design-to-Test Collaboration and Workforce Development
07/09/2025 | The Test Connection Inc.The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a leading provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions, is proud to announce its membership in the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA), further expanding the company’s efforts to support cross-functional collaboration, industry standards, and technical education in the printed circuit design and manufacturing community.
The Knowledge Base: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow With EMAC
06/24/2025 | Mike Konrad -- Column: The Knowledge BaseAs the electronics manufacturing industry races to meet rising global demand and technological complexity, the need for a highly skilled, future-ready workforce has never been greater. At the forefront of addressing this challenge is The Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly Collaborative (EMAC)—a national initiative dedicated to strengthening the talent pipeline through strategic collaboration with SMTA, education, and government stakeholders.
It’s Only Common Sense: Why Sales Teams Fail (and How to Fix Them)
06/22/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseIn sales, success is never a given. Despite best intentions, the most well-resourced sales teams can stumble. Understanding why is the first step toward creating a high-performing sales force. Here are the main reasons sales teams fail—and actionable strategies to fix them.
STI Celebrates Travis Wease’s 10 Years of Dedicated Service
06/17/2025 | STI Electronics, Inc.STI Electronics, Inc., a full-service organization providing training services, training materials, analytical/failure analysis, prototyping, and contract electronic manufacturing, proudly celebrated the 10-year work anniversary of Travis Wease, Master Instructor and valued team member.