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Providing staff with a spill kit in production areas will reduce time cleaning up a spill and allows staff to do it safely and with the right products.
How to Reduce the Risk of Potential Machinery Leaks Occurring
Gone of the days when production managers just run machines until they stopped and just replaced them. The unfortunate reality is that if time isn’t invested into training machinery operators and having consistent machinery inspections and maintenance routines, the cost of machinery breakdowns and leaks can heavily impact the bottom line of a business in competitive markets.
Below are a few tips that will potentially reduce the risk of a machinery spill.
1. Train your machinery operators
Although training will happen when a machine is purchased or a new staff member is employed, this should be seen as the start of training not the completion. Invest in scheduled refresh training over the course of every year covering everything from operating, inspections and maintenance, cleaning and breakdowns. The reality is operators can come and go, skills can get rusty and complacency can settle in. Staff that are encouraged with quality refresh training can often develop the ability to detect faults before they become an expensive breakdown and are more likely to perform at a higher consistent level.
2. Check lubricants frequently
Lubricants play an important roll to ensure a machine operates safely and at optimum level. Here is what to look for in a nutshell.
- Is the right lubricant being used?
- Is there enough lubricant being used or signs of too much?
- Look for build-up of oil or grease
- Check for leaks or moisture arounds seals.
- Always refer to the manufactures manual if you are uncertain for specific recommendations
3. Clean the Machinery
A routine cleaning schedule should be mandatory and allows an operator an opportunity to inspect the machine. Depending on the sensitivity of the machine it may be able to be blown with compressed air, vacuumed, washed or wiped down. Cleaning ensures working parts can operate efficiently and for some machinery lower the risk of fire.
4. Periodical scheduled maintenance, repair and record keeping
A thorough checklist ensuring key components throughout the machinery are inspected routinely is all part of a preventive maintenance plan in between scheduled servicing. Identifying warn parts before they break can potentially save thousands of dollars in downtime with an inoperable machine and ensures the machinery can operate at the safest level. All inspections should be recorded for historical records as with fault reporting and documentation of breakdowns.
Consistent machinery inspections, maintenance and training will certainly extend the life of machinery and reduce the risk of breakdowns and leaks. However, there is an old saying that says “Expect the best and plan for the worst”. We all know spills happen anytime and anywhere. Even with the best maintenance schedules, the other reality exists in that other old saying “S#%T Happens!” Having the correct spill kits on hand with staff trained to use them, is such an important part of industrial workplace sites. We all need to be Spill Ready.
Please speak with our Envirosmart Team to ensure you have the right spill kit for when that unexpected leak happens.
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