Principles of Safe Maintenance operations

by Dr. Mohamed Fathy Tash

In this subject we will try to find an answer for the following question:

How could we perform the maintenance operations safely ?

But first , we have to look at the following definition:

Maintenance:
An activity involved in maintaining ( upkeep) something ( property or equipment) in good working order.

That was the general definition , what about the scientific definition ?

According to the European Standard 13306,1 Maintenance concerns the combination of all technical, administrative and managerial actions during the life cycle of an item workplace (building), work equipment, or means of transport intended to retain it in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform the required function.

Any other definitions?

Hazard:
A hazard is anything ( subject) that has the potential to cause injury or disease to people, damage to the environment, property, plant or equipment.

Risk :
The likelihood that a hazard will result in injury, illness, loss or damage to people, to the environment, property, plant or equipment and the potential consequences of that injury, illness, loss or damage.

Safe job procedures:

Safe job procedures are a series of specific steps that guide a worker through a task from start to finish in a chronological order. Safe job procedures are designed to reduce the risk by minimizing potential exposure.

Any example for safe job procedure?

Gas Regulator Partial Maintenance

1-Isolate and vent the stream to be worked on. 2-Dismantle and clean the internal parts of pilot .
3-Dismantle the bottom cover of the regulator, clean the cage and the internal parts

4-Re-assemble the regulator . 5-Decrease the pilot setting to zero ( unscrew the adjusting bolt ) . 6-Slowly, open the inlet isolation valve . 7- Open small vent in the outlet , and check the regulator leakage . 8-Adjust the setting of the stream to be as standby .

what would happen in case of lack or inadequate maintenance operations?

Serious and deadly accidents

Health problems affecting not only workers but also the general public.

Products of poor quality

What are the main types of maintenance operations?

1- Corrective maintenance,
when actions are intended to restore a system from a failed state to a working state (e.g. repair or replacement of broken components). This type of maintenance is also known as reactive maintenance because the action is initiated when the unscheduled event of an equipment failure occurs.

2-preventive maintenance:
when actions are carried out at predetermined intervals or according to prescribed criteria intended to reduce the probability of failure or the degradation of the functioning of an item. In this case, actions are scheduled, proactive and intended to control the deterioration process leading to failure of a system (e.g. replacement, lubrication, cleaning or inspection).

from these types, there are four subcategories derived related to maintenance operations:

1- setting up, preparation, installation, mounting, disassembling, dismantling.

2- repair, tuning, adjustment.

3- mechanized or manual cleaning of working areas and machines.

4- monitoring, inspection of manufacturing procedures, working areas, means of transport, equipment with or without monitoring equipment.

The type of maintenance may be different depending on the sector in which the maintenance task is conducted. As a result, the hazards to which maintenance workers are exposed can also be very different depending on the task and the sector being worked in.

Chronic exposure to certain hazards may cause health problems such as cancers, hearing problems, skin diseases, respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders .

What are the principal hazards associated with maintenance operations ?

Physical hazards Chemical hazards

Psychological hazards
Mechanical hazards

Physical hazards Include : Noise Vibration Severe environmental conditions like: high or low temperature, strong wind, dust,etc

Noise can be caused by machinery, equipment or by vehicles. Repeated exposure to high sound levels may have several undesirable effects on the health of operators. causing hearing impairment, hearing loss or tinnitus, and non-auditory complaints difficulties in concentrating, sleeping disorders, gastric ulcers, and increased blood pressure.

Vibration : Exposure to hand-arm vibration occurs when handheld power tools, such as grinding, polishing, or riveting tools, percussion hammers, vibrating compactors, mowers or chain saws are used. These tools can transmit vibrations to the workers hand causing vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders such as white finger syndrome, a decrease in the sense of touch.

Vibration : Exposure to whole-body vibration occurs when a large part of the body rests on a vibrating surface. This is the case for drivers of commercial vehicles, such as tractors, forklift trucks, lorries or buses. Vibrations can be transmitted through seats or through the feet while workers are standing.

Chemical Hazards: In certain industries, such as the chemical industry and construction, maintenance workers can be exposed to chemical hazards. . Workers might be exposed to chemical hazards for example, during electric arc welding, while working in car repair shops or waste treatment plants, while performing maintenance of swimming pools or industrial installations where hazardous chemicals are present.

Chemical Hazards: Exposure to chemical hazards leads to diverse and sometimes severe health problems. skin diseases, and respiratory diseases are just a few examples

Psychological Hazards: Stress is the major hazard that maintenance workers may experience during work, caused by: Time pressure : during maintenance work, the productivity of an organization is frequently reduced and maintenance workers have to cope not only with the demands of the task in hand, but also with a sense of responsibility for the startup of production.

Psychological Hazards: Communication problems for example, working with contractors, or several contractors at the same site. Working alone and in isolation. Irregular working hours such as shifts, weekend work, night work, or being on call.

Mechanical hazards

Entanglement risk

Entanglement involves hair. Clothing ,rings,etc becoming entangled in revolving shaft drills

Trapping risk

This means being drawn in between the machine and any rotating parts such as two revolving rollers

Impact risk

Impact means being struck by the movement of a machine part e.g. robot arm, movement of machine bed ,etc

Ejection risk

This means being struck by particles ejected from the material being worked on or a part of the machine itself e.g. abrasive wheel

Any other hazards?

 Electrical the risk of electrocution, shock or burns. Pressure unexpected pressure releases and/or explosions. Structural contact with obstructions, falls through floor openings. Access work at heights or entry into confined spaces..

What are the Key success factors that aid in the prevention of risks during maintenance operations?

Management commitment and safety culture in the organization

Management commitment and safety culture are essential for safety and health at work in general and even more so during maintenance operations.

Management commitment and safety culture in the organization Management commitment may be the single most important determinant of the safety culture of an organization.(why?) It determines the resources (time, people, money) allocated to safety and health and produces higher levels of motivation for health and safety throughout the organization.

Involvement and participation of the employees

Active employee participation in safety and health management is important to build ownership of safety at all levels and exploit the unique knowledge that employees have of their own work. Quite often they already know and can suggest practical ways of eliminating or mitigating risks.

A well-conducted risk assessment

Before starting any maintenance work, a risk assessment should be carried out. Workers should be involved in the initial risk assessment. They may need to conduct further assessments during the task.

Safe work procedures and clear guidelines for maintenance work

A well-defined workflow for each maintenance task needs to be prepared and safe work procedures must be clearly communicated and understood. Procedures need to be in place for unexpected events. Part of the safe system of work should be to stop work when faced with an unforeseen problem or a problem exceeding ones own competence.

Effective and continuous communication

All relevant information related to the maintenance operations should be shared between all parties concerned. This includes not only the workers directly involved in the maintenance task, but also those likely to be affected by it or who may be working in the immediate vicinity. Communication between maintenance and production staff , as well as between the different contractors involved, is crucial.

Safety training
Workers performing maintenance tasks, including contractors, should be competent in their professional areas of responsibility. They should also receive safety and health training, and be informed about the hazards related to specific jobs and about safe working procedures. There is a legal obligation for employers to provide information and training on health and safety to all employees who need it, including temporary staff and contractors.

Do you have any Good examples for the successful maintenance operations?

1-NedTrain

NedTrain, a company based in the Netherlands, has conducted a pilot project to design a workshop for the maintenance of high-speed trains.

This inclusive approach has led to several innovations such as the introduction of an automatic lifting robot to prevent mechanics having to lift heavy loads, and several solutions to improve safety when working at height.

2- BASF The largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany

At the BASF site in Ludwigshafen there are more than 32,000 workers and about 6,000 contract workers. Maintenance is dealt with by approximately 7,000 skilled workers, made up of 4,000 employees and 3,000 contractors. The workers are well qualified in their professions, e.g. mechanics, electricians or welding operators. The sites 225 production units are supplied with liquid and gaseous chemicals by more than 2,000 km of pipes. Safe maintenance of the piping system and machinery requires continuous attention and improvement.

When maintaining installations and pipes that contain dangerous substances, the risk of coming into contact with them cannot be completely prevented by technical measures. Pockets of chemical residues can always be found in dead spaces.

In order to prevent work accidents, BASF has introduced a number of safety measures including a well-defined work flow which covers every step of maintenance work from risk assessment (with a consignment note system)

The consignment system covers all items , not only before starting the work, but till remounting (restarting) pipes at the end of the process. In addition, the management actively supports the training of its own employees and contract workers, and encourages a lively safety culture.

Golden rules
Plz don not forget that :

 People always make mistakes . People always forget .

People never forgive.

Do the right whatever the right is. Do not take shortcuts to save time and

effort. Money is precious, your safety is more.

Wish u all best of luck

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