Regular maintenance is essential for keeping your dust suppression systems operational and working effectively. As critical control measures for reducing the health, safety, and environmental risks associated with dust, if a dust suppression system is not functioning properly, your site may not be compliant with safety regulations, and worse, could potentially expose your workers to elevated health risks.
So, what is the best way to approach a maintenance strategy for dust suppression assets?
In healthcare, doctors and medical professionals recognise that prevention is better than cure, and it’s the same for maintaining plant and machinery. If you’re forced to carry out repairs in response to a fault or breakdown, you’re already chasing your tail, spending money on issues that could probably have been avoided.
Implementing a proactive or preventative maintenance schedule is the key to keeping your dust suppression systems in optimal condition. On a day-to-day basis, this can include training your team to perform regular visual checks and maintenance tasks, alongside more detailed weekly and monthly inspections.
Incorporated into part of the daily set up or takedown schedule, these inspections won’t take much time – certainly less than dealing with unexpected downtime. The goal of preventative maintenance is to identify the warning signs of potential issues before they escalate into problems, reducing the likelihood of critical failure.
Daily checks – inspect all nozzles, hoses, and connections for signs of wear or blockages.
Weekly checks – verify the pressure and flow rates of water or foam solutions for consistent performance.
Monthly checks – examine the overall system for signs of damage or deterioration, and test the system for functionality.
The availability of Internet of Things-enabled sensors makes preventative maintenance even less labour-intensive, remotely monitoring your plant and alerting technicians to potential issues so that downtime can be scheduled in a way that doesn’t disrupt your project.
On a less frequent basis – perhaps quarterly or annually – your engineers can also assess the system to ensure it meets your site requirements. This performance review can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement, helping you make targeted investments to improve efficiency. When backed up by performance data gathered from your machines’ telemetry systems, a maintenance and assessment strategy of this kind could not only help avoid faults but also optimise your operation to save money and maximise productivity.
Compliance is, first and foremost, an administrative activity, so a central part of system maintenance is to keep detailed records of all activities conducted on-site, as well as any issues identified and corrective actions taken.
Get in touch today to find out how our sprinkler systems, misting systems, and foam systems can optimise your machine performance by tackling dust emissions. Contact one of our experienced team today by clicking here.
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