22. Maintenance Work on Plant

plant maintenance is the application of best practices to increase equipment up time in manufacturing facilities. This helps plants avoid unplanned downtime and ensures production stays on schedule.

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Why is maintenance of plant and equipment important?

An effective maintenance programme will make plant and equipment more reliable. Fewer breakdowns will mean less dangerous contact with machinery is required, as well as having the cost benefits of better productivity and efficiency.

Additional hazards can occur when machinery becomes unreliable and develops faults. Maintenance allows these faults to be diagnosed early to manage any risks. However, maintenance needs to be correctly planned and carried out. Unsafe maintenance has caused many fatalities and serious injuries either during the maintenance or to those using the badly maintained or wrongly maintained/repaired equipment.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require work equipment and plant to be maintained so it remains safe and the maintenance operation is carried out safely.

What do I have to do?

If you are an employer and you provide equipment for use, from hand tools and ladders to electrical power tools and larger plant, you need to demonstrate that you have arrangements in place to make sure they are maintained in a safe condition.

Think about what hazards can occur:

• if tools break during use
• machinery starts up unexpectedly
• there is contact with materials that are normally enclosed within the machine, ie caused by leaks/breakage/ejection etc

Failing to correctly plan and communicate clear instructions and information before starting maintenance can lead to confusion and can cause accidents. This can be a particular problem if maintenance is during normal production work or where there are contractors who are unfamiliar with the site. 

[from www.hse.gove.uk]  

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Hazard Category	Hazards	Controls
Electrocution	1. Can occur if plant has not been totally de-energized prior to maintenance work and remain isolated for the dutation of the maintenance process	1.No work shall be carried out on live equipment 2. All plant and equipment shall be isolated before work ommences and stay isolated for the duration of the task 3. A ‘Safe System of Work’ shall be implemented and personnel made aware of the sustems and proedures in place 4. Only trained personnel shall arry out manintenance work on plant
Traps and/or Entanglement	1. Can occur if plant has not been totally de-energized prior to maintenance work and remain isolated for the durationof the maintenance process	1. All equipment shall be isolated maintenance work commences and stay isolated for the duration of the work. 2. Tests shall be carried out to ensure that all plant and equipment is totally de-enrgized before work commencement 3. A ‘Safe system of work’ shall be in place for all the maintenace work 4. No work shall be carried out on live equipment
Fire and/or Explosion	1. Can occur during maintenance work if all sources of ignition have not been adequately controlled around plant containing flammable material (i.e. diesel, kerocene and/or retrol etc.)	1. A ‘Safe system of work’ shall be in place for all the maintenance work. 2. All flammable combustible and waste materials shall be removed prior to and during the maintenance work 3. Sufficient fire fighting appliances shall be iocated around the place of work and personnel trained or informed of the use of equipment
Human Error	1. Accident can occur if personnel undertaing the maintenance task are not suitably trained or have suffiient knowledge to enable them to omplete the task safely	1. Only trained and ‘Competent’ Personnel shall carry out maintenance work. 2. Personnel who are not ‘Competent’ shall not be permitted to carry out any maintenance work

Sand Blasting으로 흔히 불리는 Grit Blasting은 목적에 따라 사용하는 재료가 달라집니다.

탱크 내/외부, 배관 내부 등 목적이 어디인지 확인 후에 작업환경에 따른 위험요소를 확인하세요.

저는 모래(규소)를 이용한 Sand Blasting을 접했지만, 쇠구슬(?메탈), 플라스틱 외에도 다양한 재료를 통해 사용되고 있습니다. 현장에서 Sand Blasting 작업이 필요한 상황이라면 고압호스/기계장치 등의 점검은 필수!!

호흡용 보호구는 필수!!!

일반적으로 먼지가 너무 많이 발생되어 주변에서 다른 작업을 하기가 어려워 야간에 이뤄지는 경향이 많습니다.

야간작업을 위한 조명, 작업대 등을 고려하고, 개인보호구 상태도 확인하셔야 합니다.

기억하세요. 먼지가 어마어마 합니다. 근로자 개인보호구 필히 챙겨주세요.