The oil & refinery industry demands round-the-clock housekeeping. The problem of fine dust floating constantly in the air or forming a thin carpet on the floors calls for specialised equipment with special features to ensure that air quality levels are maintained well within the prescribed limits.
Floor / Road Sweepers
The sweeping machines required for the dusty atmosphere around the plants and roads should have large filtration. The hopper capacity can be medium size as the density of dust to be picked up is very heavy. Medium size hopper also provides good maneuverability to diesel engine operated machines with extra inlet cleaners for the engine air filtration. It is recommended for increased life of the engine and improved performance. The sweeping machines can be provided with cabin for the driver to make it comfortable to work in the dusty and sunny environment.
A road sweeper/ vacuum sweeper will be highly beneficial for any oil & refinery plant to maintain cleanliness inside the plant, housing colonies, packing areas, refilling station…etc,.
Some of the special features, to be evaluated for a road sweeper / vacuum sweeper for these industrial applications are:
• Dust-free sweeping of larger area with good speed.
• Good hopper capacity with adequate hopper-weight carrying ratio to have longer life on hydraulics.
• Robust steel frame for touch environments with advanced body suspension for extremely smooth operating.
• Powerful climbing ability for 25% or more.
• Easy, access to all major components, hydraulic testing points keep service cost down.
• Highly sealed machine with pre-filter system for heavy dusty applications will have longer engine life as compared to sweeper machine with automobile engine system used by some manufacturers.
The Hako/PowerBoss vacuum sweepers marketed by RMCL that are running at various factories have proved successful with consistent working for several decades.
Floor scrubbers
The ride on scrubber machines are used for floor scrubbing. They have to remove oil and muggy contents from the shop floor and work places. The silicon carbide brush with heady duty degreaser takes care of the task.
High pressure washers
These machines are absolutely needed for cleaning of pipe lines , vessels and spillage material.
Cleaning tools
Cleaning tools like mops , telescopic poles and brushes are ideally needed to clean the pipe line and elevated transportation zones.
The main features that are needed for the machines are :
• IAQ could be optimised by using proper filteration systems like HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air ) and ULPA (Ultra Low Particulate Air ) in the machines.
• Products should be built with Robust recyclable plastic parts, powder coated at the heavy wear parts, easy to service and maintain by providing enough accessibility with a proven life cycle.
• The cost of the equipment should be as low as possible. Must be easy to operate, less complicated and possibly be operated with a reasonable training. The efficiency of the equipment must be high. It should also possess energy and water saving features.
• Safe electrical circuits, emergency buttons assures a safer machine. Recommended sound level is below 70 dB . Usage of maintenance free gel batteries also emphasizes on safety point.
• Research activities are going on to use biofuel in the fossil fuel operated cleaning machines. When biofuels are used , upto 40 % of carbon emissions could be saved. In Europ, an EU directive has asked the governments to ensure a minimum of 13% biofuel is mixed in all fuels. Presently in Finland, 19% of country’s energy needs are sourced from biofuel.
Balathandayutham
Head-product training
Roots Multiclean Ltd
Time Management
Distributors are very busy people. They often spend their days training employees, instructing sales staff, meeting with buyers, speaking to customers, getting orders out – and that’s all before noon. Therefore, setting priorities and learning how to effectively manage time is important.
Here are some pointers for getting your daily work schedule under control:
• Start a log. Get a clearer idea of how you currently use your time. Keep a daily log for a week. This will help you get a better idea of how much time you need to allot for each task.
Energy levels may vary throughout the day – most people function at different levels of effectiveness at different times.
Once you have logged your time and tasks for several days, analyze the log. You may be alarmed to see the length of time you spend opening mail, talking to colleagues or dealing with disruptions.
• Set reasonable goals. No one can be perfect. Difficult tasks usually result in avoidance; therefore, you need to set reasonable, achievable – but challenging – goals.
• Create a plan of action. A lot of time management has to do more with what we are not doing rather than what we are doing. You need to start your day with a plan of action to be the most productive. Instead of responding to other people’s demands, do what is important for you to do.
• Prioritize. Another way to manage your time is to prioritize your responsibilities and engagements: assignments need to get done that day; tasks are important and should be completed within the week; items are those tasks that are relatively trivial and can be done after the first two has been done. It is all right to carry some items to the next day.
• Clean your desk. Besides keeping a log and prioritizing, cleaning your desk or work area is important.
• Allow for quality sleep. Studies have shown that nearly 75% of us complain regularly that we are tired during the workday. If you plan your day and then work your plan, you will get more done and feel a greater sense of accomplishment – allowing for a more restful night’s sleep.
• Take a break. Many managers and business owners do not take a lunch break and work through that time period in the hopes that it will give them more time to get things done. Studies have shown that the effects may be just the opposite.
After giving time management a fair chance, it will eventually become a habit.
Source: Cleanlink