Abhishek Katriar, Head, Business Development, Faber Sindoori Management Services Pvt Ltd
Abhishek Katriar, Head, Business Development, Faber Sindoori Management Services Pvt Ltd, takes us through the unique challenges and solutions for cleaning an automobile manufacturing facility.
There is a huge number of machines, sensitive equipment, manpower and risks involved in cleaning automobile facilities. Oil spillage is a frequent occurrence, which makes the cleaning process more challenging. The huge storage space, round-the-clock production and the simultaneous working of thousands of machines gives the cleaning team a very small window in which to maintain the desired levels of cleaning.
Any shortfall in the cleaning process will increase risks, which could lead to accidents, production loss & human loss. Unclean premises can have an adverse effect on human productivity, which is linked to the cleanliness of the premises.
Planning schedules
To overcome these challenges, we need to plan our SOPs in a way that production or the workforce is not disturbed in any way. Cleaning activities need to be planned as per the schedule of production activities inside the plant. The best way is to plan the activity during shift change within the plant area.
Cleaning can also be scheduled during the meal break as during this time, human movement will be minimal. The schedule can be planned as per department-wise meal timings. Deep cleaning should be planned during the night shift as the plant is least occupied during this time. These steps will help in developing a structured and systematic way of using the workforce in an effective manner.
Choice of chemicals
Cleaning chemicals should be human-friendly, thereby reducing the risks involved for the huge workforce present across such a large industry, across regions. Special teams need to be trained for immediate cleaning of oil spillage, which otherwise could prove very hazardous, with the appropriate cleaning material and in a time-efficient manner. During other times, the focus should be on maintaining the cleanliness of the exterior areas like roads, gardens, recreational areas, parking bays, bathrooms etc.
The chemical to be used should not be of high acidic nature as it will increase the risk of injury and can damage the plant machinery and equipment. Wherever a highly concentrated chemical needs to be used, it should be done under strict supervision. Chemicals which can be effective in automobiles plants are oil remover, floor cleaner, grease cleaner, bathroom cleaner, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, soda Iye etc.
Mechanised cleaning
Most automobile plants are spread over 150-200 acres out of which around 70% area is utilised for production related work. Keeping this in mind, mechanised cleaning is the most effective way of organising the cleaning of such a large facility, increasing the consistency in the service. We need specialised and state of the art machinery to do the cleaning, like road cleaner, sweeper machine, jet sprays, dirt sucker machine, scrubbing machine and vacuum cleaner. More usage of these machines for large areas will reduce the cleaning time and also be cost efficient. This will reduce dependency on human resources.
Automobile clean rooms
These can be created with proper sensitisation and made free of bacterial presence by continuous cleaning and blocking all openings from which any foreign particles can come inside the room. The area should be sanitised at regular intervals. This is required in case of emergencies, which can occur due to huge manpower. This area can then be used for the benefits of the workforce in a sanitised environment.