Page 26 - Occupational Health & Safety, October 2018

FACILITY SAFETY
well-oiled leveler is going to work better and more efficiently—rais- ing and lowering more efficiently (and more quietly). Energy can be saved when doors don’t get stuck in an open position and when dock seals and shelters are properly maintained to reduce gaps in the loading dock. Regular maintenance is going to lead to loading dock equipment and in-plant equipment that performs better and helps keep energy costs low.
In addition to providing maintenance, professional PMP tech- nicians can identify and diagnose equipment problems that might not demonstrate any immediate symptoms. The ability to spot small problems early can allow for equipment or operation adjust- ments that can potentially extend the life of the equipment. It also allows facility managers to begin budgeting for eventual equipment replacement. Additional planning means approximately 90 percent of work orders should come from planned maintenance, instead of expensive unplanned work orders.
While inspections and routine maintenance will temporarily limit use of a dock, it’s always better to know when docks are going to be down or which doors will be non-operational for a few hours instead of suffering equipment failures with indefinite downtime. Additionally, a PMP allows internal maintenance staff to work on jobs they were originally hired to do. If a single dock door needs just one hour of maintenance a quarter, a mid-sized operation with
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at its shipping operations for annual maintenance. This doesn’t in-
clude any breakdowns that might occur.
Major Benefits of a PMP
Implementing a planned maintenance program benefits facilities in three ways: 1) It creates a safer work environment; 2) increases operational efficiencies; and 3) can even reduce energy use. Indi- rectly, these benefits save money for the facility, which helps their customers save money, too.
You go to a doctor for a regular checkup without any obvious symptoms to make sure your body is working properly and you can live a long and happy life. Smart facility managers treat the equip- ment under their watch the same way with regularly scheduled maintenance.
Gerry Timms is a vice president and general manager at Arbon Equipment Corp., the distribution and service arm of Rite-Hite and one of the leading providers of planned maintenance programs in the United States, Canada, and Australia. A longtime industry veteran, his background includes industrial safety product development, as well as extensive supply chain logistics experience.
The information herein is provided as a general reference regard- ing the use of the applicable product(s) in specific applications. This information is provided without warranty. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are using all mentioned products properly in your specific application and in accordance with all laws and regulations.
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two dozen dock doors is looking at nearly 100 hours of downtime
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