Testing emergency diesel generators
Many critical facilities have emergency diesel generators that are used for back-up power. These generators need to be ready to supply power when the normal source of power is no longer available. To ensure that they are able to do the job as intended, we test them periodically. While some uses are mandated by law as to how often and how they are tested, many locations do not fall under these tight restrictions and, more often than not, other factors such as cost or air-pollution limitations dictate these parameters. When it comes to testing your site’s emergency diesel generators, do you periodically run them loaded or unloaded, or both? What is the “best” method in your opinion, and why? Please share your experiences and best practices with everyone in the comments section below! (Editor’s Note: Comments will be moderated and posted as quickly as...
Read MoreHow detailed should your procedures be?
One of the more frequent discussions I have with clients is about the level of detail in their procedures. Some procedures do not supply enough information to complete the task while others are so detailed that they are difficult to use. Many times we do an analysis of the technician’s or user’s level of training and base the level of detail on that. Here are four examples of what I mean: Lowest level: Inspect the compressor. Low level: Inspect contact points on the compressor. Mid-level: Inspect contact points on compressor #2 contactor. Document the results. High level: Inspect contact points on compressor #2 contactor. Remove the contactor cover and visually inspect the points for arcing, pitting and alignment. Replace, if necessary. Document any findings on the data sheet. Please share your experiences and best practices with everyone in the comments section below: At what level of detail do you write your procedures, and why? Are there better ways to determine the best level of detail?...
Read MoreWhat drives the process for when to replace UPS batteries?
I want there to be a place where we can share our processes and learn from each other. This is the first of (hopefully) many discussions exploring a topic of interest. Please share your experiences and best practices with everyone in the comments section below! I have seen organizations change UPS batteries based upon several different factors. In my experience, some replace batteries on a set schedule, some upon a qualifying condition. Since batteries represent a significant investment, I think it’s reasonable to assume that we are all following some process for making this costly decision. What criteria or process do you use to determine when to replace all the batteries in a string/UPS, and why? (Editor’s Note: Comments will be moderated and posted as quickly as...
Read MoreReliability in mission critical facilities – the big secret about what I do
I get asked about what companies should do to increase the reliability of their mission critical facilities all the time, and my answer is usually the same. With 60 to 80 percent of the incidents or outages being caused by human error or omission, I would put my money where I could get the biggest bang for the buck … the people. Simple change – tremendous impact We live in a world where engineering solutions can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, but some of the greatest impacts to reliability require just the price of changing our values about our jobs. By ensuring that everyone on the facilities operations team has the personal value of risk mitigation, we reevaluate our behaviors, our situations, and where we spend our resources. Instead of rushing to get things done or checking off boxes, we consider the consequences of our actions, the situations we face, and the data available to us to ensure that we are taking the path of least risk....
Read More
Follow Us!