Feature Facilities management A healthy plant: What does it take?


Is the importance of cleaning working environments and equipment something to be considered when looking at business performance? Guy Bruce, managing director - Industrial at Interserve discusses the importance of implementing a thorough cleaning regime, focusing on how any outsourced provision must factor in the criticality of each piece of equipment, and the impact that this can have on the profitable operation of the site


Effective cleaning is essential for the long term performance of all assets across the site – from sensitive


electronics to plant machinery


approach allows ease of management of people and training, and offers one point of contact for clients.


Factoring in cleaning


Any cleaning programme should factor in the need for statutory and scheduled maintenance so that downtime can be planned and accom- modated for. Working alongside plant engineers and service teams, a comprehensive programme can be developed that can account for daily cleaning checks through to longer- term deep cleaning routines. It is also important to schedule routine cleaning around workers’ hours to avoid disruption, while ensuring that critical services are maintained. Here, the facilities team can be instrumental in delivering better value, drawing on its engineer- ing experience and understanding of differing plant technologies, alongside its capability to react and adapt to the demands of a working environment.


E


very manufacturing and process- ing environment has unique processes or ways of operating. The poor performance or failure of factory equipment can have a signif- icant effect on plant productivity. Equipment malfunction and health and safety issues as a result of poor cleaning regimes can result in costly downtime, plant inefficiency or at worst, complete shutdown resulting in lost revenue.


Why outsource?


Aside from the number one priority of providing safe, healthy working envi- ronments for employees, companies must also consider the importance of maintaining their equipment to ensure optimal performance. By outsourcing this responsibility to a partner who is dedicated to the plant maintenance and performance, companies can reduce costs, increase productivity and prolong the lifecycle of their equipment.


Every site requirement is different.


Working in partnership with a sup- plier allows the service to be tailored to the type, frequency and criticality of the cleaning needed. Take a typical plant maintenance regime. The service schedule might indicate that an oil change is required and the maintenance team responsible will undertake this task efficiently. But


Factory Equipment JULY/AUGUST 2013


what about the health and safety aspects caused by inadequate clean- ing? Even a small amount of oil or lubricant left on the floor can pose a slip, trip or fall risk. Working with the supplier, compa- nies can ensure routine cleaning tasks are fully embedded in to the process. In this example, the waste oil would be disposed of properly, to limit the risk of contamination; any packaging would be taken to the appropriate recycling point; and spillages cleaned up appropriately.


By employing a multi-skilled team, suppliers can ensure the level of ser- vice they deliver is consistent, specific to that environment, and meets the needs of the client. A one-team


Safety in cleaning It’s not just about keeping a site clean, it’s also about keeping the environ- ment safe. For example, dust left on the floor or on a machine may not be seen as a risk to the untrained eye. However, if left it could catch fire and result in part of the factory being shut down, loss of equipment or at worst, injury or loss of life.


The right


cleaning regime, implemented carefully can have a positive impact on productivity, health and safety and of course, the bottom line


Cleaning should be embedded in to the health and safety culture, encour- aging employees to report any issues such as spillages, a buildup of poten- tially-hazardous dust and so on. If an incident can be prevented by ensuring that a planned cleaning schedule is in place, then it follows that incidents such as dust gathering on a piece of equipment or a spillage stopping an area of the factory from functioning properly, can also be avoided. To summarise, factory cleaning is not just about making sure everything looks ‘clean’. The right cleaning regime, implemented carefully can have a positive impact on productiv- ity, health and safety and of course, the bottom line. By making cleaning an integral component of a well-function- ing production environment, production can be enhanced, down- time can be minimised and most importantly, employees and visitors remain well protected. Inmterserve T: 0118 960 2332 www.interserve.com


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