This week I visited a contractor friend of mine at his service shop. As we moved through the shop he pointed up to a 3 foot square section of the roof where the insulation was missing and hanging down on one side. “Did I tell you about our little incident from last week?” he asked. “No, you sure didn’t, please tell me all about it,” I replied.
“Well our lube truck was in for service as the coolant loop system was not working properly. After the repairs were made we connected the compressed air system from the truck to pressurize the coolant loop. The lube truck’s compressor was now not working either.” We got in a hurry to get the truck out of the bay so we connected it to the Shop’s Compressed Air System.”
Then Kaboom. The coolant tank launched through the roof like a Rocket. The pressure regulator had stuck open and the pop off relief valve had both failed to protect the tank. On the way through the roof the tank had even bent one of the support members for the roof. The force was amazing. The neighboring business reported seeing the tank fly several hundred feet in the air before if crash landed in the equipment yard.
This accident had happened for three reasons. 1. Everyone got in a hurry 2. The coolant system had not been serviced regularly and 3. The lube truck’s compressed air system had not been tested or serviced regularly.
This unfortunate incident may not have happened if a regularly scheduled protocol of preventative maintenance had been followed. Fortunately no one was injured. This time, but what about next time? Perhaps the outcome may be much more serious.
Establish routine Maintenance Schedules for all of your valuable equipment. This keeps your production going and your people safe. Good preventative maintenance keeps your business running smoothly and your customers happy as well.
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