Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) Subject To The SPCC Rule
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently announced revisions to the federal Underground Storage Tank (UST) Rule (40 CFR Part 280). Changes include adding secondary containment for new and replaced tanks and piping, adding operator training requirements, and adding operation and maintenance requirements, among others. Click here for a link to the USEPA amendment,...
Unlocking Your CMMS: Reengineering Facilities Maintenance Processes
"Reengineering strives to break away from the old rules about how we organize and conduct business. It involves recognizing and rejecting some of them and then finding imaginative new ways to accomplish work." - Dr. Michael Hammer (one of the founders of the management theory of Business process reengineering) When most organizations decide to implement a new computerized maintenance man...
What to Expect from an EPA SPCC Inspection
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with ensuring facilities that store or handle oil comply with the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations set forth in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 112. Inspections may be announced or unannounced, and can be triggered by: national enforcement initiatives, referrals from state or loca...
5 Hidden Rules to Improve Steam System Efficiency
If you want to optimize the energy usage of your steam plant, consider these five general rules of thumb to improve steam system efficiency. 1. Lower boiler exhaust flue temperatures For every 40°F you lower the boiler exhaust flue temperature, you can expect about 1% combustion efficiency gain. Utilizing an economizer in the exhaust stack will reduce flue temperatures and transfer that ...
5 Steps to Know When to Replace a Roof
Here is your situation. You suspect your facilities roof is nearing the end of its serviceable life, maybe it's pooling,cracking, or starting to leak in some areas, how do you determine when to replace a roof or to restore it? To find the answer, a thorough investigation of the current condition of the roof must be done. Here is a five step process you can use to determine if your roof i...
How to Start a Preventive Maintenance Program From Scratch
The point of any preventive maintenance program is to identify equipment failures in their early stages so you, as a maintenance activity can coordinate the man hours and logistics required to prevent breakdowns. Figuring out the best scheduling intervals for different PM tasks can be difficult if you don't have OEM manuals to get you started. Luckily, there have been studies on this top...