CHAPTER THREE

MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY PLANNING

INTRODUCTION

Maintenance on plant and equipment is carried out to prevent problems arising, to put faults right,
and to ensure equipment is working effectively. Maintenance may be part of a planned programme
or may have to be carried out at short notice after a breakdown. It always involves non-routine
activities and can expose those involved (and others) to a range of risks.

It is a unique resource for improving maintenance management processes and learning smart
preventive maintenance (PM), condition monitoring, inspection and troubleshooting techniques
on a wide variety of components include pumps, motors, gears, bearings, chain, pipes and valves,
couplings, seals, fans, lubrications, lifting equipment, hydraulics, pneumatics, compressors, steam,
electrical systems, etc. The maintenance and safety plan carefully explain how to set up and
improve a preventive maintenance program in the plant.

The main objective of maintenance and safety planning in an industry is to limit the impact of
accidental losses. Its implementation will enable our industry to check any accident that may lead
to losses such as destruction of property, damage of physical integrity (or death) of workers,
environment degradation

Safety
Personal safety
• Safety covers must always be mounted and locked. Open or dismounted safety covers are danger
points which may lead to crushing or shearing injuries.
• Always keep safety devices in good working order. Safety devices must never be overridden or
taken out of operation.
• Maintenance work on the machine or parts of the machine may only be carried out when the
plant is at a standstill. It is absolutely imperative that the plant be switched off and the switch
locked in position.
Explosion hazard!
If the machine is permitted to operate in potentially explosive zones in accordance with the
nameplate, it is absolutely imperative that the hazard instructions marked with the EX symbol are
adhered to in order to maintain ignition protection.

Electrical mains connection

• The regulations of the local safety authorities must be observed.
• The power cable must be equipped with fuse protection according to the local regulations.
• The operating voltage and frequency must be checked against the ratings on the nameplate and
in the control cabinet.
• All mains supply cables to the control units must be connected according to the wiring diagram
in order to make sure that the phase conductors are actually connected in single-phase power
supply systems

SAFE PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Plant and equipment must be made safe before maintenance starts.

Safe isolation

 Moving plant must be stopped and electrical and other power supplies be isolated. Most
maintenance should be carried out with the power off. If the work is near uninsulated,
overhead electrical conductors, eg close to overhead travelling cranes, the power must be
cut off first.
 Machines should be lock off if there is a chance the power could be accidentally switched
back on.
 Plant and pipelines containing pressured fluid, gas, steam or hazardous material must be
isolated. Isolating valves should also be lock off.
 Stored energy, such as compressed air or hydraulic pressure that could cause the machine
to move or cycle must be released.
  components that operate at high temperatures must be allowed time to cool
 Mobile plant must be placed in neutral gear, brake must be applied and wheels chock.
 Vessels containing flammable solids, liquids, gases or dusts must be safely cleaned and
checked before hot work is carried out to prevent explosions. Specialist help and advice
are needed to do this safely.
 Avoid entering tanks and vessels where possible. This can be very high-risk work. If
required, get specialist help to ensure adequate precautions are taken.

Employers must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and keep it up to date. This shares the same
approach as health and safety risk assessments and can be carried out either as part of an overall
risk assessment or as a separate exercise. Based on the findings of the assessment, employers need
to ensure that adequate and appropriate fire safety measures are in place to minimize the risk of
injury or loss of life in the event of a fire. To help prevent fire in the workplace, your risk
assessment should identify what could cause a fire to start, ie sources of ignition (heat or sparks)
and substances that burn, and the people who may be at risk. Once you have identified the risks,
you can take appropriate action to control them. Consider whether you can avoid them altogether
or, if this is not possible, how you can reduce the risks and manage them. Also consider how you
will protect people if there is a fire.

 fire safety risk assessment must be carried out

 sources of ignition and flammable substances must be kept apart
 accidental fires must be avoided, eg make sure heaters cannot be knocked over
 good housekeeping must be kept at all times, eg avoid build-up of rubbish that could burn
 Consideration must be given to how to detect fires and how to warn people quickly if they
start, eg installing smoke alarms and fire alarms or bells
 the correct fire-fighting equipment must be used for putting a fire out quickly
 fire exits and escape routes must be kept clearly marked and unobstructed at all times
 Workers must receive appropriate training on procedures they need to follow, including
fire drills
 risk assessment reviewed and updated regularly
 Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective
equipment (PPE) at work.
When selecting and using PPE:

 Choose products which are CE marked in accordance with the Personal Protective
Equipment Regulations 2002 – suppliers can advise.
 Choose equipment that suits the user – consider the size, fit and weight of the PPE. If the
users help choose it, they will be more likely to use it
 If more than one item of PPE is worn at the same time, make sure they can be used together,
eg wearing safety glasses may disturb the seal of a respirator, causing air leaks
 Instruct and train people how to use it, eg train people to remove gloves without
contaminating their skin. Tell them why it is needed, when to use it and its limitations
 Never allow exemptions from wearing PPE for those jobs that ‘only take a few minutes'
 Check with your supplier on what PPE is appropriate – explain the job to them
 If in doubt, seek further advice from a specialist adviser

Start-up / shutdown procedures

Many potential hazards can be realised during start-up or shut-down of plant or process. Specific
operating procedures should be provided which take account of all eventualities. For some specific
plant items, start-up is know to present particular additional hazards; some examples of these are:

 Dryers – when starting up a drying system after maintenance or a plant shutdown, the actual
temperature the dryer might reach before settling out with the control system may result in
an increased chance of a dust explosion;
 Furnaces – explosions may occur if ignition of fuel is delayed;
 Vessels, Tanks, Reactors – ignition of flammable vapours introduced may occur for
systems relying on elimination of oxygen to prevent explosions, unless inert gas purging
is carried out effectively;
 Reactors – start-up of batch reactors after agitator failure may cause an uncontrollable
exothermic reaction.

The start-up and shut-down procedures should be ordered and phased so that interlinked plant
operations can resume or cease in a safe and controlled manner.
Start-up for mixer

Start-up Procedure:
 The power cable must be connected to a power supply (220 volt 30 Amp)
 The electric motor cord must be hooked up and the Plug must be fitted into the appropriate
socket
 The vibrator cord must also be hooked up and its Plug also fitted into the appropriate
socket.
 The water hose must be hooked up with fittings onto the wet mixing chamber.
 The water source must be hooked to the water inlet of water system attached to electrical
panel.
 With silo gate (valve) closed, the start button must be pushed for a few seconds to confirm
everything is working.
 The Push stop button must be pushed to stop the mixer
 The Silo gate (valve) must be open.
 The start button must be pushed to let it start mixing.
 The water content must be adjusted only after it has been mixing for a while. Adjustment
must be done a little bit at a time (1/8- ¼ turn).
Shutdown Procedure

 Close Silo gate must be closed

 Wet and dry mixing chamber must run empty.
 Stop button must be pushed.
 The main power switch on electrical panel must be turned off and the switch must be
LOCKOUT.
 The end cap on wet mixing chamber must be removed and cleaned up.
 Auger on wet mixing chamber must be pulled out.
 Chamber and auger must be cleaned.
Filter Checking Procedure
The following action will be taken to check the operational status of the filter.
 The flow control equipment must be checked to be operational
 The filter media and washwater channels must be clear of all debris
 All access covers and walkway gratings must be in place
 Process monitoring equipment such as head loss and turbidity systems must be checked
that they are operational.
 Source of backwash water must be checked to ensure sufficient volume available.
During shutdown, the filter must removed from service by closing the inflow valve , allowing
the filter to drain to correct backwash level then the outflow valve must be closed

Start-up for hammer mill

Prior to initial start-up or following an overhaul, the following checks must be carried out:
• The inlet, the grinding chamber, and all elements belonging to the process stage must be free of
foreign objects or of product.
• Turn on the conveying unit (towards the mill)
• Start the mill motor (shall only be possible if the subsequent conveying process is in operation,
the outlet cone has been closed, and the operation selector has been set to «automatic mode»)
• As soon as the operation speed has been reached, turn on product feed
After the mill has been started, write down the achieved data in the enclosed data sheet
These data serve as standard data. In case of deviations from these standard data at a later point in
time: check system

Caution!
Do not operate the machine for more than 15 minutes without product, since the rotor mill heats
up severely during no-load operation.
Maintenance
Maintenance of the machine will only be carried out by suitably qualified and authorized
personnel.
Danger!
Any maintenance, cleaning, or overhaul work may only be carried out while the machine is at a
standstill (all machine movements stopped).
Stopping the machine
Prior to taking up any maintenance work on the hammer mill, the machine must be at a standstill.
The machine may not be started via a remote control.
Maintenance schedule
All screws of the machine must be checked periodically to ensure they are still tight. Loose
screws must be tightened immediately.
Note:
The operating condition of the EMERGENCY-OFF button must be checked monthly.

Cleaning
In order to ensure that the machine operates perfectly, it must be kept free of dust and other
contamination. Therefore, dry cleaning will be done daily.
Note:
The milling chamber will be regularly cleaned to prevent product contamination.

Disposal
The disposal of the machine and the relevant components will take place according to the locally
applicable regulations. Once the machine is definitively taken out of operation all components will
be professionally disposed of or recycled in the interest of the environment:
• Fluids (diesel, motor and gear oil etc.)
• Toxic refuse (e.g. batteries, electronic components)
• Separate plastic materials
• Separate metal parts according to type of metal

Raw Materials
The first inspection of raw materials may therefore take place as they arrive at the processing unit.
The inspection team should check that the fruits are suitable for processing and reject those that
are not. This normally includes a check on the following characteristics;
 Maturity (over-ripe or under-ripe),
 Color, and
 Size and type of palm fruits.
Poor quality of raw materials produce poor quality of final products. The quality of raw materials
cannot be improve in processing them therefore the fraction of rejects should be monitored, since
it is a major factor in calculating the true cost of useable raw materials. Sorting out substandard
materials by properly trained staff before money is spent processing them is one of the most cost
effective methods of ensuring a uniformly high quality in the final product

Pressure Tests
Vessels working at low pressure (vacuum) can be tested at maximum 1.5 bar (g). Whilst testing
them for leaks with water, a flange or manhole must be kept open at a height of maximum 15 m
above the lowest point of the vessel.
 The water used for the tests shall be fresh and clean
 Whilst testing them for leaks with air a pressure reducer and a safety valve at 0, 2 bar (g) must
be installed.

EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Before starting a piece of mechanical equipment, operators must be sure that the unit has been
serviced on schedule and its operational status is positively known. After startup, the operator must
always check for excessive noise and vibration, overheating and leakage. When in doubt about the
performance of a piece of equipment the operator must refer to the manufacturer’s instruction.
Much of the equipment used in the Prekese fruit drink production process will be automated and
only requires limited attention by operating personnel during normal operation. However periodic
calibration and maintenance of this equipment is necessary, and this will involve special
procedures that will be undertaken by a qualified personnel. Detailed operating, repairs, and
calibration procedures will be done as described in the manufacturers or suppliers literature.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

Preventive maintenance programs are designed to ensure the continued satisfactory operation of
the Prekese plant by reducing the frequency of breakdown. This is accomplished by performing
scheduled or routine maintenance on valves, pumps and other electrical and mechanical
equipment. In the normal operation of the process routine maintenance functions must be
performed as part of an overall preventive maintenance program. Typical functions include:

 Keeping electric motors free of dirt, moisture and pests(spiders, rodents, flies and larvae)
 Ensuring good ventilation(air circulation) in the equipment work area
 Checking pumps and motors for leaks, unusual noise, vibrations or overheating
 Checking bearings for overheating and proper lubrication
 Checking for proper valve operation, leakage or jamming
 Checking automatic control systems for proper operation
 Checking air or vacuum relief systems for proper functioning, dirt and moisture

Accurate record keeping is the most important element of any successful preventive
maintenance programs. These records will provide operation and maintenance personnel with
clues for determining the causes of equipment failures.