Fix Common Compliance Issues

Fix Common Compliance Issues

  Throughout my years as a safety professional, there are specific compliance issues that are found at almost every manufacturing facility. Those issues usually lie in the production or operations departments and the maintenance shop. Here are the four I encounter most often: Guards on bench/pedestal grinders: Since the abrasive wheel is continuously diminishing due…

Use Accelerometers to Monitor Machines

Use Accelerometers to Monitor Machines

  Accelerometers, in general, are the most common sensor type for measuring industrial vibrations, but you might wonder why there are so many options. A short and unsatisfying answer is that accelerometers are designed for precise measurements, and that design must account for a lot of variables to ensure the highest level of reliability. It’s…

Leak detection

Leak detection

  Refrigerant leaks are a common occurrence, whether it’s from a supermarket pack, walk-in freezer or air conditioning system, and if it’s been picked up by an expensive third-party external leak detection system, then the leak has already occurred and the refrigerant has been lost. However, most sites don’t have these alert systems for when…

The case for private-sector collective action

The case for private-sector collective action

  Over 50 years ago, Milton Friedman wrote an article that sustainability advocates like myself love to hate. He wrote that the social responsibility of business is “to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom.” (My…

Are voluntary carbon markets ready for a new type of credits?

Are voluntary carbon markets ready for a new type of credits?

  It is a well-documented fact that the price of engineered carbon removal projects is currently prohibitively high, with the eye-watering costs of building and operating direct air capture (DAC) and other projects that remove carbon dioxide directly from the air a major barrier to the nascent sector’s development. It is equally well understood that…

Take the Long View on Facilities Maintenance Planning

Take the Long View on Facilities Maintenance Planning

  Being proactive in long-term maintenance planning helps ensure priorities aren’t constantly competing against each other for funding. Planning for, and keeping up with, facility maintenance can be complex and time-consuming, especially for owners with large building footprints. There can be competing priorities, including users with strong opinions about what should be addressed, and limited funding…