PLANT AND FACILITIES ENGINEERING WITH WASTE AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT:OPERATIONAL ISSUES FOR PLANT AND FACILITIES ENGINEERS

5. OPERATIONAL ISSUES FOR PLANT AND FACILITIES ENGINEERS

5.1. Plant and Facility Design and Construction

A plant or facilities engineer responsible for design, construction, and startup of new facilities or operations manages the project by maintaining liaison among architects, consulting engineers, con- tractors, and suppliers to ensure the project is on schedule, within budget, according to specifications, and completed according to the terms of the contract.

5.1.1. Design Using CAD / Computerized Layout Techniques

The plant engineer may be called upon to design a new facility or the flow and layout of an existing facility. With the use of CAD and computerized layout techniques such as CORELAP, multiple options can be evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively to select the optimum solution. Performance of the selected solution can be evaluated further using techniques of simulation and optimization discussed in Chapters 93–102.

5.1.2. Building Codes Compliance and Use of Standards

Building codes are detailed listings of design and performance criteria that must be observed before building occupancy is approved. Codes generally describe types of construction, building limitations, environmental requirements, safety systems, repair and alteration procedures, permits, and fee struc- tures and penalties. Codes can be both an asset and liability. While they may add cost to a building, codes compliance generally ensures a safe building. If an inspector makes unreasonable demands, the code can be used to refute these demands. Enforcement and approval procedures vary depending on the jurisdiction in which the facility is located.

Plant engineers must know which code applies to facilities in each locality. The best-known codes publishing organizations are Building Officials and Codes Administrators International (BOCA), In- ternational Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress Inter- national (SBCC). Further information can be obtained from the Internet.

There are also many published standards for various parts of the building or equipment available from such agencies as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Factory Mutual Engineering Cor- poration (FMEC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The use of stan- dards in planning and constructing a new or revised facility ensures that safety considerations as well as other building conventions are observed (Steiner 1988).

Standards cover almost every conceivable component of buildings and equipment and are normally followed by architects when the original structure is built. The plant engineer making revisions should

be especially careful to follow standards to maintain the integrity of the building, its processes, or components.

The building permitting and approval process contains the following procedural steps:

1. Determine the type of structure needed.

2. Select the site.

3. Determine zoning of site / apply for variances to zoning board.

4. Submit architectural and engineering plans to building codes administrator (BCA) for ap- proval.

5. Obtain a temporary building permit.

6. Apply for permanent permit, obtain full permit.

7. Select contractor(s).

8. Obtain environmental permits.

9. Begin construction.

10. Cooperate during periodic inspections by BCA.

11. Complete building.

12. Pass final inspection or make revision to comply with codes.

5.2. Plant and Facility Maintenance

Whether the plant or facilities engineer is directly in charge of maintenance, this activity is of paramount importance. Throughout this chapter are noted a number of maintenance issues, and the relationship between maintenance and plant engineering is explained in Section 2.3.1. The key issue relating to maintenance for plant engineer is to ensure that all facilities and services are available for production or operations depending of the type of facility involved. In some cases maintenance reports to the plant engineer, while in other cases maintenance is a separate department or is integrated into operations. Details of maintenance are described in Chapter 59 of this Handbook. See also sections throughout this chapter relating to maintenance.

5.3. FACILITY MANAGEMENT / BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEMS

Both manufacturing and service facilities can benefit from the installation of building automation systems that monitor energy consumption and automatically adjust heating and air conditioning sys- tems. These computer-based systems may also permit real-time monitoring and management of security, video surveillance, fire detection, utilities, transportation equipment, elevators, room occupancy, equipment operation, lighting or other facility management-related functions. Newer sys- tems have user-friendly software that can be learned by inexperienced personnel in a relatively short time. Some systems use voice synthesizers for communicating with security, fire, management, or maintenance people. An emerging technology known as computer-assisted facility management not only includes the above-mentioned features but also has the ability to do maintenance planning, facility design, space planning, and property management. CAFM, coupled with computerized main- tenance management systems, gives the plant or facilities engineer the resources to manage the facility effectively. To make best use of building automation systems, the plant engineers should audit facility performance by collecting and analyzing data collected from the system. Building automation systems are also capable of managing multiple facilities and controlling processes. Data management has become fully integrated with direct digital control of functions and interconnected systems directed by building specific protocols (Tatum 1990; Katzel 1998).

In addition to saving labor, these systems reduce energy consumption, avoid security breaches, reduce fire damage, and provide other intangible benefits that make justification for automated build- ing systems feasible. In selecting a building automation system, it is essential to design the system properly, select systems to meet organizational needs, purchase quality equipment with user-friendly software and system flexibility, and obtain long-term customer service from a reliable vendor (Piper 1999).

5.4. Buildings and Grounds

As part of their duties, plant engineers are typically in charge of the buildings and grounds department that employs the janitorial staff and groundskeepers. While this may seem far afield from engineering, many opportunities for making the functions efficient are available. The key goal is to maintain an orderly workplace both inside and outside of the facility that positively impacts productivity in the operation. While everyone needs to be involved in keeping order and cleanliness throughout the facility, buildings and grounds employees facilitate and support other workers in maintaining a clean and orderly workplace.

The janitorial workforce is typically involved in cleaning the the plant or facility, handling refuse, and performing sanitation duties. In some instances, power sweepers, scrubbers, and powered han- dling devices are operated by the janitorial staff.

Some of the more common functions in groundskeeping are caring for flowers, trees, or shrubs, mowing grass and weeds, cutting out fence rows, patching holes in roads or parking areas, opening drainage ditches or culverts, and in winter removing snow from parking lots, sidewalks, or shrubbery, to name a few. In performing these functions, equipment used ranges from rakes and shovels to pruning shears, power mowers, chain saws, tractors, backhoes, front-end loaders, snow plows, and trucks. The equipment used depends on the size of the facility and the assignment of duties by management.

The plant engineer can make significant cost savings by ensuring that buildings and grounds services are provided efficiently by taking the following actions:

1. Recognize the value of employees who perform buildings and grounds work.

2. Set a budget to cover the grounds maintenance needs of the organization.

3. Train people in use of equipment and certify operators of larger equipment, especially in safe use of lawnmowers, chain saws, tractors, and other dangerous machinery.

4. Issue safety shoes, goggles, hard hats, ear muffs, gloves, back supports, and other safety equipment and ensure that equipment is used to protect employees.

5. Simplify tasks by providing adequate equipment for all assigned tasks. (See also Section 6.2 on waste handling.)

6. Apply work measurement to find time for janitor and groundskeeper work, measure efficiency, and determine the correct number of people assigned to the size and type of facility being served (Use work sampling, time study, and published standard data.)

7. Provide adequate supervision to plan and schedule the job to ensure that all necessary work is done on the correct frequency and within time available.

8. Periodically inspect quality of work being performed, reward work well done, and make corrections if work is unsatisfactory.

9. Conduct work sampling studies to identify potential problems and solve problems as they are recognized.

10. Institute teams to reduce reliance on supervision.

11. Keep equipment maintained properly and practice preventive maintenance with reporting / documentation that PM has been performed.

12. Consider outsourcing all or portions of the buildings and grounds functions to contractors whose qualifications, credit ratings, and performance records have been thoroughly screened.

Proactively creating a well-organized buildings and grounds staff can greatly improve productivity and quality of life in the facility and minimize problems associated with this function (Ross 1996).

5.5. Safety and Loss Control

5.5.1. Safety Management

Plant engineers often manage the safety program in plants or other facilities. Although industrial engineers receive a course in industrial safety, they may need to fill knowledge gaps by further study and experience. A comprehensive and effective safety program should include the following process steps, none of which may be omitted:

1. Well-defined management strategy, policy, and commitment to safety

2. Goal for safety improvement set and resources allocated

3. Designated responsibility / authority / accountability for safety

4. Formal rules and procedures for safety

5. Engineering of safety into every process and product

6. Safety training and special awareness programs

7. Supervision committed to and competent in safety

8. Effective safety communication and promotion

9. Positive safety attitudes through motivation and rewards

10. Safety inspections using committees

11. Immediate correction of unsafe acts and conditions

12. Disciplinary action administered for willful unsafe acts

13. Well-equipped, trained, and staffed first aid function

14. Thorough accident investigation with effective remedial action

15. Meaningful safety performance measures with critical analysis

16. Effective preventive and corrective maintenance programs

17. Continual assessment of the safety program

18. An iterative program of continuous safety improvement

The results of an effective safety program not only can be measured in injuries prevented and lives saved but also may have a distinct bottom-line impact on the corporation or entity. Companies that do not have effective safety programs often pay the equivalent cost in terms of workers’ com- pensation and lost productivity. The inference can be made that a safe workplace is a productive workplace (McElroy 1964).

Because an effective safety program in the plant or facility must include training, the ultimate objective of training is to influence the attitudes of employees around the clock. Off-the-job accidents cost industry many times more than on-the-job injuries. Although workers’ compensation is not involved, absenteeism from off-the-job injuries results in productivity losses and insurance cost in- creases. Employees injured off the job may, with the assistance of unscrupulous lawyers, sometimes claim the injury occurred during work time. Such fraud can be combatted by effective record keeping and supervisory vigilance.

A plant engineer charged with the responsibility for safety is obligated to comply with OSHA regulations, but must as a professional obligation administer an effective safety program beyond OSHA regulations that concentrate on conditions. Accidents are caused by people, and a well-trained, safe worker can avoid unsafe conditions and attendant accidents. (See also Chapter 43.)

5.5.2. Loss-Control Programs

Administration of the plant loss-control program may fall to the plant engineer or may be handled jointly with the personnel manager. Loss control includes the insurance program plus fire, security, and safety. The objective of loss control is to provide uninterrupted operations and minimize losses of life and property from fire, theft, accidents, and other such occurrences. Safety and security are addressed elsewhere in this chapter, and a brief treatise on fire protection follows.

Many organizations have regular visits by insurance inspectors who identify potential fire hazards. Although some inspectors may go to extremes (such as sprinklers under desks), it is advisable to follow recommendations by insurance inspectors where feasible. If inspections do not occur, the plant engineer should conduct a fire risk survey to identify fuels, ignition sources, fire propagation routes, fire detection and extinguishing systems, and life-saving measures. The adequacy of fire-detection and extinguishment systems should also be assessed and corrective measures taken immediately.

Sprinklers should be tested regularly to ensure that all systems are ready should a fire strike. If a booster pump is in place, it should also be tested. Because as booster pumps are high horsepower, the testing alone can add to electrical demand charges. Having the pump on a safe circuit and testing during off-peak loads can save some of the demand charges.

A well-trained fire brigade composed of plant employees can respond to a fire within 1–4 minutes in most facilities, compared with 5–15 minutes for a municipal fire department. Most fires can be controlled in the first 5 minutes if a rapid response occurs. Fire brigade members should be recruited from maintenance or operations ranks dispersed throughout the facility. Training should consist of first aid, evacuation procedures, and the location and use of fire extinguishers, hoses, sprinkler valves, and other equipment. Municipal fire departments should also be acquainted with the plant layout, fire-fighting equipment, and special hazards.

5.6. Plant and Facilities Security

The security function usually includes fire prevention and reporting, crime prevention and detection, risk management, and administration of security personnel. A security survey should be taken to determine the scope of the security function, the condition of this service, and the steps necessary to bring security up to standard. Outside guards may be necessary to prevent unauthorized entry to critical manufacturing areas, laboratories, computer rooms, and other sensitive areas. The level of security depends on the sensitivity and confidentiality of the work, the labor situation, the local crime situation, and the proximity of fire and police protection (Piper 1988b).

Special protection should be given to computer records. Not only should access to computer areas be denied to unauthorized persons, but codes and passwords should be carefully restricted. Computer rooms should be fire resistant, with special halon extinguishing systems for protection of electronic circuitry and magnetic media, the loss of which could be catastrophic for the business.

By using the checklist that follows, the plant or facilities engineer can cite deficiencies in the security system and take action to correct deficiencies (Piper 1988b; Pearlman and Cana 1999):

Is a security plan currently in effect?

Is a key control system rigidly enforced?

Are penalties for unauthorized entry or use of keys enforced?

Are safe combinations, computer access codes, and other sensitive information closely controlled? Have security personnel been thoroughly screened and trained?

Are security patrol schedules revised regularly to avoid established patterns? Are employees carefully screened for past criminal behavior?

Are security personnel trained in sprinkler system operation and cutoff? In fire extinguisher use?

Are computer operating and records rooms, laboratories, and other sensitive areas secured by modern personnel identification systems (card access, hand print, eye retina)?

Is the perimeter of the plant or facility protected to limit access? Are gates kept closed when employee access is minimal?

Are fences maintained and inspected regularly?

Are electronic fire, movement, and detection monitoring devices (ultrasonic, seismic, infrared, contact) installed and operational?

Does the electronic building control system automatically notify fire and police as well as plant security personnel of incidents?

Are video monitors / CCTV and intrusion-detection monitors used for constant surveillance of critical areas?

Are positive identification systems for personnel installed at plant entrances?

If contract guards are used, does the guard service have a blemishless record for guard selection and training, service and reliability?

Does a disaster plan and organization exist with delegated responsibilities? Do security personnel know names of all managers, employees, agencies, and emergency services to be contacted in a disaster?

Does a public relations plan exist and is a spokesperson designated to provide information about the disaster to the press and public?