Spending an extra quid on a light bulb can make all the difference in significantly de-risking a business, says Tetra Tech Director Steven Little. On 5th July, he spoke at a TotalDECOM supply chain event about the benefits of applying asset reliability techniques. The event, jointly sponsored by Tetra Tech and the Centre of Nuclear Excellence, was hosted by University of Chester at its Thornton Science Park in Cheshire.
TotalDECOM is a strategic decommissioning hub that hosts events each year for the global decommissioning industries to help shape the way operators and the supply chain do business. It encourages collaboration and cross-fertilisation of knowledge, innovation, and skills across all sectors faced with a decommissioning responsibility – from nuclear, oil & gas, and pharmaceuticals, to renewables, defence, and more.
Speaking before 70 delegates, Steven emphasised asset reliability techniques as a crucial component of effective asset management that could pre-empt risks of considerable damage to a firm’s finances and reputation. Oftentimes, those techniques come down to something as trivial as buying spare batteries or de-mineralised water.
Steven said: “Let’s say you have a fuel depot, where there’s a big risk of fires because of all the diesel and aviation fuel. Its firefighting system needs to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. It has to be kept pressurised to deliver enough water to the hydrant to satisfy statutory requirements.”
“If you lose power to the site, you need a backup generator, but if your batteries aren’t powered up enough, the generator won’t kick in when the power goes off. If you spent the pound on maintaining the integrity of your batteries, you’ll be able to put the fire out.”