Playing it safe
The October 2011 arrival of new guidance for the safe operation of steam and hot water boilers gives boiler operators and managers up-to-date advice, and recognised training is a key focus. Brian Wall reports
Power of the press
Power presses, like most big mechanical plant, have been operated subject to regular mandatory inspections for many years. But there's a problem: the approaches taken to those inspections have varied, according both to the inspection company and the equipment itself.
Risk-based changes
Get it right and the savings can be huge, but get it wrong and the cost is unimaginable. Brian Tinham talks to John Wintle about changing best practice for hazardous plant inspections
Safe operation of escalators and moving walks
SAFed's guidelines for the safe operation of escalators and moving walks was published in May last year. In the first of a two-part feature, Vince Sharpe reviews key elements for owners and operators
Is your boiler house safe?
As de-manning on steam and hot water boiler plant continues to gain momentum, operators need to consider best practice and their legal duties in respect of operational safety, warns S Moore Holmes
The case of Mr S
The role of an individual acting as, or on behalf of, a 'competent person' under PSSR (the Pressure System Safety Regulations 2000) comes with serious obligations S Moore Holmes takes us through the case of Mr S
Money for nothing?
There's no such thing as a free lunch - and that holds true for green energy generation, too. Even with wind farms, there is the price of the plant, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance. There are also safety inspections under the relevant legal provision, mostly LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, which are not cheap.
Lifting the bar
Case law demonstrates that courts are taking an increasingly tough line with lifting-related accidents, if companies and plant managers cannot prove due process, writes Crispin Kenyon
Cool and legal
Nearly every commercial and industrial building has refrigeration plant. Some is well maintained, some not – until things go wrong. John Cherry updates plant engineers on their duties
An inspector calls
If you speak to engineer surveyors across the industry, chances are they'll mention two trends - one slightly surprising, the other plain worrying. On the surprising side of the equation, they'll probably mention that only now are some clients realising that the periodic inspections carried out for them are not just for insurance purposes, but also a regulatory requirement. As for the worrying point, inspectors will also tell you that far too many organisations are now relying far too heavily on them as a substitute for maintenance engineers.