What do you think of saving costs on maintenance? - 2006/05/25 20:51There are many industries where a human error no matter how minor can cost lives. Working at height is one of those industries. Therefore, those of us who take to the skies to make our bread and butter have to be well versed in safe working at height. I work for a specialist contractor who build, maintain and demolish chimneys and tall structures and am often surprised at the lax approach to maintenance taken by smaller plant managers and clients.
When are we going to realise that due to stringent environmental legislation, chimneys that were built to last 20 years are entering their 30th and 40th year, surpassing all original expectations. That doesn?t mean that we need to celebrate with a birthday cake but a larger slice of funding towards maintenance!
Post edited by: admin, at: 2006/05/26 02:56
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Steve Hayward, Sales Manager
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Re:What do you think of saving costs on maintenance? - 2006/05/25 20:58Despite what many believe large price savings are not impossible to achieve. We regularly save our clients over 20% on the cost of conventional maintenance by employing innovative techniques and using the latest materials. The problems occur when price reductions come at the expense of increased risk as Eleanor mentioned. This I cannot accept and nor should clients. Their bosses are not going to be very forgiving with them if everything goes wrong. So when such recommendations regarding new techniques to effect significant saving are made, clients must look to our experience and expertise to give them reassurance that what we are proposing comes with no additional risk.
Some organisations simply rotate the companies used, believing misguidedly that this keeps prices down. It does not. It simply undermines trust and loyalty ? two other highly valued considerations.
Please forgive me for appearing cynical but the next time someone says ?there are only three things that matter to me:? Price, Price and Price? ask them if they mean the lowest price or the best value. There is a vast difference. The former is riddled with risk and uncertainty. The latter will give you more than you were expecting and no less than you deserve!
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Bert Bird, Industry Veteran
Visitor
Re:What do you think of saving costs on maintenance? - 2006/05/25 20:59The working at height industry is not much different than it was half a century ago. Standards have always risen with regards to safety conditions and regulations. But as noted by Eleanor Bateman earlier, today?s industrial chimneys are dodging a retirement which is long over due.
The only way to keep our chimneys up and running is to follow the advice of knowledgeable people like Steve Hayward and build a trusting relationship with your contractors. This industry has often been branded a boys club, but for better or for worse we have never been branded cowboys. Why? Because we believe in what we are doing and that to get it right we must be open and honest with our policies and processes when going to tender.
Maybe we are not in the contracting business after all; maybe we are all dodging retirement one way or another????
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eleanor
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Re:What do you think of saving costs on maintenance? - 2006/07/12 14:01I TOTALLY agree with Eleanor - where a human error no matter how minor can cost lives. Considering the Middle East, countries like United Arab Emirates, which claims to be one of the richest and fast developing countries, cares very less for safety conditions and does it even have any regulations for working at height? This question goes to Bert as he?s been in the industry for decades; What should we do to make governments/ministries/officials locally aware of health and safety?
A small example externally to our office: cleaning operatives who work at heights seldom have PPE, wearing slippers, whose feet doesn?t even touch the base of the cradle and are reaching out standing on handrails, this is common condition working on high structures. The pictures taken from my phone camera illustrates this!
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