23/10/06
1:55 pm
Page 18
Municipal
P. 16-26
Vigorous decon equipment maintenance programmes service will probably be obsolescent in a decade. Any viable maintenance programme depends on a close co-operation between manufacturer and user. Practically this means the end user has to be offered some insight into the manufacture of the product, as well as handson experience of the equipment in its pre-delivery state. The aim is to develop familiarity with the product in a handson way. This is of course not a substitute for operational training exercises, rather it is the up-stream part of these, where the user can learn to deploy the units with the maximum of technical accuracy. It is only when operatives are
Pic courtesy of PPS
familiar with the possibilities of decon equipment that they can carry out the maintenance checks. In practice these are slightly different for inflatable units and the new big mechanical homeland defence mass decon units. For either to function however close attention has to be paid to the accessories which both types of decon shower enjoy in common. Water and air heaters, generators, pumps and even non-mechanical items like raised flooring, waste water tanks, couplings and hoses, if they are not constantly monitored, may have an effect on the inherent operational liability of the equipment. As far as mechanical equipment is concerned procedures must be provided for inspecting all units for signs of wear or damage. Also it provides for regular checks on items like oil levels, signs of fuel contamination, the state of electrical cables and connections as
Water and air heaters, generators, pumps and even non-mechanical items like raised flooring, waste water tanks, couplings and hoses, if they are not constantly monitored, may have an effect on the inherent operational liability of the equipment. 18
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well as regular inspection of water connections and fuel lines for wear or damage. An important part of the procedure is to start up all units and confirm that they are operational within their specified limits. Lastly, and most importantly, a worthwhile maintenance programme must instruct, after cleaning and testing and the fastening of appropriate test labels, how equipment should be packed away in such a manner that it could spring into instant life. Inflatable units have their own special procedures. All equipment appertaining to them needs first to be checked against the inventory list then the unit has to be inflated and monitored out for obvious leaks Particular attention must be paid to welded seams and the containment, doors and zips have also to be examined for damage or wear. Features like loops, light port holes, groundsheets, water sumps and curtains must also be inspected for damage or wear. Water systems have to be subjected to similar procedures. Features like detergent injection systems have to be inspected for blockages or signs of damage. The structures of the second-generation Mass Decon units, because they are mechanical and work on an articulated frame technology, are subject to different maintenance issues. They have an immediate advantage over the first generation products as absolutely no air whatsoever is involved when they are deployed. The strength of the inflatable, still the numero uno for INTERNATIONAL FIRE FIGHTER