WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPERATOR LIFECYCLE DELIVERY – MAINTENANCE DELIVERY
Element of Competence:
Inventory Management
Context
Wastewater treatment systems can fail if there are no spare parts available to undertake required maintenance or repair of equipment used in the process. Holding spare parts for items that fail frequently has the benefit of allowing repairs to be undertaken immediately, instead of time being spent going to the market to search for the appropriate part. Wastewater Treatment plants can also require sufficient levels of chemicals (consumables) to be available for treatment processes. These need to be delivered to the site at the right time, and consumed on a “first in, first out” basis.
Outcome
The spare parts required to maintain, and repair equipment is known, along with where to source these parts. The quantity of parts stock held in storage is monitored, with replacement stock ordered in time. The quantity and quality of chemicals used on site is monitored, with chemicals used before they degrade in quality. Both chemicals and spare parts are used on a “first in, first out” basis.
To do this, Wastewater Treatment Operators need to be able to: ▪ Proactively identify what spare parts are needed to maintain and repair equipment. ▪ How to store parts correctly. ▪ Monitor the level of parts that are held in stock. ▪ Identify which parts are to be used first (i.e. the oldest) ▪ Proactively order adequate quantities of parts and consumables from the supplier, in accordance with the procurement policies of the wastewater service provider. ▪ When ordering chemical supplies, Wastewater Operators need to pay regard to the chemical specification, quality control, and certification requirements. Wastewater Operators need to be able to reject any chemicals supplied which do not meet the specified standard. To do this, Wastewater Treatment Operators need to know: ▪
What spares are held in storage at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
▪
That spares should be used on a “first in, first out” basis.
▪
What supplier provides spare parts and how to follow the organisations procurement procedures to obtain them.
▪
That standardisation of equipment and parts reduces the level of risk of equipment failure, because fewer types of each part need to be stocked which makes stock management easier and because it reduces the number of skills which need to be learnt to correctly install each part by the operators.
32