Operations within the mining, petrochemical, construction, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical industries that use compressed air equipment are confronted with numerous hazards daily, often resulting in varying degrees of injuries and in some cases fatalities. Although there are a number of underlying causes of these accidents - improper maintained air compressors is one of the common causes of equipment-related injuries. In light of this, proactive maintenance not only plays a significant part of the safety of operations that use compressors, but also an important role in the productivity and sustainability.
Rand-Air, market leaders in portable compressed air and power generation rental understands that for an air compressor to perform at optimum, regular services and preventative maintenance is essential. It is for this reason that businesses are advised to rent equipment as opposed to buying - this ensures a preventative maintenance approach and eliminates the stress of reactively maintaining equipment when the need arises.
“By appointing a reputable company with the required capability and skills to undertake complete responsibility for both the technical and safety issues of equipment rental, businesses are able to concentrate on their core business,” says Craig Swart, Fleet Manager at Rand-Air. “There are a number of reasons that we follow a scheduled, preventative approach on our air compressors but quality and safety remain the overriding influences.”
One of the most significant aspects of proactive maintenance is that downtime can be scheduled accordingly. “Addressing compressor failures only when there is a need has the potential to stop production and can result in missed deadlines and project incompletion. Calling out a technician on such short notice is a costly exercise and can delay production even further if emergency parts need to be ordered,” he adds. A rental partner that has a full equipment solution package ensures best practice in terms of compressor maintenance which in the long run can save businesses money.
“As a rental partner, we understand that we are not only responsible for being reliable – we are also responsible for making our customers reliable. Because our customers are our priority, the onus lies on us to prevent glitches or malfunctioning of equipment which in turn allows them to deliver their products, materials or service in a timely manner without any unnecessary postponements. This has a positive impact on their business reputation and customer satisfaction.”
In mining specifically, occupational health and safety challenges in South Africa are amongst the biggest causes of injuries and fatalities.[1] “Air compressors in any industry that is not operating at a satisfactory level poses a serious threat to the working environment and its people. A preventative maintenance strategy is therefore critical to guarantee the safe working order of the equipment and is key to lowering the chances of injuries or accidents.”
While there are many positive aspects of well-maintained air compressors, the ability to comply with rising environmental regulations also increases. Not only that, small fixes that work according to a program helps compressors run efficiently at all times and benefits businesses from a fuel and energy saving perspective.
“Over the past 43 years, Rand-Air has accumulated a fleet that adheres to specification requirements, enabling us to adapt suitable procedures for each compressor or generator rental contract. We understand the importance of serving diverse industries by ensuring that all our agreements meet the maintenance needs through preventative and proactive processes,” concludes Swart.
About Rand-Air
Rand-Air has an extensive fleet of over 700 Atlas Copco compressors and generators, with a strong presence in Southern Africa, spread across 12 branches and agencies. The company are market leaders in portable compressed air – offering the largest range of technology oil-free compressors, complemented by a selection of generators.Rand-Air’s team are highly qualified with extensive knowledge and are well-known for their exceptional customer service.
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