What are preventative maintenance checks in the context of waste management?

Preventative maintenance checks are regular inspections and work that prevents or mitigates potential issues that arise with waste management equipment and systems.

These checks are routinely performed to help ensure that waste management operations continue smoothly and efficiently, reducing the risk of breakdowns, malfunctions, and safety hazards.

Who needs to consider preventative maintenance checks?

Any individual or organization involved in waste management activities should consider regular preventative maintenance checks, this includes:

Commercial Establishments

This includes inspections of waste compactors, grease traps, recycling bins, and wastewater treatment facilities, where applicable. Effective maintenance helps prevent issues such as odours, leaks, and overflows.

Landfill Operators

Operators responsible for managing and maintaining landfills should implement regular preventative maintenance checks for equipment such as landfill compactors, bulldozers, leachate pumps, and gas collection systems. This helps ensure smooth landfill operations, including compaction of waste, control of leachate, and management of landfill gas emissions.

Recycling Facilities

Regular maintenance checks help to ensure efficiency in the recycling process and reduce the risk of breakdowns that could impede recycling operations. This could be done for sorting equipment, shredders, conveyors, balers, and other machinery.

In addition, Industrial facilities, municipalities, and local authorities should conduct regular preventative maintenance checks. This ensures that equipment is in good working condition and minimizes the risk of expenses and shutdowns due to malfunctions.

Key Aspects

What are the components of a preventive maintenance check? It can include:

• Inspections: Utilized to assess the condition of equipment such as waste collection trucks, compactors, shredders, and recycling machinery. This involves visual examinations, functional tests, and measurement of critical parameters.

• Lubrication and Cleaning: Did you know that moving equipment parts requires proper lubrication to reduce friction and wear? Routine preventative maintenance checks include applying appropriate lubricants and cleaning the equipment to remove debris and contaminants that may affect its performance.

• Calibration and Adjustment: Waste management equipment often relies on various sensors, gauges, and controls to operate effectively. These components must be calibrated and adjusted to verify that readings are accurate and that it is acting at peak performance.

• Replacement of Wear Parts: Some components in waste management equipment, such as belts, filters, blades, and hydraulic seals, experience wear and tear over time. During preventative maintenance, we can replace these parts before they fail or cause damages.

• Testing Safety Systems: Waste management operations involve handling potentially hazardous materials. Preventative maintenance checks include testing safety systems, such as emergency stop buttons, alarms, interlocks, and fire suppression systems, to verify their functionality and compliance with safety standards.

By conducting regular preventative maintenance checks, waste management organizations can minimize unexpected equipment failures, optimize operational efficiency, extend equipment lifespan, enhance safety, and reduce overall costs associated with repairs and downtime.

If you’re a Canadian commercial business looking to improve your waste management practices, contact AC Waste today!