Maintenance, Repair and Operations Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

20/02/2023 Shop air gets the squeeze April 2022 saw the launch of a taskforce targeting a 10% reduction in the energy consumed by compressed air systems. Steed Webzell details the campaign’s key messages » Read More

01/02/2023 Details really do matter Dominic Dawson, chief engineer, Zurich Engineering, who is the new chair of BES, discusses the safety and compliance issues raised in last month‘s article ‘Details Matter’ » Read More

24/01/2023 Minimising the risk of summer downtime Dave Palmer, general manager for the UK and Ireland at ICS Cool Energy, explains how manufacturers can future-proof their temperature control equipment – and their productivity – against the effects of unplanned summer downtime » Read More

23/01/2023 Making the grade: gas analyser calibration and maintenance Calibrating and maintaining a gas analyser is a critical business, with the potential of fines and even plant shutdowns for any companies reporting incorrect readings » Read More

09/01/2023 Construction: levelling up National Highways has found a standardised way to measure the autonomous capabilities of construction equipment, but the technology needs to be accompanied with immediate action » Read More

09/01/2023 Zoning in on site safety People and plant working together on site present a potentially fatal interface. Might zonal working be the answer? » Read More

09/01/2023 When you’re in a hole... Environmental lobbyists are again raising concerns over methane emissions, stating that reducing them can be very effective in tackling climate change. Their finger points squarely at the oil and industry where there is demonstrable waste ... » Read More

09/01/2023 Construction: time to get risk-averse The construction industry is crying out for a statistical approach to identifying and mitigating safety risks. With the new Construction Risk Library project, it might just have arrived » Read More

09/01/2023 Construction: the call of nature New rules on improving biodiversity during the development of industrial parks are coming soon, demanding net gains in site ecology » Read More

09/01/2023 Bearing useful news A new approach to condition monitoring relies on computers making their own connections on bearing health from large datasets. By Toby Clark » Read More

09/01/2023 Heartbeat of a motor Electrical signature analysis (ESA) is an adaptable, powerful and non-invasive approach to condition monitoring in electro-mechanical equipment such as electric motors and generators. It can provide comparable diagnostic information to ... » Read More

09/01/2023 Optimising pumps for efficiency Given the global rise in energy costs, there has never been a better time to review and assess the efficiency of your pumping systems – whatever their size, complexity or indeed area of operation. Basic information and guidance on ... » Read More

09/01/2023 Ex repairs The requirements placed on the individuals and organisations involved in the repair and service of Ex-rated electromechanical equipment. By Thomas Marks, general manager and secretary of the Association for Electrical and Mechanical Trades » Read More

09/01/2023 Keeping cleanrooms clean Understanding how to monitor and properly maintain cleanroom environments is critical to guarantee the best possible performance. Tom Austin-Morgan reports on how to reduce the risk of contamination » Read More

09/01/2023 Maintaining cobots Cooperative robots (cobots) can augment job roles and come with minimal maintenance requirements. Who steps in when repairs are needed? » Read More

09/01/2023 The power of cloud-based quality management Manufacturing has a history of moving at a glacial pace when adopting new technology such as cloud-based solutions, but cloud is not new anymore. In recent years, cloud computing and SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) have begun to dominate. ... » Read More

09/01/2023 Cyber updates What is the Cyber Assessment Framework, and should you consider implementing a cyber security programme? » Read More

19/12/2022 Safety leaders The Sir Moir Lockhead safety award recognises leaders in operational safety around the world. In this, the fourth year of the award, two winners are profiled » Read More

19/12/2022 H&S standards: changing of the guard ISO 45001, occupational health and safety (OH&S), management is intended to help develop a framework to improve safety, reduce workplace risks and create safer working conditions. It has supplanted OHSAS 18001 since March 2021. By David ... » Read More

19/12/2022 On the rise - lift maintenance developments Technologically-powered connectivity via Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices is driving time, cost, and environmental changes in the lift industry » Read More

19/12/2022 Musts when decommissioning buried storage tanks Underground storage tanks (USTs) provide an invaluable resource, but eventually their working lives come to an end and they need to be removed. How can that be done in an environmentally safe and hazard-free way? » Read More

19/12/2022 VAT and the domestic reverse charge On 1 March 2021, HMRC overhauled VAT liability within the construction supply chain by introducing a new VAT reverse charge. This affects a wide range of contractors and subcontractors throughout the construction industry, from those ... » Read More

19/12/2022 A squash and a squeeze The HSE’s Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 defines them as “any place including any chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, pipe, sewer, flue, well or other similar space in which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably ... » Read More

19/12/2022 Taking the lead Lagging indicators have been used in the construction industry to measure safety for decades, but a programme of work, Discovering Safety, involving HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and the University of Manchester, is investigating an ... » Read More

19/12/2022 Supporting the Elizabeth line The Elizabeth line (formerly Crossrail) is the new mass-transit railway spanning London from East to West. It has been opening in stages over the past couple of years, to great acclaim. Next year, there may be up to 24 trains an hour ... » Read More