Reducing remote-site breakdowns
SPARE PARTS Implementing and maintaining an inventory of critical spare parts will reduce unnecessary downtime, thereby reducing costs and saving time
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Ascot provides training programmes to easily identify, troubleshoot and maintain mine-site accommodation equipment to reduce technical support reliance
Mass accommodation and remote-site catering, laundry and hospitality solutions provider Ascot Site Solutions aims to ensure employee comfortability by reducing the risk of accommodation-related equipment breakdowns.
A remote site can have its own “frustrations”, but Ascot’s maintenance strategy allows for assisting mine-site accommodation maintenance teams by providing troubleshooting advice and solutions, explains Ascot Site Solutions MD Rhett Bellamy.
The company can provide mine-site accommodation solutions, including kitchen, laundry and refrigeration equipment and services, for mine camps of up to 16 000 mineworkers.
In addition to Ascot’s dedicated team of experienced technicians, who can be contacted through video calls to assist and, consequently, save on their having to make costly trips, the company also provides training programmes to easily identify, troubleshoot and maintain mine-site accommodation equipment.
Remote mine sites will often not have the correct spare parts – if any all – for essential accommodation-related equipment; any breakdowns will, therefore, severely impact on the daily operations of facilities.
The implementation of a spare parts management system is, thus, necessary, adds Bellamy, who notes that maintaining an inventory of critical spare parts will reduce unnecessary downtime, thereby reducing costs and saving time.
In addition to skills development and spare parts management, maintenance teams can conduct routine inspections and service mine-site accommodation equipment to identify any signs of wear and tear or to identify looming malfunctions.
Ascot suggests that the servicing of all mine-site accommodation equipment be done at least every third to fourth month to ensure equipment uptime and efficient operability.
Case in Point
A large mine, in Lesotho, had frequent breakdowns, as well as the wear and tear of laundry equipment at its central laundry facility, which resulted in costly repairs, downtime and an overall inconvenience to staff.
Ascot implemented a comprehensive maintenance strategy focused on preventative maintenance, staff training and the provision of critical spare parts on site, Bellamy tells Mining Weekly.
This was followed up by a schedule of regular maintenance checks and equipment servicing every four months.
Bellamy notes that, in the past two years since this strategy was implemented, the company has not received call-outs to the site to do emergency repair work.
He notes that, amid logistical challenges in Africa, there will always be situations where a large number of people need to be housed in close proximity to their places of work.
“Therefore, Ascot will continue to offer the same high-level service to its customers while continuing to look for growth opportunities,” concludes Bellamy.
Comments
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation