Gulf Oil Spill Call For CMMS Preventive Maintenance and Inspections

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has created a monstrous oil slick rapidly approaching coastal waters. Our fragile ecosystems will not be the only areas we will see damage in. Coastal properties as well as business that thrive on coastal economics must have their guard up. Potential property damage for hotels and resorts goes beyond the cleanup of beaches as some of the damage may not be visible for several months or visible at all until there is equipment failure.

Damage to Hotels Recreational Facilities
In addition, oil residue can buildup or be deposited on recreational facilities such as jet-ski's, watercraft, para-sailing, beach front pools. This equipment should be inspected more frequently for oil residues. Oil residues can dry out disrupting mechanical movements or can be tracked into pools directly from beach area contaminating pool quality. In addition, oil stains many surfaces, so now would be a good time to apply preventive coatings. In addition, if waterfront operations are suspended this is a great time to use your CMMS to schedule preventive maintenance, inspect for corrosion or complete a work order. Every asset not in use for an extended period of time must be checked before subsequent consumer use.

Prevent Health Hazards with an EAM/CMMS
It is critical that preventive maintenance for Hotel assets be performed to protect them from oil damage. For example, sea breezes may carrying toxic fumes into Resort air filtration systems. The odor can infiltrate enclosed areas causing nausea to guest or settling on furniture. To defend against this, filters on the HVAC systems should be inspected and changed frequently to prevent odors and stop the residual oils from gumming up moving components of the system. Another area is potential fire hazards. I have seen more than one beach front property with a sand ditch caused by the changing tide running from the ocean directly to the property and even touching a buildings. This ditch can fill with oil. All fire extinguishing equipment and procedures should be double checked. Remembering that oil is flammable, it is good to check anything that has come in contact with the water and avoid drying out near open flames or heat sources.