As the second decade of
the 21st century draws to a close, we find ourselves, as individuals and businesses, facing what is arguably the greatest challenge in the history of civilization: the reduction of global warming.
The influence of the
RAM community on the environment was recently brought to light with October 2019’s devastating round of forest fires in California. Fueled by a combination of changing climatic conditions and the state of repair of allegedly aging electrical-transmission infrastructure (which is now under investigation and faulted as the ignition source[s] of the main fire), the seemingly endless inferno resulted in hundreds of thousands of evacuations and unprecedented major forced blackouts of the
electrical grid across the state for days at a time.
Throughout all industrial, facility, and fleet operations, the state of asset repair has a huge influence on not only the effectiveness and efficiency of the asset and its impact with regard to operations and stakeholder availability, but also on the environment through excess energy use, effluence and emmission discharge, and consumable materials
dumped in landfills.
FACING THE
CHALLENGE
To make a difference, the RAM community must strive to maintain assets at a sustainable level that ensures effectiveness, efficiency, and minimum impact to natural resources. In other words, we need to design maintenance programs to meet the needs of the present, without compromise to future generations, following the three pillars of sustainability: profit, people, and planet.
As individuals, each of
us leaves a fingerprint on everything and everyone we touch. If our understanding and efforts are focused on sustainability, the collective fingerprints can, and will, make a major change to the corporate eco-footprint and the environment at large.
Ironically, maintaining
and operating assets in a sustainable manner is not difficult. It simply requires good planning, scheduling, and consistent application of basic maintenance principles in cooperation with operator/stakeholder asset use. Congruent to the effectiveness and efficiencies driven by this approach, equipment not only runs better and more cleanly, it uses less energy, minimizes emissions, and requires less consumable
changeouts.
LET'S FOCUS FOR THE FUTURE
I want to issue a challenge to the RAM community for the year 2020, and ensuing decade: Let’s put a focus on Asset Management Sustainabllity, which we know will drive efficiency and effectiveness. In our approach, primary quantification will be sought and brought to light through an environmentally focused lens. This “Fingerprint to Footprint” initiative will highlight how individuals in the
workplace can collectively make a contribution to future generations, the planet, and the corporate bottom line.
Watch The RAM Review
for my upcoming “Fingerprint to Footprint” article, showing how to structure your sustainability approach to RAM improvement.
kbannister@theramreview.com
