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Abstracts: Who can forget one of the grimmest
tragedies of the century that occurred on December 3rd
1984 in Bhopal in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Often
cited as the Hiroshima of the chemical industry, the
Bhopal tragedy stands out as a classic example of gross
violation of standard maintenance practices in
industrial circles. As all of us know on that fateful
night, the Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant
released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas,
immediately killing nearly 3,000 people and ultimately
causing at least 15,000 to 22,000 total deaths.
According to one report, “virtually every relevant
safety instrument” was “either in short supply,
malfunctioning or designed improperly”. From this tragic
tale the single most important message is loud and clear
- ‘MAINTENANCE COME WHAT MAY,’ is the only way to
achieve smooth operations of instruments. And let us not
think that this has relevance only to heavy industrial
components but it is of equal significance in the
diagnostic industry.
Failure in maintenance can result in loss of time,
reputation and accuracy. Failure of instruments for a
day or few hours causes losses to the business as we are
in a competitive world. To avoid this all instruments
should be maintained properly.
Simple Yet Important
Maintenance issues must be uppermost in the minds of the
laboratory personnel right from the time of purchase.
One must ponder on the following aspects:
Is the staff capable of handling the sophisticated
instrument?
Who will take care in event of breakdown?
Are the services and spares readily available?
So sometimes it is better to opt for a slightly less
advanced local version than go for an
ultra-sophisticated imported model.
Also installation of any equipment needs to be given due
attention. The place chosen, the electric supply and
easy accessibility are some of the issues that need to
be thought about. After carefully unpacking the
instrument and placing it in the right spot, the
instruction manual must be perused thoroughly and
understood properly. Often the manuals are found sealed
in the same condition as they are supplied and the seal
opened only years later during the first breakdown of
the equipment! Such a practice is detrimental as the
useful information contained within is lost on the users
and then there is no use crying over split milk and
blaming the manufacturers. The manual often gives useful
tips .about. routine care, proper electric supply,
trouble-shooting guide, etc, and hence the manual should
be regarded as a very vital accessory and preserved with
utmost care.
For full text of this article contact the publisher on
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