The Keys to Successful Maintenance & Turnarounds

September 21, 2021

While Fall is just getting started, our Maintenance group is already focused on next Spring. Not because they want to bypass the colder weather, which is sure to come, but rather to ensure the maintenance and turnarounds scheduled during the Spring’s shutdown season all run smoothly.

Our team understands the critical role they play in optimizing the performance of industrial plants and facilities. They also understand the importance of safely completing the scheduled work within the allotted time. Our approach and processes have resulted in a successful track record exceeding 50 years. And we use our experience to continuously improve our execution. Here are some of the ways we ensure successful maintenance and turnaround work.

Advanced Planning & Staffing
We begin planning for our projects well in advance of the scheduled mobilization and match our craft supervision and skilled trades to the work requirements. We have an extensive labour force of qualified and skilled tradespeople from which to draw. Our crews are easily scalable to maximize efficiency. On one of our projects, the peak workforce exceeded 420 craft personnel.

Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
Our industry leading Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Management System provides a framework for excellence at all levels. It sets clear management expectations, detailing employee responsibilities and serving as a mechanism for continuous improvement. By placing the health and safety of our people, along with the protection of our communities and the environment above all else, we complete our projects on-time and in the safest, most responsible manner.

Quality
Our Quality Management System and Quality Control Manual provide a framework for attaining quality in every aspect of the work we perform. We believe in doing the job right the first time; as proven by our low weld repair rate of 1.5%. Our quality systems meet or exceed ISO:9001 standards and are reflective of the requirements of a full-service industrial contractor.

Self-Performance Capabilities
With the ability to self-perform numerous scopes of work, we maintain greater control over the cost, quality and project schedule. For our maintenance and turnaround services, we generally self-perform pipefitting, millwrighting, carpentry, welding, electrical and instrumentation, equipment operations, scaffolding, insulating and general labour scopes.

Equipment
We own more than 5,000 pieces of equipment, with a replacement value over $240 million (CAD). This includes a wide variety of general line construction, automotive, mining and other equipment. Our equipment is expertly managed by our in-house Equipment, Shops and Yards corporate support service, using a state-of-the-art enterprise resource planning and management system.

Vendor Evaluation
To ensure we adhere to stipulated maintenance and turnaround schedules, we only partner with vendors and suppliers who have the financial resources, relevant work experience, safety and quality track record and necessary operational capacity to execute the work to our high standards. Our Vendor Evaluation System evaluates and qualifies companies and personnel to ensure our subcontractors and suppliers are fully vetted prior to any project’s award. This qualification process ensures that the correct companies / persons are contracted and can be relied on to perform the work to our systems and standards.

After more than 50 years providing maintenance and turnaround services to industrial clients, we have become experts in executing the required work within the required timeframe. Our extensive network of craft labour and vendors, coupled with our HSE and Quality Management Systems, self-performance capabilities and our vast fleet of equipment, are key to ensuring the work is done safely, on-schedule, and to the highest quality.

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