I have read with interest several threads regarding the challenges facing the Insulation Industry in -, in my opinion the answer is several major challenges will need to be addressed particularly as we are on the verge of several high profile Cryogenic jobs which are about to break.
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I think for the most part the Specifications such as PU and Cellular Glass are more than fit for purpose if applied correctly to the specification. The big problem is the application and lack of skills within our Industry. In my opinion there are only between 10 and 15% of the TIEs in this country that are capable of carrying out cryogenic work to the required standard and before all the TIEs start slating me for that statement have a think about it and i am sure you will agree some of the guys that have rocked up on the major projects could not cover themselves in bed let alone carry out what we know should be a highly methodical Engineered application if done correctly.
We are currently relying on a few old hands who know the trade inside out. These guys learned their trade using inferior materials and cutting everything by hand using accurate templates they had pre-made. They did not have the advantage of the pre-cut vessel heads, bends, flanges and valves that turn up on a project now. they invariably made a better job with their limited resources than we do now with everything available. The reason for this is they developed a good understanding of what had to be achieved and how the had to achieve it through an engineered approach. For example how many guys do you know could build up a bend through three or four layers until the outer layer is a true lobster back?
Back to the present day and the cryogenic work which will break this year. Which ever companies are awarded the contracts the race will be on to recruit the best of the best to work on them. The pool of labour we will all be fishing from is very small but the projects are very large so inevitably the chancers and wannabes are going to turn up on site with their shiny new blades with no idea of what it takes to do a cryo application. As we all know some will get carried by their mates because that is the way it has always been. Some will get found out and be hoyed off the job mostly because the face does not fit and not because of the standard of work. This scenario has always occurred and will continue to happen until collectively as an industry we take action to stop it. We need a collective approach by the Thermal Insulation Companies, the clients and the operatives to address this issue of substandard work. This approached has to be Time and Skill centric.
The Insulation is always the last thing on the job and almost always treated as an afterthought by the client. The client must be made to understand that the massive investment they have made in plant and equipment will ultimately be inefficient if the Insulation is applied to a poor standard. This will cost possibly hundreds of thousands of pounds over the life-cycle of a plant which need not be spent if they have a system of up front planning prior to the insulation work starting.
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This system would involve a buy in from the client, the contractor and the operatives. A simple skills test on a selection of rigs would help with initial assessment of the operatives skills. This approach would certainly weed out the Billy the kids that turn up. This exercise would also sharpen up the Supervisors and Insulation Inspectors who would witness the process and know exactly what they are looking for in a TIE. This approach would also ensure that the TIE would need to plan his work and manage his time and effort on the job under a higher than usual scrutiny. Good TIEs who know their trade would not have a problem with this process but the rest would struggle.
As long as this process appeared at the RFQ stage of the tender the companies could factor this into their Tenders. The Client would inevitably have a higher front end cost but would ultimately save a fortune by having a fit for purpose plant that will run efficiently with minimal maintenance.
I would also suggest that projects should be scheduled on a reimbursable basis with a target cost ceiling. This would ensure some pressure is placed on the contractor to ensure realistic Industry Norm outputs are achieved but ease the time factor where a contractor has to flood a job with operatives that have inferior and sub-standard skill sets.
In summary we are all stakeholders and our responsibility is to improve standards and outcomes through engineering approaches to major projects. We need to allow time and develop training to ensure we are all winners and projects continue to be built in this country.