At a townhouse complex in Belleaire, Florida, a maintenance worker was treated for chlorine inhalation. The first thing that comes to mind is improper storage and while that was not what happened in this particular case, it still brings up an important point – asset management does more than just keep up with large equipment.
In the mentioned incident, the chlorine inhalation was possibly due to a malfunction of the automatic pool chemical system that mixes chemicals together. However, in other instances it may be due to improper storage and one way to keep stored items in the right area is by knowing where they are in the first place. A graduate student working in a UC Berkeley laboratory was covered in hazardous materials when reaching for a chemical on the top shelf. Not only was this chemical not stored properly but it also had aluminum foil on the top instead of a sealed cap, which caused the blue dye and strychnine to fall onto the student.
Asset Management Software allows you to input whatever you need to keep machinery and equipment in working condition, this also includes the chemicals used and stored within your building. For instance, you can include where it was bought, when it was bought, where it is located, and more. You can even add in notes that you need which gives you even more freedom of the data displayed. Safe storage is imperative to keeping employees (and sometimes even customers) from getting harmed.
From batteries to lawnmowers, this area of the software keeps you knowledgeable about everything you have in your maintenance shop and since it's available on the mobile app, you can access the data any place you are – even if you're not at the shop itself. This is also a good way to keep up with potential theft incidents and have a clean, safe, organized shop or storage area.
Read More: Keep Staff and Public Safe
An organized shop would not have helped in this particular case and thankfully the maintenance worker is okay. An organized shop will however, potentially help keep hazardous materials safely where they belong and easy to find as well. Don't risk your employees' safety by not knowing where your chemicals are kept.