Recently a dealership experienced a 500-gallon release of new lube oil when overnight one of the overhead lube oil distribution lines sprang a leak. The air powered pump at the oil tank detected a pressure drop and fired off. With no one around to see the oil spewing out of the broken line, it kept operating until the entire contents of the tank had been pumped out onto the shop floor, creating a tremendous mess. Many dealerships fail to secure the supply of compressed air to these pumps at the end of each workday. Thus any pipeline failure could result in a similar incident.
If your dealership operates these air driven oil distribution pumps it is important to ensure that, after hours, the supply of compressed air to these pumps is secured. A common way to achieve this is to shut off power to your air compressor and bleed your air lines. You may have other procedures that would work as well but the key is having an employee in charge of the process every day.
Tags: compliance tip of the month, EPA