What is Mechanical Integrity? 6 Reasons It’s So Important For Industry Safety
The United States has a serious infrastructure problem. Public works keep failing across the nation. At the end of the day, it’s up to the construction industry to get them back in working order.
Fixing failed construction is hard enough as is. Nobody needs equipment failure to complicate things even more. These accidents lead to injuries, deaths, and structural problems.
Mechanical integrity, or MI, is a name for the measures taken to make sure that doesn’t happen. MI is being sure that all of your equipment is in good shape and works like it should. Here are six reasons why MI is so important.
1. Integrated Mechanics Gets the Job Done Faster
The longer a construction job goes on, the more money it costs in labor and related costs. If your equipment and other assets start breaking down, construction becomes even more expensive.
Broken machinery takes time to fix. In the age of COVID-19, service is hard to find. Important safety protocol means maintenance is even slower than usual.
This added time adds expenses and frustrates clients. Sometimes, failure to complete a construction project on time causes business or traffic problems. These kinds of issues are bad for your business.
2. Mechanical Integrity Gets Your Money’s Worth
Some contractors feel that mechanical integrity and workplace safety is an added expense. Rather than considering it part of the construction budget, they think of it almost as added pay for their workers. It’s an unearned privilege and a waste of money to them.
The reality of the situation is that inspecting, taking your time, and perfecting MI is in fact a money-saver. If you’re wondering how that works, consider that mechanical integrity means that workers do construction as planned and handle materials with care.
When mechanics aren’t integrated, machines and workers waste tools and materials throughout the process. This isn’t the workers’ fault, and machines can’t be held responsible. It’s up to you to make sure that MI procedures are in place.
With correct MI, you’ll get your money’s worth from all of your building supplies and tools because accurate construction happens on the first try.
3. Spending Time on Inspections Is Worth It
Checking assets and mechanics throughout your project might seem like a slow-down. After all, inspections don’t contribute to the final product and keep you from building.
It’s true that inspections do take added time and effort. Yet, not rushing past MI inspections is important.
Rushed or skipped inspections lead to construction problems as much as rushed construction does. It won’t matter how good your crew is if their jobs are difficult or impossible without MI.
Quality inspections set a positive tone for the rest of your build. You might not be a fan of the idea now, but going into a project with the knowledge that everything is up to snuff gives you peace of mind. You won’t have to worry as much about the project if you know that you did everything you can to make sure it goes smoothly.
4. A Mechanical Integrity Specialist Is a Big Help
It’s clear that mechanical integrity is key to successful construction. It’s not a weakness to hire a mechanical integrity specialist.
You might be a great foreman and know the philosophy behind MI. You might know the basics, but that doesn’t mean you know all of the ins and outs. The little things count, and small problems add up.
A specialist helps you keep track of all of your assets. You can also use mechanical integrity tools and software to optimize your habits. This link is a great place to learn more about the options you have for expert help.
5. Proper MI Saves Lives
One of the clearest benefits of ensuring mechanical integrity is workplace safety. Every time a workplace slacks on MI inspections, they’re putting workers’ lives in jeopardy. Millions of workers get injured on the job each year, but you can help change that.
For workers, integrated mechanics have an obvious benefit. Working around large machinery is no walk in the park. Assurance that construction assets won’t collapse or otherwise fail makes working construction less stressful and dangerous.
Easing the stress of the job improves work performance and construction quality. When workers aren’t afraid of machinery, they pay more attention to the work itself. This makes buildings safer for future tenants, employees, or other inhabitants and building users, too.
For employees and building planners and owners, there are added benefits. Integrating mechanisms in the correct way lays the foundation for workplace safety and structural integrity.
These features aren’t just important for saving lives. From a financial perspective, they’re an insurance policy.
If a MI failure injures workers, clients, or others, authorities could hold you responsible for the building and sue. Your construction project might be jeopardized and you risk losing a lot of money.
6. Mechanical Integrity Is the Law
If those reasons don’t make mechanical integrity important to you, you should know that MI isn’t a choice. Mechanical integrity is required by OSHA law.
Failure to follow their guidelines could result in fines or other penalties. A severe lack of MI could shut down your construction site or even discredit you as a worker, employer, or your entire building company.
Construction News to Prepare You for Success
Now you know what mechanical integrity is and why it’s important for industry safety. With this information in hand, you can get the most from your assets. By ensuring mechanical integrity, you can focus on the construction itself rather than worrying about whether assets will fail.
To get the rest of your project on the right track, check out more of this blog. We have everything you need to make sure that your next building project goes smoothly.
Take a look at another article today for more valuable construction and housing facts.