Page 257 - Boiler_Operators_Handbook,_Second_Edition

242 Boiler Operator’s Handbook

discharge the contents to the system. When the feeder is of some of the thieves. I have no respect for them and
flushed by a high differential pressure (a typical arrange- I have a problem with anyone that steals the owner’s
ment is from the system pump discharge to the same property. If you can’t be trusted with a little tool that
pump’s suction) it’s advisable to limit opening the feeder probably costs less than one hour’s salary how can you
inlet valve to limit thermal shock from any cold contents be trusted with a plant that costs thousands of dollars a
of the feeder. It also prevents sending a slug of chemicals day to operate?
into the system instead of a solution of them. I tried to institute a policy of loaning tools. That way
Failure to vent a pot feeder is a common problem. if an employee had a project going at home that required
Always flood it before putting it in service. If you don’t a particular tool he or she could borrow it, like taking a
then you stand the risk of having a compressed gas burp book from the library, and return it when finished with it.
blow concentrated chemicals on you when you attempt It included items that aren’t easy to steal like scaffolding
to open it. It’s also possible to send some air into the sys- and tall ladders. I was very disappointed to discover that
tem to collect in some obscure spot and restrict system some people felt it was more manly to steal a tool than
water flow. borrow it so the program didn’t work very well. Good,
To prevent loss of valuable sodium sulfite you wise, operators don’t steal the owner’s tools.
should keep the containers tightly closed. A sulfite mix It would be nice if more of us treated other people’s
tank for a chemical feed pump should have a floating property with respect. Please join me in doing that and
top or be otherwise sealed to limit atmospheric oxygen ask your boss if you can borrow a tool that you would
getting at the contents to consume the sulfite before it like to use at home. I still have something I stole that
even gets into the system water. I keep just to remind myself that I was very ashamed
Be careful mixing and handling caustic mixtures. afterwards, it wasn’t worth much at all and, had I been
I can still remember being so stupid as to try to use a caught, it could have cost me my career. Stealing may
piece of galvanized lagging as a funnel to add boil-out seem heroic and being one of the guys (male or female)
chemicals to a boiler drum. The gas and splashing from but it’s still stealing and somewhere down the road you
the reaction of that caustic solution and the galvaniz- will be ashamed of it. Try taking pride in the contention
ing could have blinded me or caused serious burns. that your plant has tools that have been there for years.
Aluminum and galvanized steel (actually the zinc in Another problem with small tools is breaking or
the galvanizing) react violently. I remember another in- damaging them. Wood chisels don’t cut nails very well
cident where someone used a galvanized bucket to mix and electric drills make lousy hammers. I do hope you
some caustic solution and it literally boiled out of the will treat the plant’s tools with as much care and atten-
bucket to create a hazardous spill and almost burned tion as you do your own.
the individual seriously. Batteries are another commodity that is frequently
converted to private use. Somehow people get the idea
that their alarm clock is required to get them to work
MISCELLANEOUS so the batteries should be provided by their employer.
Rags are another commodity that can be abused. I once
One consumable that a plant always seems to have discussed this matter with a plant chief that had a $500
troubles with is small tools. I can remember one chief per month rag bill! Nobody was stealing them neces-
that had a policy of buying seven of any new tool, one sarily they just wasted the darn things. Wise operators
for the plant and one for each of the operators to take should always treat every little thing supplied by their
home. He explained that by doing so he eliminated his employer as the employer’s property, not something
personnel stealing the tool and, since they all had one that somehow reverts to their possession.
at home, ensured the extra one he bought would be at Paper pads, pencils, erasers, scotch tape, and
the plant when it was needed. Even though his policy making copies, it doesn’t amount to much and many
seemed to work it didn’t speak well for those operators employers say to use those resources without concern
and I thought it was actually berating them. They didn’t because it costs them more to account for it than to let
seem to mind because they got new tools regularly but I you take it. Since I had an expense account I always
would have considered it an insult. allowed enough to cover the value of things I used. If
I can remember more stories about stealing of there’s no policy for using the owner’s property don’t
small tools and how many people treated it as an ac- take it. Between Wal-Marts and Kinkos on almost every
ceptable practice, even implying a respect for the skill corner there’s no reason to.