How Do Our Engineers Organize Equipment At A Loss?

Have you ever arrived at a large loss site and wondered, “how are the engineers going to keep all this equipment straight?” Well, as the old adage goes, “one bite at a time.” But what about keeping track of the machinery as it’s moved and repaired/replaced?

If the facility has a good asset numbering system and/or ID tags on the equipment, we’ll use that. But what if everything is burned away or covered in mud/debris/grease?

Here’s where a little resourcefulness comes into play. What has a number on it, is easy to see, and is weather proof? An animal ear tag. I get them from the nearest farm store in rural areas and carry a set with me for city work. Zip tie them onto the machinery, create a list by the tag number, cross reference that to any contractor list(s), or share the tag list, and now everyone can be on the same page.

Here are some pieces of equipment that we tagged at a site, the equipment was moved around and off the site, power washed, repaired, and returned, all with the tags still in place. All location tracking, work progress, and costs were tied to the tag number keeping everything well organized, plus, everyone talked about how practical and simple the solution was. This is just one idea a good Scope of Damage engineer with a process/production background could bring to your client’s recovery.

About the Author

Kenneth S. Marshall, P.E., MBA is President of EDT and has 30+ years of experience with many types of capital equipment and production facilities. He is located in our Cleveland, OH Office. EDT has engineers that provide consultation on industrial, commercial and residential incidents involving all types of equipment/machinery, buildings, processes, and marine. EDT services include origin and cause, failure analysis, and damage assessment. You may contact Ken for assistance in finding the best EDT engineer for your forensic engineering needs at ksmarshall@edtengineers.com or (440) 239-0362.

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