Overview
- Company Vale
- Industry Mining and Energy
- Beneficiary Industrial Maintenance
- Solution Remote monitoring of UPSs
The Company
Vale is one of the largest mining companies in the world, with a significant global presence, specializing in metals and minerals. With thousands of employees and operations in several countries, Vale is recognized for its performance in the mining, logistics and energy sectors. The company is dedicated to occupational safety practices and the continuous improvement of its operational processes.
The Challenge
Vale was facing challenges in terms of the safety of its employees when they were checking UPSs in the field. This process exposed workers to 12 medium risks, with the most critical risk being that of an electric arc or short circuit. The challenge was to implement a solution that would eliminate these exposures while maintaining the efficiency of the monitoring process.
The Solution
The solution applied was to implement a remote monitoring system for the nobreaks, eliminating the need for employees to be directly exposed to risk. This system not only reduced electrical risks, but also increased efficiency and safety in the monitoring process.
The solution was developed and presented at the Participatory Management (PM) event for the Continuous Improvement Meeting, in the Kaizen Third category, which involves applying continuous improvements to operational processes, such as Kaizen, CCQ, PDCA, among others.
Implementation
The project was presented during the three stages of Vale's Participatory Management event. In the first phase, Area Management (GA), which involved 247 participants and 20 works, our solution won 1st place in the Kaizen Third category.
In the second phase, General Management (GG), which involved more than 1,000 people and 64 entries, our solution was awarded the 2nd place, standing out among the electrical, instrumentation, automation, mechanical and vulcanization areas.
The continuous improvement event was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of the Kaizen developed to management. The automation service dashboard provided greater visibility of the areas with the highest recurrence of corrective maintenance, enabling process improvements to be implemented. It also brought innovation and practical access to information. GA's recognition of this work was a great achievement, celebrated by the whole team.
Lorena Araujo dos Santos
- Automation Analyst Pl
As a Vale contractor, it was a privilege to take part in this event. The remote monitoring of the nobreaks had a significant impact on the safety of our employees and, at the same time, contributed to the continuous improvement of Vale's operations. Recognition in the competition stages was a great victory for the whole team.
Lorena Kelly Santos
- Automation Analyst Pl