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Posted On: 07/31/2007

IBEW recognizes Cooper InVision downtime-reduction system as critical to electrical safety

PlantServices.com

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has recognized the Cooper InVision Downtime Reduction System as being a product and program that can make a significant impact on its members in the field.

The system, introduced by Cooper Bussmann in spring 2007, is a wireless technology for industrial and commercial applications that can reduce downtime and increase productivity by more quickly identifying open-circuit events caused by short-circuits and overloads. Also of importance to the IBEW is that the system minimizes the potential safety risks to IBEW members and alerts maintenance workers of the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) to bring to the open-circuit location.

Edwin D. Hill, International President of the Washington, D.C.-based organization that is recognized as the voice of safety in the electrical industry, calls the Cooper InVision System “one of the progressive systems IBEW looks forward to seeing implemented in the field as quickly as possible.”  He adds, “There are several key advantages of this system that will help to minimize the potential safety risks to IBEW members.  … The system also has the potential to significantly reduce the downtime resulting from circuit openings.  I can tell you firsthand how critical this is for productivity in these highly-competitive times.”

The cost of unscheduled downtime is a problem that plagues almost every industry. A comprehensive study of manufacturing facilities found that an open-circuit event resulted in an average of 41 minutes of downtime – including 11 minutes on average to notify maintenance and 24 minutes on average for troubleshooting. Downtime costs can range from $300,000 to millions of dollars per site per hour. In addition to an idle workforce, downtime causes disruption to an integrated supply chain and the loss of scrapped work-in-process, both of which can be very expensive.

For more information, visit www.cooperbussmann.com/invision.