1/2016
How the Debris Cap Puts a "Cap" on Maintenance Costs
Valves and pipes are like veins in the body, they carry the important lifeblood of society all over a city. Pipes transport water and gas, necessary utilities, to residents and businesses and when they are not functioning as they should it is very frustrating. For this reason, municipalities and utility companies employ many individuals to help service and maintain those pipes and valves and keeping them working properly. This is because if pipes and valves are damaged or not working correctly it is not just an aggravation but potentially dangerous as well. The amount of time spent maintaining pipes and valves, as well as other factors, make maintenance very expensive. With the simple addition of Debris Caps, any city or utility company can put a "cap" on maintenance costs and save a lot of money.
Debris caps are installed in minutes and are very easy to retrofit to any valve or pipe. Debris caps work to prevent any debris - dirt, trash, water, or any other debris from accumulating in pipes and valves. This may seem like no big deal, but when debris accumulates it can cause erosion or other damage. As pipes and valves erode or become damaged the risk of a break becomes less of an "if" and more of a "when." This liability is significant for cities and utility companies and thus it is in their interest to keep pipes and valves clean. Simply sending a utility worker frequently can certainly achieve this but it can be dangerous for utility workers to access pipes and valves as well as maintain them. For this reason it is important to limit the amount of maintenance pipes and valves need so that utility workers do not have to be put at risk as often. If a utility worker is injured on the job it is not just an inconvenience but their employer is responsible for workers compensation and maybe even other litigation so debris caps are a small, inexpensive way to help reduce the risk. Because liability is reduced, employers become OSHA compliant and can even reduce the cost of their insurance. By reducing the amount of time utility workers spend on maintenance it not only improves their safety but also reduces the man hours needed for maintenance which helps cut costs. And, with color coding and the addition of 3M locator coils time spent finding pipes and valves is made easy and quick - no more endless searching for a pipe or valve. With the addition of a simple Debris Cap, all of these small changes add up to big savings on maintenance costs that any city or utility company will appreciate.