Safety Procedures for Servicing a Hot Oil Pump

Hot oil pumps deliver hot oil through the use of pressure. When one of these machines has a fault or breaks down completely, it has to be fixed. It's important that when working on heavy equipment such as this, you follow all of the necessary safety precautions to avoid potential accidents that could lead to personal harm.

Power

• Whenever you're working on any sort of machinery, hot oil pumps or otherwise, it's critical that you disconnect all power sources. Additionally, once the power has been shut off, make sure that you lock it out that way and attach a maintenance tag so that all persons who might turn the switch on will know to check with you and the maintenance team before touching the switch.

Work Area

• It's important that you have a clean, hazard-free area in which to work. Unfortunately, things don't always break down in clean, well-swept rooms, so you might need to wipe up a mess before you start working on the pump. If there's water or oil on the floor, this is a slipping hazard as well as a fire and electrical hazard. If there are cumbersome objects in the way, then you need to move them so that you have unrestricted access to the pump for servicing purposes.

Safety Equipment

• Make sure that you have on all necessary safety protection gear before you start work. Safety goggles and work gloves are good protective gear as are steel-toed boots to prevent foot injuries. Hard hats may be required, especially if you're in an area where you might be subject to falling items.

Parts and Components

• Keep track of all parts and components when disassembling the hot oil pump. Every part has a purpose and a function, and it should correspond to a chart of the pump that you're working on. If you have left-over parts and components, chances are you forgot to put something back; and if you're trying to order new parts, it always helps to know the proper name of the component you're ordering.