The Benefits of Corrosion Inspections | Alpine Painting & Restoration

In industrial facilities, corrosion is inevitable. Constant exposure to chemicals, extreme temperatures, moisture, humidity, and other conditions can contribute to increased corrosion, which can significantly damage your facilities and your equipment and lead to costly repairs.

However, there are steps that you can take to help prevent and reduce corrosion in your facilities. Corrosion inspection can help you identify potential issues so you can treat them before they become a bigger problem, and routine coating can add a layer of protection that can stop corrosion in its tracks.

Below, we’ll discuss in more detail how these two steps will help extend the life of your assets and why you should trust Alpine Painting and Restoration for all your coating services in the Tri-State area. By being proactive, you can save significant money in the long term.

The Importance of Routine Inspections

Routine inspections should be built into your standard operating procedures. They are some of the most important steps you can take in your building because they can help you identify potential issues and make adjustments to mitigate the risk of them becoming larger problems.

During routine inspections, you can:

Detect early signs of rust, wear, or any potential coating failure. The sooner you catch the issue and provide corrosion control services, the less extensive the damage will become. Significant corrosion doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It builds up over time.
Prevent minor issues from escalating into costly structural damage. The deeper the corrosion, the more difficult – and expensive – it is to fix it. In some cases, you may need to fully replace the issue if the corrosion is too extensive. This will lead to significant downtime and costly repairs.
Identify opportunities to protect steel, concrete, and other critical industrial surfaces. As your building evolves, there may be more areas that are exposed to corrosive materials, which may need additional treatments. You can take steps to protect them prior to exposure.

The more often you conduct routine inspections, the more likely you and your team are to notice when something doesn’t look right. You will be able to identify at a glance if corrosion is starting and how long it has been there based on your most recent checks.

The Role of Protective Coatings

Protective coatings can help provide additional protection against corrosive materials. They provide barrier protection against moisture, chemicals, and UV exposure. That means that it’s harder for the corrosive chemicals to penetrate the barrier, thereby extending the lifespan of your assets.

Protective coatings also improve durability, making it harder for items to damage your machines, containers, and other materials within your facility. As a result, your industrial assets will experience increased performance and longevity. You won’t need to fix them as often, which can positively impact your production numbers.

Protective coatings work as part of a broader corrosion management strategy. These policies are often required to ensure buildings are compliant with industry standards. They outline how facilities should be monitoring and controlling corrosion to ensure it is a safe environment.

For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency outlines various requirements for secondary containment linings. These linings provide an additional layer of defense against harmful chemicals, and they are of extreme importance to the overall safety of plant operations. It is critical that you protect secondary containment structures to prevent unwanted environmental and building hazards.

Your protective coatings play an important role in promoting a safe work environment, so they must be properly applied and routinely inspected to ensure maximum performance.

Establishing Proper Maintenance Schedules

One of the best ways that you can reduce the impact of corrosion on your daily operations is to integrate routine inspections into your maintenance schedules.

As you create your maintenance schedule, consider the following:

The recommended inspection intervals will vary based on industry standards. Some industries may require daily or weekly inspections, while others may only require monthly or quarterly checks to remain compliant.
Ensure you tailor your routine inspection frequency based on the asset type, location, and exposure to corrosive materials. As a general rule, the higher the risk of corrosion, the more frequently the items should be inspected.
Identify convenient times to drive compliance. You don’t want to schedule inspections during the middle of production, especially if you have to shut down machines to do it. Instead, schedule inspections at the beginning or the end of shifts, overnight, or on weekends. That way, you can minimize downtime thanks to your efficient inspection planning.

The less disruptive you can make your checks, the better. If they are too complex or during busy times, it’s more likely that they may be skipped or deprioritized. Remember, the frequency at which you should conduct checks depends on the area’s exposure and any additional OSHA and/or compliance requirements.

Partner with your maintenance and production teams to ensure your routine inspection schedule works in practice and serves as an effective way to identify corrosion.

Standards and Best Practices

Most industries have guidelines in place when it comes to corrosion inspections. These are intended to help standardize processes, especially when it comes to managing potentially hazardous chemicals. As a result, all workplaces must adhere to them to remain compliant.

OSHA and the EPA offer varying requirements depending on the type of facility you work in, the chemicals you handle, and other contributing factors. By following these guidelines, you help to promote a safe and sustainable work environment.

Safety and compliance are of the utmost importance to us, and we’ve put together a robust safety document that outlines our compliance. This includes information that helps educate our team on the safe use, handling, and storage of hazardous chemicals.

We have policies and procedures that cover all types of materials and facilities, and our team is well-versed in these programs. Whether we are adding a coating to prevent corrosion or touching up an existing structure, Alpine Painting and Restoration Services has you covered.

Business Benefits of Proactive Inspections

Proactive inspections can provide real and tangible benefits to your business.

Extended life span of costly assets. Many of the items necessary to run your business are susceptible to corrosion, including machinery and structural steel. Proactive inspections can help you make quick adjustments when you identify a potential problem. As a result, they will remain in working condition longer, significantly improving your return on investment.
Provides long-term cost savings by avoiding major repairs. It is so much easier to make smaller repairs as needed than to tackle major ones. The best way to do this is through proactive inspections. You can mitigate problems before they become significant issues, providing financial savings over the long run.
Enhances workplace safety. Conducting routine inspections and maintenance is the right thing to do, especially as outlined by OSHA, the EPA, and other regulating bodies. This ensures that your potentially hazardous materials are cared for properly in ways that protect the facility and your employees. Employees want to work at a place where they feel safe, and proactive inspections can provide peace of mind.
Increased operational efficiency. When there are issues with corrosion, you’ll need to shut down your assets in order to fix them. These shutdowns often lead to significant downtime, which can impact your production and productivity. You may have to delay projects and miss goals, which can be costly to your organization.
Reduces environmental impact. Sustainability is top of mind for many consumers, and the more you can do to lessen your environmental impact, the better. Additionally, if there are leaks, spills, or other issues that seep into the environment, you could face significant fines and damage to your reputation. You can avoid that risk by conducting corrosion inspections.

While inspections and protective coatings can be an investment, they are worth it in the long run to protect your assets and the continued health of your business.

Why Choose Alpine for Coating & Corrosion Management

Alpine Painting and Restoration has decades of expertise in commercial and industrial coatings in Pennsylvania and beyond. We offer various specialty coatings that can help with corrosion management, and our team of highly-skilled professionals will work with you to understand which is best for you.

We proudly serve the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Tri-State areas, with hundreds of happy clients. Their testimonials demonstrate how we are a trusted partner for all your inspection, maintenance, and recoating services needs.