False economy

Avoid the use of instrumentation that may have low first cost, but is very expensive to operate or maintain. Blind controllers, for example, are completely unsatisfactory for most applications. The author has seen examples of temperature controllers set at the factory, but with no method of readout or calibration. These almost always require retrofitting of additional instrumentation later. Internal level floats on process vessels that require plant 

Branan, C. R., The Process Engineer s Pocket Handbook, Vol. 2, Gulf Publishing Co., 1983. 

This is a mode of control that causes the output of a controller to change in a linear fashion to the error signal. 

This is a control algorithm that attempts to eliminate the offset (caused by proportional control) between the measurement and the setpoint of the controlled process variable. This control mode remembers how long the measurement has been off the setpoint. 

This is a mode of control that anticipates when a process variable will reach its desired control point by sensing its rate of change. This allows a control change to take place before the process variable overshoots the desired control point. You might say that derivative control gives you a little kick ahead. 

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Select the techniques to be used. Decisions on the number of trials is invariably coloured by cost, but always check they are balanced otherwise it may be false economy... 

Our survey of the activities of the Government, industry and voluntary bodies in the control of pollution discloses several issues which need further enquiry. The first and most difficult of these is how to balance the considerations which determine the levels of public and private expenditure on pollution control. Some forms of pollution bear more heavily on society than others some forms are cheaper than others to control and the public are more willing to pay for some forms of pollution control than for others. There are also short and long-term considerations in the short-term the incidence of pollution control on individual industries or categories of labor may be heavy but. . . what may appear to be the cheapest policy in the short-term may prove in the long-term to have been a false economy. 

The quotation in Section V contains the words "what may appear to be the cheapest policy in the short-term may prove in the long-term to have been a false economy." Give some examples of this. 

V thout such a commitment from management, process safety management will be far more difficult and time-consuming to implement. An initiative that lacks a collective sense of utgency and priority is likely to be carried out piecemeal, despite the best efforts and intentions of its champion. Over time, piecemeal implementation is a false economy, since it is likely to take longer and cost more most important, it is very likely to be less effective. PSM is a continuous process, not an event, or a series of discrete activities. Without continuity, the process can easily break down. 

The golden rule, therefore, is to deal only with consultants, contractors, plant suppliers and water-conditioning experts whose experience and standing are known to be good. If there is any doubt, references should be sought and followed up. Water and effluent installations are a relatively minor cost item in any plant, but their failure can be disastrous. It is foolish to make false economies on so essential a service. 

The three most likely types of operational service misuse are overloading, incorrect lubrication and the presence of contaminants. Overloading is primarily due to the use of too small or too weak a gear unit, and this may be the result of false economy (installing an available unit for an application beyond its capacity) or failure to cater for the effects of shock loads in calculations of power rating. 

For painted structures it is essential that an additional paint coating be applied as soon as there is evidence of paint breakdown. The Protective Coating Sub-committee of BISRA recommend painting of steel surfaces when 0-2-0-5% of the surface area shows evidence of rust. Delay in repainting may be a false economy, as if rusting is extensive it may be necessary to clean down to bare metal before paint can be applied. 

Water softeners are relatively low-cost items and, irrespective of background rationale, a reluctance to provide such pretreatment equipment where deemed necessary generally is a false economy. 

A few doctors have been known to talk (sometimes proudly) of conduct that has more to do with greed than good medical practice they try to economize on the volume of peel solution by whatever means they can. Technically, it is of course possible to use less solution for a full-face peel, but this kind of misplaced economy is not to be recommended. The efficacy of a phenol peel is also dependent on the total quantity of phenol that is applied to the skin and that reaches the dermis. If too little phenol is applied, the results will be inadequate and in the long run it will cost the doctor more to do touch-ups than to apply the right amount of good quality solution in the first place. As in many other areas, false economies do not make a fortune. 

There is no way to get new products on the market when the chemical is a substitute for existing materials, except through a vigorous program of applications research and technical service. This is a necessary adjunct of the true research function, for without the commercialization of new products the costs of research represent an expensive hobby. As long as the apparent uses have promise and are economically sound, money must be put into this phase at a rate that will ensure speedy acceptance of the product. It is false economy to operate at a rate such that sales for the chemical will be delayed for any considerable period of time. The old maxim to strike while the iron is hot should be applied at this point. Establishing of markets promptly often means the difference between a highly successful project and complete failure. 

Field tests have shovm that 2 out of 14 traps in normal tracing service were malfunctioning because of dirt under the disc. Providing strainers for each and every tracer to prevent possible trouble during startup is undoubtedly false economy, especially when the frequency of such problems appears to be no more than 5%. A better solution is to install a strainer in each small header to feed a number of tracers, thereby covering all systems. 

It is false economy to short-change calibration. The point has been made that it is not a once and for all procedure. However, following a comprehensive calibration it is usually only necessary to carry out periodic checks. It seems to be the case that equipment functions better if its use is limited to a restricted range of temperatures rather than being used for all temperatures - but this has financial implications It is important to keep a full record of the calibration procedures, periodic checks and all the results. 

In recent decades, companies have been relentless in their drive to reduce headcount. The pressures to do so have often resulted from mergers and acquisitions where the justification for the merger was that overlapping and duplicated functions could be eliminated, thus resulting in the elimination of unnecessary jobs. However, such cuts may represent a false economy indeed merging two organizations may actually require a temporary increase in the number of service personnel so that the two different systems and cultures can be integrated successfully. 

There are differences in the cost of different types of shielding materials and in the approach that is taken to provide adequate protection. A cost-benefit analysis is always appropriate in selecting or designing any experimental system. On the other hand, selecting too inexpensive an approach can be a false economy. The person making the decision may be the one injured or killed if the protection is insufficient. There is always the question of hability if others are injured and, finally, there is always the ethical question of what should have been done if one only did what was minimally required to be done and a person was injured as a result... 

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