Maintenance period will bring together around 150 companies to perform over 4,000 services
Between May 14 and 24, Klabin’s Monte Alegre Unit in Telêmaco Borba will perform its annual Maintenance Shutdown. More than 4,000 services will be executed over 11 days on the equipment at the unit to ensure the safety and continuity of the operation.
The Maintenance Shutdown is compulsory for companies that have machinery such as boilers and digesters. Completing the tasks on schedule requires a large number of workers, many of whom work exclusively in pulp and paper mill shutdowns. “In this short time span, complex maintenance tasks will be carried out, which require specialized manpower. These are very specific jobs which require intensive training specifically for the tasks and hence many of these companies work only on maintenance shutdowns and travel across the country performing this activity,” explains Luiz Francisco Barbosa de Almeida, Manager of Maintenance Engineering and Planning at the Monte Alegre Unit.
During the maintenance period, people might sense odors or hear noises in the vicinity of the plant. According to the Environment coordinator at the Monte Alegre Unit, Henrique Luvison Gomes da Silva, various preventive measures were taken jointly with the maintenance planning teams to reduce the impact, including monitoring noise levels in the city. “We carried out tests to measure how much impact would the equipment restart have on the community. With that, we reorganized a few services so that the population is not inconvenienced at night or early morning,” said Henrique.
Booming economy
The Maintenance Shutdown period is reflected in healthy economic indicators for the community of Telêmaco Borba and the region, with retail sales picking up and temporary jobs created. According to data from the Employment Agency and recruiting firms in the city, 330 temporary jobs were created in 2018 to meet the demand from the Maintenance Shutdown in Monte Alegre. Among the functions with most hires are security personnel for confined spaces, scaffolders, firefighters and nursing technicians.
With the increase in the circulation of people, commerce in the region also heats up. According to Marcelo Diniz, chairman of the Commercial and Business Association of Telêmaco Borba (Acitel), this is a period of good business. “Store owners prepare for this moment. It is the ideal opportunity to sell more, as workers who come for the Shutdown consume local products and services,” he noted.
more at: https://www.klabin.com.br/en/press/news/