There are a lot of factors to consider when discussing the management of fuel for any company, project or site. Safety of fuel storage should always be a priority for site managers, ensuring that there is enough fuel available for operational circumstances that can change at any moment, whilst also providing better scope for analysis of fuel use data and information to tweak processes. That way, there can be greater efficiency of task completion, product application, control over costs, and a tightening of sustainability processes and reducing the carbon footprint of the company and the project at hand.
Why is fuel storage important?
An on-site fuel management system that is smart and allows for greater flexibility of operations and control over dispersal and costs is important for the future of any business. There are a few benefits to implementing such a system, including:
Keep contractors safe – any people that are on site and around fuel must be kept safe from harm at all times. Liquid fuels such as petrol and diesel are toxic to humans, and you must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure that every person is safe on site when around fuel. This is even more the case during refuelling operations and instances where there are deliveries by suppliers on site.
Meet regulatory compliance – as fuel is a dangerous substance to have on site and around humans, the better your on-site fuel storage and fuel management solutions, the safer your site will be, meeting industry regulations. As it is a highly flammable liquid, there is potential for fire to break out as well as dangerous vapours to be released, potentially causing serious harm. There needs to be a storage solution that is away from electrical sparks, naked flames and any other type of ignition point.
Prevent theft – smart fuel management provides real-time data of fuel and how it is being used, as well as the location of the unit at any given time. This helps to provide a better understanding of how to secure fuel and ensure it is as safe as possible from potential theft, which can be incorporated into wider security solutions for a site.
Cost-effectiveness – smart fuel management systems ensure that all data is accurate, and management can understand the peaks in supply and demand, learning how to best maximise performance with specific levels of available fuel. With better data analysis comes greater cost efficiencies across the board.
Smart fuel management
As we move deeper into the 21st century and the perils the world faces over climate change come clearer into focus, industries such as construction that have been responsible for huge percentages of global emissions, must find new ways to be smarter with how they use fuel and how they power projects and sites. Implementing a smart fuel management system is a priority for every construction company, and luckily there have been great strides made in recent years with the technology that allows for smarter tracking of fuel consumption and safer use and storage of fuel on site.
The benefits of smart, accurate tracking of fuel consumption and utilising this alongside your plant hire machinery and equipment, will help to ensure that a site is managed as efficiently as possible. As well as creating an efficient and productive process of work, smart fuel management and analysis will naturally reduce the carbon footprint of a company, as it provides accountability and transparency of all fuel dispersals, which can lead to greater management and efficiency as time moves on and tweaks are made to processes and storage solutions for fuel on site. For greater all-round efficiency and control over fuel costs and usage, smart fuel management is the future that needs to be implemented now at your company.
