Dow Chemical Iberica, S.A.

1989.01.01 / 1993.09.07-Dow Chemical Iberica, S.A. (filial de Dow Chemical Company) (es.dow.com). Maintenance Deputy Chief and Head of Preventive-Predictive Maintenance (PPM). La Pobla de Mafumet (Tarragona). American multinational producer of hydrocarbon derivatives, among others, ethylene and polyethylene. Sector: Petrochemical.

 

Description of the company

Dow Tarragona produces for sector like: packaging, industry, food, infrastructure, energy or automotive, among others. It works continuously, with programmed shutdowns of the plant every 5 years.

In hierarchical dependence of the Maintenance Manager of the Tarragona North site. Functional reporting: the 5 area managers of the departments. Full responsibility for the coordination of the Maintenance areas, planning and control, department costs, safety, Employee Satisfaction Surveys, etc.

Main challenges

There was no specific challenge. The challenge was the position itself. Cover it and work as an engineer for the first time.

Solutions adopted

  1. Participate in investments and manage several of them.

  2. I was part of the Preventive-Predictive Maintenance team.

  3. I participated in the preparation of the general shutdown that was held every 4 years, and I supervised a team.

  4. To coordinate safety programs, especially the Behaviour program, based on measuring people’s behaviour towards safety.

  5. To coordinate at the Spanish level the project to replace asbestos material with graphite.

  6. As assistant to the Maintenance Manager, to coordinate all projects and programs involving the participation of more than one department.

  7. Coordinate the implementation of the Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS), made by the company itself at its Midland headquarters, called EMTS.

Achievements

  1. For my report on the stoppage of the ethylene cracker in Dow-Terneuzen (Netherlands) and its comparison with ours, I received the award for the best employee of the year from the Tarragona site, which I repeated the following year for the project to change Asbestos material by graphite in joints and gaskets of static and rotating equipment, as well as by the implementation of the new EMTS maintenance software carried out by the company itself in Midland (USA).

  2. We introduced a cultural change in safety, through the American Behaviour program, based on the measurement of human behaviour towards safety. Accidents with sick leave and without sick leave were reduced by 15%.

  3. We reduced the number of incidents in the rotating machinery of the site by 20%, by introducing 10 in-line vibration probes on critical machines, directly connected to the production control panel.

Experiences learned and / or consolidated, added to previous roles

  1. The value of a grouping work. It was a company with a high degree of camaraderie and empathy among employees.

  2. The application of values ​​at work, and the support in difficult times. Dow promoted safety, quality and the environment, invested in it, even in difficult moments of crisis. It reduced expenses in other items, but not in these.

  3. The power of the multinational concept. Without a doubt, when applied correctly, the union becomes strength.

  4. Work by SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and attainable).

  5. The value of continuous training for the application of continuous improvement.