Workflows at Work: Audio Visual Olfactory Inspections

HUVR is proud to offer a wide range of inspection solutions that expedite and simplify your processes – each Workflows at Work piece in this series highlights one of the near-infinite workflows that HUVR optimizes. Curious about the simplicity and savings as you read? Reach out to an expert to ask about replicating this success with your business today.

Audio, Visual, and Olfactory (AVO) inspections are essential for maintaining the safety and reliability of up- and midstream operations. With inspection frequency dependent on many variables and criteria established by the EPA’s Quad O regulations (OOOOa, OOOOb, and OOOOc), these inspections are critical to minimizing fugitive emissions. They can also lead to significant compliance issues, with fines starting at $10,000 for common simple oversights like open tank hatches. HUVR’s Reliability Automation Platform revolutionizes AVO inspections by digitizing and standardizing the process, offering configurable technician checklists with geospatial data, start/stop times, and real-time reporting that enhances efficiency and ensures compliance effortlessly. By adopting HUVR, organizations can save time and money while maintaining compliance with ease.

SET-UP

With inspections of this volume, organization is key. HUVR’s world-class support team works together with asset owner/operators to create a project structure that supports their asset hierarchy and provides organization and clarity for any technician or team member in one centralized pane of glass. 

Checklists for AVO inspections are built in a standardized format with pre-set choices, standard language defined by the asset owner, and geolocation-enabled start/stop time tracking abilities. This configurability ensures that organizations can track and enforce third party compliance with important safety measures like closed tank hatches or lit flares. Standardization takes the guesswork out of interpreting results across third parties, and ensures that data comes back from the field consistently every single time for longterm insights and asset monitoring. Start/stop time tracking allows management to ensure technicians are completing these essential inspections when and where they’re supposed to, and notifies owner/operators when it’s time to review the results of the inspection so teams are more efficient than ever. 

Projects replete with configurable checklists are then assigned to crews. Our support team works together with asset owner/operators to build an automatic schedule of notifications, reducing planning time and hassle in the process. Technicians are automatically notified according to this schedule when it’s time to complete their AVO inspections. Each member of the team is granted access on an as-needed basis so that each crew member can complete inspections effectively while protecting sensitive customer data simultaneously.  

Dashboards and standard reporting structures can also be configured at this stage. Management and technicians alike can monitor these dashboards in real-time for a holistic picture of their operational efficiency.

EXECUTION

Technicians notified by HUVR’s Reliability Automation Platform head to tank farms for their AVO inspections. Using DPS location capture, HUVR contextualizes inspection data with precise locations of entry, exit, and inspection findings, ensuring accuracy in tracking leaks or damage and improving inspection efficiency.

With HUVR’s InspectFlow+ field app on any iOS or Android device, technicians replace paper checklists with digital ones. They can capture photos and videos to objectively document asset erosion and leaks, and checklist items can be configured to require photos of tank latches and flare stacks, ensuring regulatory compliance and reducing the risk of errors and fines. Standardized checklists ensure the data coming back from the field is reported consistently and objectively, so reliance on subjective sights, smells, or sounds is minimized. 

HUVR streamlines inspection tracking by allowing inspectors to manage multiple projects within a single interface instead of lugging around multiple pieces of paper and trying to coordinate their corresponding assets. Technicians can complete these inspections with ease in one single pane of glass. 

Back in the office, field data is instantly uploaded to the HUVR cloud, stored indefinitely, and integrated with existing systems for a comprehensive view of asset health and a superconnected digital ecosystem enabled by one central hub. This offers technicians and experts a clear view of asset integrity over time.

HUVR automatically generates detailed reports with embedded field data, giving a clear picture of equipment integrity without needing additional reporting tools. If preferred, HUVR integrates with various business intelligence and inspection data management tools via open API for extended reporting and storage capabilities.

REMEDIATION

Critical insights are quickly gleaned from HUVR’s reporting and dashboarding tools, making it simple for organizations to take action on any identified issues. In cases where no issues are detected, asset condition information is uploaded to the cloud to inform future inspections, and the asset undergoes routine monitoring on an automated schedule. If an issue has been identified, SMEs can be notified, they can easily review the findings, and are able to order replacement seals and O-rings or repair workflows for loose fittings accordingly. The resolution is well documented throughout the process, providing a chain of history for future inspectors or asset owners reviewing asset condition and reliability. 

OUTCOME

Audio, Visual, Olfactory (AVO) inspections enabled by HUVR are more efficient and easy to track than ever. Paper-based checklists are thrown in the trash, making it easy to stay organized in the field and in the office. Photos and imagery provide richer data than traditional methods and take the guesswork out of interpreting data from the field. Standardized configurable digital checklists make it easy to catch any commonly missed inspection items, avoiding regulatory fines that can rise from a whopping $10,000. Location data and start/stop times contextualize inspection data, ensure compliance, and provide long term insights for organizations to use in their continuous improvement journey. The HUVR platform works seamlessly with almost any system of record, helping organizations track and manage assets while improving long-term reliability and maintenance decisions. Ultimately, teams save time and money in efficiency and regulatory compliance costs when conducting AVO inspections with HUVR. . 

Want to learn more about our other cost-reducing workflows or speak with an expert to learn more? Check out our latest installment of the Workflows at Work series or schedule time with a HUVR expert here.