Univar, a £4bn global chemical company with over 600 sites worldwide, needed to improve maintenance performance and reduce the risk of safety-critical asset failure. Their focus: the Calishead COMAH site in Manchester — a high-hazard facility requiring specialist safety protocols and data visibility.
The challenge
The site lacked a structured, real-time system for tracking asset condition and risk. Univar required a solution that could:
- Establish a reliable, validated asset register
- Monitor equipment performance live
- Support ATEX Zone 1 compliance
- Provide early warning of failure risk
- Enable effective engineering workflows
The solution
Otoni (formerly operating as Asset Handling) delivered a phased implementation, beginning with a full site survey of over 1,700 assets. Using data from site drawings and on-the-ground validation, we created a digital asset hierarchy and imported it into a centralised platform.
We then fitted our real-time condition monitoring units to critical assets, capturing vibration, temperature, power and acoustic data — all accessible via an intuitive dashboard with instant alerts.
The solution also included:
- Custom barcoding to display asset history and required works on scan
- Automated workflows triggered by inspection results
- Custom KPI reports aligned to Univar’s performance criteria
- Integration with engineering tools, including ATEX-rated data capture devices
- Programme tracking, using our delivery management platform to keep stakeholders informed
Results and impact
Univar now has a robust, live overview of site performance and maintenance activity. Key outcomes include:
- A complete, accurate and structured asset register
- Live failure alerts sent to nominated engineers by email and SMS
- Full visibility of planned, reactive and breakdown work
- Engineering performance tracking and benchmarking
- Improved statutory compliance and site safety
- Long-term asset lifecycle planning capabilities
- Smarter capital investment decisions based on real performance data