Siphiwe Mtshali

• Resolving issues quickly to maintain productivity goals.
• Managing internal operational standards and productivity targets.
• Standardized production procedures, job roles, and quality assurance guidelines.
• Increased overall productivity by identifying bottlenecks in the production process and proposing effective solutions.
• Overseeing daily production activities, ensuring efficient scheduling and resource allocation for optimal output levels.
• Ensuring SHEQ compliance

• Strip, inspect, repair, overhaul, test and assemble plant equipment, Typical plant equipment exposed to and worked on included: Pumps, valves, ecetylene/LPG/nitrous oxide vapour compressors, gearboxes, fans, gas generators, strainers/filters and tanks.
• Fault finding
• Pressure tests of piping – hydraulic/pneumatic
• Work with the planning team on shutdowns
• Stand-by duty (on call)
• Supervise contractors
• Carry SHE safety, health and environment related inspections
• Ensure spares availability by carrying regular stock level checks and managing usage thereof
• Plan spares requirements for shutdowns
• Ensuring good housekeeping in the plant and workshop
• Carry plant walk downs
• Safety inspections
• Mechanical defect investigations
• Plant modifications
• Rotating equipment monitoring
• Mentored junior fitters, fostering a supportive learning environment that enhanced overall team productivity.
• Adhered to stringent environmental regulations during all maintenance tasks, minimizing potential impact on surrounding ecosystems.
• Improved safety standards within the facility through regular hazard assessments and implementing corrective actions.
• Actively participated in root cause analysis investigations, contributing valuable insights for long-term solutions to recurring issues.
• Reduced downtime for essential machinery by swiftly diagnosing and repairing mechanical issues.
• Troubleshot equipment breakdowns and performed preventive maintenance.
• Followed work orders and specifications for machine and equipment replacement, repair, or maintenance.
• Followed safety protocols to minimize workplace accidents.
• Inspected and maintained equipment to keep items in top working condition.
• Completed daily, weekly, and monthly checklists on building equipment to maintain records of scheduled maintenance procedures.
• Cleaned, lubricated machinery components to maintain peak operating performance.
• Read and interpreted schematics, diagrams and blueprints to follow specifications in maintaining industrial machinery.
• Used problem-solving skills to alleviate issues efficiently with minimal supervision.
• Enhanced equipment reliability by conducting thorough preventative maintenance and routine inspections.

• Worked as a contracting artisan fitter for various labour broking firms such as Capacity Outsource that organise personnel at short notice and for short durations for shut-down maintenance work on plants. I did these assignments on an ad-hoc basis.
• Applied strong problem-solving skills to address unexpected challenges that arose during the fitting process.
• Measured, marked, cut, bored, fitted and installed various piping or structural components in accordance with blueprints and job specifications using hand and power tools.
• Followed safe work practices, which included fall protection and personal protective equipment.
• Reduced downtime by performing preventative maintenance on equipment, ensuring smooth operations.

I joined EBSSA as a sales engineer in their Projects & O.E.M division; my key responsibilities were servicing the existing client base which comprises various projects houses. These include companies such as Hatch, Krupp-UHDE; DRA, Foster Wheeler; Lurgi and KBR.

I interacted with engineers from most engineering disciplines such as process, mechanical, plant designers and stress specialists, where I provided sealing and expansion joints solutions for their designs, on new and refurbished process plants.

Most of my work involved tendering for projects for new process plants such as smelters, mineral processing, chemical and petro-chemical plants.

I was offering sealing solutions expertise and responding to tender enquiries for equipment such as static seals, expansion joints, mechanical seals, agitators and magnetic drives for process plants.

My scope of involvement was from project inception until handover. My responsibilities also included overseeing that the project is completed on time in terms of manufacturing, within budget and according to agreed QA specifications.

I also managed the sub-vendors we contracted to manufacture components such as steelwork for the fabric and rubber expansion joints. I also partook in negotiations for pricing/discounts and lead times together with my line management.

The largest project I was involved in was for R13, 5 million for the supply of 316 stainless steel and fabric expansion joint for the Wet Sulphuric Acid plant at Sasol Secunda, which we completed at end of April 2008. This project was done via Krupp-UHDE, who was the main EPCM contractor for the project.

Amandla Valves was a BEE company formed on the 24/11/2003; I was the co-founding members and was duly appointed managing director of the entity since inception and had a 10.1% shareholding. We marketed and distributed industrial valves and related equipment. Our customers included Sasol Polymers, Sasol Infrachem, BHP Billiton, Spoornet, PetroSA, Rand Water, Johannesburg Water, DB Thermal (Eskom’s de-mothballing of power stations), Barloworld-Plascon. We had representation offices in Durban, Cape Town, Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth.

My responsibilities were to steer the growth of the business from start-up, and ensuring that the business was well marketed and managed. I was involved in all aspects of the company from business development, technical, quality, finance and to some degree logistical functions.

I joined DLM as a sales engineer in their Energy Division, my key responsibilities were servicing and growing the existing client base, growing market share in my allocated area by identifying potential users of our products.

Marketing technology-advanced equipment for the following applications:

❖ Overpressure protection: Safety Relief Valves; bursting panels/disks; pressure reducing valves

❖ Boiler Controls: Solartron Mowbrey water level controls, blow-down valves

❖ Flow meters (orifice, magnetic)

❖ Ultrasonic level meters ,

❖ Density measurement,

❖ Automation & control, for a variety of industry users including petro-chemical, chemical, power generation & waste treatment plants.

I serviced clients in the Vaal Triangle, Wadeville, Nigel, and Heidelberg. My customers included Sasol 1, Eskom-Lethabo Power Station, Iscor-Vanderbijlpark, Omnia Fertilisers, Dow, Rand Water, Jhb Water and Natref Refinery-Sasolburg.

I joined Hulett-Hydro Extrusions as a trainee technical sales representative; I was trained for 12 months on their 2 plants in Pietermaritzburg and Olifantsfontein. I learned about the technical and practical aspects of aluminium extrusions. I also received training on profile designing using Cimatron design software.

After the training I started selling aluminium profiles, advising clients on the correct alloys and tempers for various applications. Helping them with profile designing and after sales service which included attending to their complaints, crediting their accounts for returned material, expediting production schedules and routine calling.

I had a client base of 128 aluminium users ranging from building contractors, shop fitters, engineering firms, electronic and electrical firms, screen printers, signage contractors and office furnisher manufacturers.

I joined Sasol One as a trainee operations technician, I was trained as a multi-skilled fitter for 15 months, and the training was part of my in-service training that I needed to complete to qualify for my diploma.

The program entailed training in mechanical fitting as a core skill, electrical, instrumentation, welding and process controlling as non-core skills. I did 2-8 weeks practical training per discipline in the plant environment for the non-core skills.

During the apprenticeship I worked in various plants within Sasol namely, Phenosolvan, Oxygen, Ammonium Sulphate, Steam station, Water Works and Incineration.

After passing the trade test, I served initially as the Operations Artisan and later as the Operations Technician for Phenosolvan & Ammonium Sulphate plants.

The position involved hands-on general maintenance of the following plant equipment:

❖ Overhaul, inspect, repair, test and assemble plant equipment

Typical plant equipment exposed to and worked on included: Boilers and controls, oil burners, gasifiers, heat exchangers, coolers, vessels, distillation columns, pumps, valves, centrifuges, and gearboxes, fans, cooling towers, steam traps, strainers/filters and tanks.

❖ Fault finding

❖ Pressure tests – hydraulic (destructive testing)

❖ Pump alignment

❖ Work with the planning team on shutdowns

❖ Stand-by duty (on call)

❖ Supervise contractors

❖ Carry SHE safety, health and environment related inspections

❖ Ensure spares availability by carrying regular stock level checks and managing usage thereof

❖ Plan spares requirements for shutdowns

❖ Ensuring good housekeeping in the plant and workshop

❖ Carry plant walk downs

❖ Safety inspections

❖ Check for deviations to standard practices on maintenance work procedures

❖ Identifying water leaks during pressure tests

❖ Removing blockages in the plant systems

❖ Identifying steam leaks

❖ Mechanical defect investigations

❖ Plant modifications

❖ Rotating equipment monitoring

❖ Projects