Meet the Team

There are several quiet links that help our campus function smoothly. In this feature, we take the opportunity to meet the teams whose dedication and expert support makes our science possible.

We spoke to Mr Suresh A. Kumar, the Section Head of the Electrical Department about his team’s contributions to the campus. Some excerpts from the conversation.

1) What role does the team play for the campus?
The team is responsible for the operation and maintenance of electrical requirements for the total campus. The power that we receive from BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) is distributed to the campus. In case of power failure we ensure that within 40 Seconds back-up is restored. The gamut of operations spans across all aspects that matter to the campus, be it the laboratories, UPS systems, fire and smoke alarms, campus lights, electrical set-ups in labs, lifts, the new complex etc. The prime goal is to work towards preventive maintenance rather than breakdown maintenance.

2) What is a typical day like?
No day is the same. Each day brings new challenges. We work on a 24 X 7 shift basis that covers a large spectrum of work, including all projects on the campus and housing. Could you imagine losing power for a minute in this institute! It can be extremely critical for someone working in the lab. We have rarely experienced such a situation and that we are proud of (big smile). The key is planning the team’s work in the field to ensure preventive maintenance on a daily basis. Do you know that most maintenance work is done without switching off power. We have to work with live supply.

Live? Yes, we cannot switch off supply. 90% of preventive maintenance work is done live.

3) What is this 40 second rule?
That is a major part of the team’s work. When we experience a power failure, the team has to ensure that power is restored back to the users within 40 seconds. We follow this rule as there are parts of the campus that critically depend on a steady supply. It takes 3 people to work the 5 generators. Our major challenge is to be alert as we never get advance notice about power cuts!

4) How do you keep the team motivated?
I have a very reliable team. They are dedicated and ready to work odd hours. I work at recognising their strengths and am not shy to praise, at the same time I am disciplined about work.

5) What is your goal for the coming year?
We are working toward conservation of energy. There is an ongoing project for converting most lights from Halogen to LED fittings. Most emergency lights now run on solar power, so do the stretch of street lights from GKVK to inStem. As a maintenance engineer it is my responsibility to save energy.