Factory owners know that preventative maintenance is a necessity. You just can’t keep a factory running without some maintenance being done to its various parts. But many owners want the process to be faster so that they can get back to production quicker.
If you’re looking for ways to improve safety in your facility, here are a few tips on how to do just that:
Assess Your Equipment
The most time-consuming task of preventative maintenance is inspecting every piece of equipment you have. This starts from the smallest Grundfos chemical dosing pumps to your largest machine. This is going to be a full audit ranging from the brand of the equipment to how long they have been in operation.
You should also ask your people to look into the history of each equipment. You need to know how many times they have been repaired, how many times they have broken down, and more. By the time you are done assessing your equipment, you should have a detailed idea of the state of your infrastructure and operations.
Look at Your Employees
It’s not just your equipment that needs your attention. You will also need to look after your employees. The biggest question that needs to be answered is whether you people are trained to do the necessary preventative maintenance and do it quickly. Outsourcing your maintenance needs may be one of the things that you can do to improve the efficiency of your maintenance efforts.
Another thing to ask is who does the regular maintenance of your equipment throughout the year. This may answer the question of whether you have enough people to maintain your equipment properly, especially if one gets sick or injured.
Start Developing a Maintenance Plan
After taking stock of your equipment and employees, it’s time to look into making a maintenance plan. This is mainly about who will be doing maintenance on which piece of equipment. It’s not just for the current preventative maintenance, but the regular maintenance that the equipment needs as well. Some companies can help create and manage your maintenance program if you want a professional to look over your plans.
Keep Checklists
To ensure that your maintenance process is done properly, you need to make checklists. Some maintenance jobs are simple rote work. For example, some machines need topping up in fuel, checks for leaks, and the like. Have checklists for each piece of equipment and have your employees follow them to ensure that everything is done right.
Document Everything
Documentation is important. Have a duplicate of assessments, plans, and checklists ready. Not just that, have manuals, guidelines, and more stored away so that you can review them when necessary. Having this information handy can be useful in the future.
Audit Your Processes
After the maintenance is done, take a step back and review everything you did. Pinpoint where you could have done better. Consider this for the next maintenance period and try to modify your plans accordingly.
Preventative maintenance is essential for the proper functioning of your factory. However, it does not need to be as time-consuming as it seems. You can make the process more efficient so that your company can feel the productivity boost. Just remember the tips above to see positive results.
