Equipment Maintenance Programme

A key aim of this programme is to ensure the equipment performs at its best over its planned lifetime.

An effective maintenance programme helps to reduce equipment breakdowns, malfunctions, erratic running, workplace injuries, poor productivity levels and sub-standard quality of finish from equipment use.

Other benefits include maintaining the depreciation value of the equipment and potentially extending the working life of the equipment. All this adds up to equipment which works efficiently over an appropriate time span.

Some limitations, or management considerations, from implementing an equipment maintenance programme, include the need for good planning skills, accurately and timely record keeping, a well-resourced workshop, the impact of trained staff not being available at the required time for scheduled equipment maintenance work (for example, due to illness or staff turnover), and the costs of resourcing the programme, including tools, staff and the workshop space and facilities.

Other considerations will include identifying personnel who are responsible for different types of maintenance work, e.g. pre-start checks, replacement / cleaning of different parts, routine maintenance, overhaul maintenance work.

The creation of a suitable usage log or logs, for which there might be a daily user log filled in by an operative, which may be digital or hard copy, or recorded automatically by an item of equipment, for example machine usage hours, and a more comprehensive software system which records all entry requirements which is completed by another individual.

Having systems in place provides the foundation for a good equipment maintenance programme, however, if records are not updated appropriately by users then the system will not be effective, and problems will arise with equipment failures etc.

Each item of equipment needs to be identified and recorded, so the creation of a detailed inventory with relevant characteristic and features would be included, with examples being as follows:
• The Category, or Type, of equipment.
• Make.
• Model.
• Serial number/s.
• Year purchased.
• Purchase cost.
• Repayment costs (monthly / yearly).
• Anticipated date of being replaced.
• Location of manufacturers manual/s.
• Location of equipment when in store / not in use.
• Tools and materials, e.g. lubricants, filters, needed for maintenance work.
• Suppliers of materials.
• Specialised tools, materials, skills, contractors needed for maintenance.
• Estimate of material costs.
• Availability and lead time for receipt of spare / replacement parts.
• Materials which are kept in stock and those which need to be ordered.
• Estimate of how long each item of equipment will be needed for maintenance schedule. This will also aid operational planning for use of the equipment.
• Estimate of the usage hours to help plan the maintenance schedule for each item.
• Maintenance work carried out.
• Name of person work carried out by.
• Last maintenance date.
• Next maintenance date.
• Name of person next plan maintenance work assigned to.
• Notes.
• Record of the actual time spent and cost of maintaining the equipment.