When was the last time you updated the preventive maintenance program for your buildings and industrial facilities? Any time of the year is a good time to do this. But, as we prepare for the start of a new year, it makes sense to take a closer look at industrial preventive maintenance programs and to determine what can be done in the upcoming months (and years) to make our jobs easier. Good preventive maintenance programs are – or, at least, they should be – designed to help eliminate waste, promote productivity and improve your business’ bottom line.
How does a preventive maintenance program do this? As its name suggests, a well-run preventive maintenance program can help maintenance technicians and building engineers prevent costly problems from ever happening, and this saves money in the long run. An article on Buildings.com reports, “When preventive maintenance is neglected or avoided, equipment life shortens, energy is wasted, and the building’s appearance reflects the lack of care.” In the same article an engineering project manager states, “Building systems are maintained on a seasonal, monthly or annual basis; should maintenance be deferred for fiscal reasons, premature equipment failure may eventually result in imposing hardships that go beyond dollars.”
By doing regular preventive maintenance on equipment and machinery, and inspecting all components, including valves, pipes and fittings, you can prevent breaks and costly downtime from ever happening at your facilities. Avoid this type of scenario: You’re running a machine and it breaks because of a faulty part, so you’re forced to shut down the machine and delay a job. On top of that, you may need to wait to find and get the parts and fittings you need… More time goes by, and you’re still waiting, unfortunately. Downtime directly impacts your business’ bottom line, so it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Be smart about preventive maintenance! We recommend that you run your preventive maintenance program at least once a year. (Seasonally would be ideal.) A good preventive maintenance program includes the following:
- An inventory list and an assessment/inspection of all building systems, conditions, equipment and components. Get down to the nitty-gritty, inspecting all parts and components, including valves, pipes and fittings.
- Include specific equipment information: age, usage, location, model and warranty. Having this information readily available will save you time if an emergency does happen.
- You might want to track your program using software specifically designed for preventive maintenance. These types of computerized or cloud-based programs can be especially helpful when your preventive maintenance programs are collaborative efforts with different members of your team sharing information with each other.
Whatever approach you decide to take, don’t hesitate about starting or regularly updating a preventive maintenance program at your building and industrial facility. Now is the perfect time to check all those valves, pipes and fittings!