Overview

Most organizations today face a shortage of maintenance technicians to perform much of the technical work that needs to be performed on the equipment. In addition, many times the equipment doesn't operate correctly because it doesn't get the level of attention and service it needs from the maintenance department.

Faced with these problems, many organizations are looking for activities in which they can involve equipment operators or other operational and facilities personnel. In this way, they can then free up their maintenance resources to concentrate on other activities where their technical skills can be better utilized, such as the predictive and reliability activities detailed in subsequent chapters.

First, though, what are some of the activities in which operators or operations personnel can be involved, and that can free up maintenance resources? The activities vary from company to company, but include the following:

• Start up inspections

• Cleaning

• Routine lubrication

• Mechanical fastening

• Minor maintenance

• Data collection

Start up inspections require nothing more than a visual check of all of the start-up conditions of the equipment. This step would include checking for:

• Proper lubrication levels

• Proper, tight connections on all air, water, and hydraulic hoses

• Proper connections on lubrication lines, particularly grease lines

• Proper torque or tightness of all mechanical fasteners

• Proper pressure, flow and temperature of process equipment

Although these may seem like little things, how much of the maintenance resources would be required to make these checks before equipment was allowed to start at the beginning of an operational shift?