Most processes that require carefulness and precision would benefit from the extra care that a good checklist provides. Especially processes that occur on a regular basis yet require accuracy every single time. An example would be the various inspection and routine tasks in a typical preventive equipment maintenance program.
Whether a technician is inspecting an excavator, a bulldozer, or even a storage facility, a checklist is a standardized tool that will help them go through all the steps and information required to conduct an accurate inspection. An important objective of using PM checklists is to guarantee a reliable outcome regardless of which member of your maintenance team completes the inspection.
Mistake #1: Not following OEM recommendations
The origin of any preventive maintenance program and its related checklists usually starts with understanding the existing equipment that will be covered in the checklists. And what better way is there to gather in-depth details about your existing equipment than from OEM documentation? This is a source of actionable information that should not be overlooked.
Failing to incorporate the manufacturer’s recommendations as a foundational step when creating your checklists means that the entire endeavor has taken off on a shaky footing.
All of that being said, there is one important caveat. OEM recommendations often presume standard working conditions. If your assets work in areas of extreme humidity for example, you might want to take extra steps to check for early corrosion signs and clear of rust.
Mistake #2: Missing important information
Construction equipment is expensive and is becoming increasingly digitized, sensitive, and complex. Therefore, detailed checklists are vital for ensuring the reliability of these equipment.
To conduct thorough inspections and routine maintenance on these assets, avoid using checklists with instructions that are too brief or generalized. Sketchy checklists allow for loopholes in your processes. Such checklists increase the chances that several machine inspection steps are being overlooked. They also point to a process that lacks standardization. The results of all this usually includes accelerated machine wear and tear and exposing machine operators to safety risks.
Instead, your staff should have access to enough information covering what to check and how to check it. Also, your checklists can become much more efficient, clear, and easier to complete by including visual aids in the form of videos, pictures, screenshots, tables, or diagrams (when applicable).
Mistake #3: Disorganized instructions and steps
Typically, preventive maintenance checklists come in the form of itemized lists of written tasks either on paper or in electronic format. This sounds simple enough. But, for more complex or high-risk equipment, people can get confused when the required steps are not clearly defined from beginning to end, or where the steps do not progress in sequential order.
For example, the first series of steps on an ideal checklist for heavy equipment would usually start with safety details and questions about electrical or mechanical hazards. The sections following after that will then go into step-by-step details of what the technician should check. Not the other way around.
Mistake #4: Not involving maintenance staff
In addition to the valuable information you’ll get from OEM documentation, your maintenance technicians, especially the more experienced hands, are in an ideal position to provide insights about what your checklists should contain. They understand the technical side of how each machine operates. Thus, it’s likely that they will have suggestions on how to make the checklists more efficient.
Not including maintenance technicians in the process could cost you dearly. You may end up with checklists that are not practical, which are time-consuming, or come with several steps that offer no value to your PM program.
Mistake #5: Lack of flexibility
With continuous usage, assets will gradually but inevitably change. Your checklists will need frequent updating to account for these changes in your assets.
An equipment might be upgraded, you might start using a spare part from a different provider, a
previous machine breakdowns could cause a specific issue that needs to be addressed during routine maintenance. This is why maintenance checklists should be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure that provided instructions are up-to-date.
CLOSING THOUGHT
There are many factors that can influence the success of your construction projects. One of them is having a preventative maintenance program that thoroughly covers machine maintenance. Well-crafted checklists will help to ensure that no matter how busy your work sites are, all your equipment will get the right maintenance, not too little or too much.
about the author
Bryan Christiansen is the founder and CEO of Limble CMMS. Limble is a modern, easy to use mobile CMMS software that takes the stress and chaos out of maintenance by helping managers organize, automate, and streamline their maintenance operations.