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Maintenance, Repair & Operations

A Technique for Preventing Recurrence

Aug. 7, 2018

When failures recur, you need to find a different way of defining success

Typically, a repair is counted as successful when the equipment is back in service and appears to function normally. But if this is the correct approach, why do the same failures often recur? The answer is you need a different way of defining success.

Let’s use an example from outside of work. Suppose you check the air in your tires, and you find one is 10 lb low. If you fill the tire back up, does that mean you’ve fixed the problem? Or are you going to check that tire a few times over the next couple of weeks to determine whether it can hold pressure?

Now think of equipment repairs. Suppose several cables had to be replaced and nobody knows what caused the failures. Solution? Take baseline cable testing data, schedule testing at equal intervals then trend the results. If possible, install a power monitor to help identify cable-killing conditions.

You can extend this concept to any equipment. If a motor must be replaced, what tests should you perform the day after, one week after, and one month after replacement?

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.