How much time do maintenance people spend walking back and forth to the maintenance shop while performing preventive maintenance (PM) work? Ideally, they’ll walk out of the maintenance shop and do several PMs until returning for break, lunch, or end of day cleanup.
Why do people walk back to the shop? Make a list of reasons, and you’ll see most can be eliminated with such things as:
• Maintenance carts. Thoroughly thinking out how you organize these is key. A PM/PdM cart should differ from a repair cart, as these are two very different functions. Try to use one plan for all PM/PdM carts.
• Maintenance lockers. Slim style lockers can be placed on unused bits of floor space fairly near the equipment, serving essentially as an extension of the maintenance shop without being counted as maintenance space.
• Maintenance kiosk. Bigger than a locker, it’s tucked into an unused corner or other “dead space.”
• Panel pockets. Use enclosure document pockets, but maintain current revisions of drawings, etc.
And when all else fails, an on-call runner can save a large amount of skilled labor time. This person can also be responsible for regularly inspecting and replenishing lockers, etc. But don’t have this person run fresh batteries out to the crews; have this person maintain your battery recharging program instead.
