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Are Your Repairs Correct?

Nov. 20, 2018
Examine how workers perform repairs and adjust as necessary

In many settings (for example, manufacturing), repairs are done under time pressure and by whoever is available. What often happens is the repair looks correct but isn’t correct. And a downtime bomb is created.

Consider your most critical production equipment. How much would a repeat downtime event cost? Probably orders of magnitude more than the cost of 15 additional minutes of downtime for a qualified technician to work methodically. Compare the cost of the time that’s “wasted” performing a tool check after completing a repair in a switchgear set to the cost of an arc blast from that ratchet handle left across two phases.

Sam completes the same repair job as John, but in 20% less time. Who is the better tech? John “wastes time” laying out a drop cloth, putting parts in a dedicated bucket, and meticulously cleaning and inspecting everything when performing a repair job. Consequently, John never introduces dirt into the system. Sam skips all those steps but takes time for the dirt to result in another equipment failure. Therefore, nobody sees that of the two techs, only John is qualified to perform the work.

What’s the key takeaway here? Examine how individuals perform repairs and adjust as necessary.

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.

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