Overlooked Ways to Reduce Downtime

Battery-powered personal headlamps and specialized tool caddies can help accomplish this.

Aug. 31, 2020

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A bad unplanned shutdown can throw the maintenance schedule off. What often happens is preventive maintenance (PM) gets delayed, skipped, or trimmed to save time. The time isn’t saved, however; it’s borrowed, and the interest rate is high. As more equipment breaks down from this “solution,” more PMs are delayed, skipped, or trimmed. Worse yet, repair jobs are rushed instead of being done thoroughly, and this likely results in more breakdowns.

You may think the trick is to break the cycle as early as possible, and that makes sense. But what if you can shrink every part of the cycle? Accomplish this by observing how people do PMs and repairs, and then find ways to improve speed, accuracy, and ergonomics. Something as simple as a kneeling pad can make a big difference (have you ever knelt on a cement floor for an hour?).

Battery-powered personal headlamps, specialized tool caddies, and specialized fixtures that serve as “third hands” are just three solutions.

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.