How to Grade Repair Quality

Keep your work crew sharp by videoing a repair from start to finish.

May 4, 2021

In the typical repair scenario, production equipment unexpectedly goes down and a maintenance tech rides in on a white horse (figuratively), fixes it, and quickly returns the equipment to service.

Suppose Bill’s repair job involves making some bolted connections (for example, when he reconnects a motor.) Nobody is going to leave that equipment down until Bill’s supervisor or another electrician can come by and measure the conductance across each connection.

Suppose Bill is sloppy; he doesn’t replace the locking devices, doesn’t clean the mating surfaces, and doesn’t use a torque wrench. Nevertheless, the equipment runs, and his repair was fast, so he’s perceived as a hero. Right away, those poor connections start causing problems that ultimately result in motor failure a few months later.

It takes less time to repair something correctly than to repair it multiple times due to rushed, sloppy work. To help people keep this mindset and take pride in their work, periodically video a repair from start to finish and have the repair tech state what they are doing and why.

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.