Conducting a Maintenance Harm Assessment

People make mistakes, but the effects can be minimized.

Sept. 21, 2021

Various studies conducted over several decades have shown that a significant number of failures result from maintenance errors. That is a sobering thought for an organization dedicated to preventing failure.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of competence; the person performing a particular task has not been properly trained to do so. This is a failure of management, and it should be systematically corrected.

Other times, it’s just human error. People make mistakes. This isn’t anybody’s fault, but the effects can be minimized. Oversimplifying the work actually will increase mistakes. Instead, look at processes and procedures to see where errors are likely to occur. Then ask the maintenance techs how these methods might be improved.

How do you know which maintenance actions are causing breakdowns? One approach is to have repair techs make observations during a repair. Facilitate this with a simple checklist titled “Possible Maintenance Errors.” Have a few checkboxes and list items such as;

Dirt in equipment;
Misalignment;
Connection too loose/too tight;
Wrong fuse; and
Other.

Update this list as things evolve.

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.