Help from Operators
In some facilities, operators play a critical role in repairs. In other facilities, they don’t know they can help, and they wouldn’t know what to do if they tried to help. These operator functions have assisted some facilities in slashing repair times:
- Provide a brief, accurate description of the observed problem.
- Prepare the equipment and the area around it for the repair. For example, remove work in progress, move materials out of the way, move portable lighting to the work area, etc.
- Assist with lockout/tagout. This does not mean simply hanging the electrician’s lock.
- Jog the equipment forward or backward upon demand.
- Liaise with management so the technician can focus on the job. This is especially helpful in facilities where “management by hovering” is a problem.
Operators can also help by not distracting the repair tech with idle chitchat.
Not all of these functions are a fit for each situation. And one or more not mentioned here might be helpful for a given piece of equipment in your facility.
How can you move forward with this idea in your facility? A good approach is to suggest a pilot program. Determine the revenue per hour from a critical system. Maybe Line C produces $350,000 per hour and even at 100% output that production gets entirely sold. This means each minute of downtime is about $5,800. If an operator can help in a way that saves 10 minutes, that’s $58,000.
Offering management a way to add $58,000 of revenue is much more appealing than just saying maintenance could be faster with some help from the operator. To get at the actual time savings and, thus, dollar savings, list all the things the operator could reasonably be expected to do. For each item, estimate the time savings.
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.