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Maintenance, Repair & Operations

Reducing Boredom and Distraction

Sept. 3, 2019

Three tips to combat this problem

Boredom and distraction lead to mistakes, sometimes serious ones. And work quality suffers when people are bored and/or distracted.

In maintenance, the risk of boredom is higher than in many other occupations because of the extensive use of procedures and the amount of repetition required. So how can your company combat this problem? Here are three suggestions:

Rotate/alternate work assignments. For example, Jim performs motor PMs in Area 3 this morning and performs control panel PMs in Area 5 this afternoon.
Modify procedures to include craft capability-based tasks. For example, include a line for “System health score” and allow the tech to enter a 0 to 100 value based on his own judgment.
Run an “Improvement of the Week” contest. Techs suggest improvements in procedures, equipment, etc., as they perform PMs. The winner gets a plant coffee mug or other symbolic reward.

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.