Think having proper procedures to accomplish maintenance activities isn’t important? Read this… from the USA Today January 16, 2008…..

Blast kills 1, inures 9 at New Jersey plant

An explosion at a New Jersey metal casting plant killed one worker and injured nine others. The accident occurred when Maintenance workers were performing maintenance on an air pressure vat used to cast molten metals into machine parts when the vat exploded.

Although unknown whether having a lack of detail procedures was a contributing factor in this tragedy it makes me wonder. Evaluate the on-going maintenance activities in your organization; look for some key behaviors displayed:

·         Detailed step by step procedures are provided for maintenance activities.

·         These detailed step by step procedures are utilized by the workforce (maintenance or operations).

·         Supervisors and managers are monitoring to ensure these procedures are available and utilized.

·         These procedures are in a state of constant improvement based on utilization and the changing equipment environment.

For the sake of your company’s and employee’s future do not leave this critical element out of your maintenance program. Make the utilization of the proper procedures a normal part of your employee’s culture.

A quick audio tip for managers and supervisors.  Click on the gray arrow right below this text.  Let us know your thoughts.