Preventative maintenance on machinery and equipment is an easy way to save some serious money on repair and replacement costs. It is also a fantastic way to ensure compliance with safety regulations, helping business owners avoid unnecessary fees from OSHA and from litigation brought on by employees.

In order to see the full benefits of preventative maintenance, it is important for a business owner to create a preventative maintenance plan and include it in the company Safety and Health Management System. This ensures that any individuals involved in the safety and welfare of your staff will be aware of the required maintenance procedures, and can help enforce said policies. It is also important to include regular, formal training for all employees so that they understand their role in the maintenance of machinery.

As for creating the plan, it is important to catalog each item in your facility, noting who uses it, how often, and for what purpose. Then, you need to learn the required maintenance for each item, including the frequency, based upon the current use. Finally, a schedule of maintenance must be created and placed onto a placard which can be left at the machine and updated daily to validate that the scheduled maintenance is complete.

With these easy steps, any business can run more efficiently and save business owners a substantial sum of money in repair, replacement, and work place injury costs. If you have any questions about how a formal preventative maintenance plan could help your business, please contact me. And please feel free to leave a comment if you have anything to add.