Preventative maintenance is often viewed as an annoying chore which does nothing to help the company. Some companies cherry pick which tasks they will and will not follow, while others completely ignore the manufacturer’s recommendations. But what ignoring some or all of these tasks does, is allows for certain parts to wear prematurely.

These prematurely warn parts can lead to any one of a number of potential issues down the road. From a bottom line standpoint, they can lead to equipment breaking down earlier than expected. This can mean costly repairs or even replacements. In the event of repairs, improperly maintained equipment may not be covered under warranty.

Inconsistent preventative maintenance can also have an impact on employee safety. Many of the parts, especially the wearable parts, in machinery are for the attached safety features. By allowing safety devices to prematurely wear, they may no longer work properly. This will not, like in the case of a required operating part, cause the system to stop working. And in many cases, there will not even be a system generated warning. Instead, the only way to find out is when the device is needed, which is often too late.

For these reasons, it is important to actively monitor the preventative maintenance being performed on your company’s machines. To do this, all that is required is a quick perusal of the operating manuals and other documents which came with all of your machinery, and charts for each machine which will allow you to mark off when all required maintenance is completed.

If you have any questions about the preventative maintenance procedures at your workplace, or to schedule an appointment for us to review your plans, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the importance of preventative maintenance, please leave a comment.