Insite Online - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009(Plain Text Version)
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Protecting Assets through Preventive MaintenanceImagine this – it’s early on a Tuesday morning. The previous night, the year’s first significant winter storm blanketed the area with 10 to 14 inches of snow. Maintenance workers arrive bright and early to begin snow removal when it is discovered that your largest piece of snow removal equipment is not working. The snow still needs to be removed, so you have no option but to call in a backup contractor. Not only has your PHA taken a financial hit, but it potentially puts residents and employees at risk because the snow was not removed in a timely manner. You say to yourself, “If only I had taken the time earlier in the year to do the scheduled preventive maintenance outlined by the manufacturer, this may never have happened.” The importance of preventive maintenance cannot be overlooked: Let’s look at what preventive maintenance is all about. What is preventive maintenance (PM)? It is a process developed to keep a building and its equipment in good condition. This includes checking heater filters and drive belts for wear, inspecting roof flashing, greasing, and bearings, and painting window trim. It also requires things like lubrication, cleaning, adjusting, and replacing minor parts so equipment does not break down at a critical time or a building is not allowed to deteriorate. Preventive maintenance is not a term used specifically for one piece of machinery or building. Rather, it is a term encompassing the overall maintenance program used to ensure everything is kept in good condition. Preventive maintenance saves your buildings, equipment, vehicles or anything requiring maintenance from depreciation and breakdown. The benefits of preventive maintenance are many:
The Economics of Preventive Maintenance Business decisions are made according to anticipated return on investment (ROI). A study done by Koo and Van Hoy in 2000 titled “Determining the Economic Value of Preventive Maintenance” shows that PM programs have ROI’s between 10% for fire detection systems to 2300% for centrifugal pumps. Many maintenance tasks housing authorities perform, such as repairing parking lots and roofs and servicing boilers and condensers, have ROI’s averaging 800%. This makes preventive maintenance one of the most lucrative investment opportunities an organization can make. A dollar saved through preventive maintenance is as good as a dollar earned from any other housing authority business activity. Setting Up Your Preventive Maintenance Program Determining an authority’s goals, making a thorough equipment inventory, setting up a PM schedule or calendar, and developing a system of recordkeeping are the basics of creating a program. To create a good PM program, it is necessary to know the specific maintenance requirements for each type of equipment included in the program. The correct PM schedule varies depending on the piece of equipment, the frequency of use, and the nature of work it performs. There may be machines requiring monthly service, while others need to be maintained once a year. It is suggested you follow the suggested manufacturer’s maintenance schedule for all equipment. For small authorities, the schedule may work well with a paper system. Larger authorities may prefer to keep schedules and maintenance records in a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). The Preventive Maintenance Team The most important component of your PM program is the maintenance staff. The staff’s skills, training, and attitude can make or break the PM program. To be successful, staff will need training, tools, and knowledge. Starting a PM program can be difficult because it requires additional work to be completed until the program is up and running. The goal is to make the work of the maintenance department easier. | |