Wikipedia defines
preventative maintenance as:
1.
The care and servicing
by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in
satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either
before they occur or before they develop into major defects.
2.
Preventive maintenance
can be described as maintenance of equipment or systems before fault occurs. It
can be divided into two subgroups:
Here is
a true story :
My name is Darrell Henderson and I am a
technician and field inspector for Nova Data Testing. As of last week I am
without a car. The other day I was driving my car from my home in Jacksonville,
FL to my sister’s house in Kingsland, GA. I knew that my car needed an oil
change soon and that my car also leaked oil, but I kept putting it off although
I was warned of what could happen. I was told more than once, “Make sure your
oil level is good and check it frequently, especially if you know the car has a
small leak”. Well I didn’t listen even
after the oil light flickered on and off, on and off and I continued to ignore
the warning signs.
One day after working out at the gym, I was on
my way to my sister’s house in Kingsland. I felt good after the workout and
proud of myself for taking the time to take care of my health. As luck would have it I heard a loud rumbling
sound from the engine compartment. Of course the car had waited for me to get
on I-95 before reacting to its lack of lubrication. Maybe the timing was bad
and it knew I had chosen gym time over oil checking time. When I pulled over to
check out the problem guess what? No oil. This meant that I had probably been
running nearly dry for a week or more. What could I do but place a call to the
other Techs at Nova Data for a rescue. They showed up, gave me some oil which
the car quickly sucked it all down. Unfortunately it was too late and the damage was done. When
I tried to start my car up all I got was a loud pop and some blue smoke. Now
I’m paying the price for this error in more ways than one. Not only do I not have
a car. For neglecting a $30.00 oil change I am now going to be out $2,000.00
for a new engine.
 |
| Oil change that suppose to happen. |
 |
| Instead this happen "Blown motor" |
What is the purpose of this sad but true
tale? Since I am an inspector it is an
embarrassing story, although one that I felt needed to be shared. Nova Data
Testing inspects all types of industrial equipment for many customers. However
there are many who never bother to check their operating systems like piping,
storage tanks and power boilers. If they do inspect equipment it might just be
a quick check rather than a complete inspection. While most cars have only one
owner to look after an oil change, industrial facilities have plenty of maintenance
personnel and engineering support to track and document inspections. These
plants also have the money and the time to develop precise and focused
equipment testing. A blown engine might cost a few thousand dollars to repair
but a ruptured boiler or storage tank can be in the millions. Remember that we
all need to react to that flashing light on the dashboard.
The
moral of the story:
Preventive maintenance is probably one of the
biggest problems for failures.
Inspecting and maintaining a regular schedule on your equipment or
facilities will keep costs down dramatically.
We have seen power boilers shut down due to pressure tubes exploding and
bursting or tanks that had corrosion that led to leaks. These can be prevented if the tank is
inspected by a trained and certified technician. Darrell was told plenty of times to check his
oil and he just put it off one time too many.
Even though he was always concerned with the situation, he kept on
pushing his car because he thought it could take another week or two without an
oil change. A $30.00 oil change turned into a $2,000. 00
engine repair. Just like a Full API-653
out of service inspection on a tank can range from $5,000.00-$10,000.00, a tank
failure can cost up to $100,000.00 in repairs, inspections fee, fines from
OSHA, and lost time. That’s why it pays
to do preventive maintenance on your equipment and facilities.
Nova Data Testing is a leader in Non-Destructive Testing. To find out more about NDT Testing or to
schedule an inspection, go to http://novadatatesting.com
True story.
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