Operator maintenance and accountablilty

Daily maintenance log

The first line of defense to protect your most valuable investment is preventative maintenance. Downtime at any work center in your plant is costly in so many ways. First is the cost of repair but it does not stop there: loss in production, the possibility of a late delivery and inevitably this could lead to a dissatisfied or even lost customer down the line. The most costly side effect possible

Preventative maintenance should start with the operators at their machine conducting daily preventative measures by instilling ownership for the parts that they run and the machines that make those parts. It is their livelihood and it is foremost for a manager to clearly pass on an understanding of this principle.

Accountability has its place in every part of an organization. Follow the machine tool builder’s manual as a guide and construct a chart with it as a guide. It ensures that everyone does his or her job. Written documentation that is visually available for others to see is an effective way to enforce accountability.

By making machine operators accountable for the first level of preventative maintenance ensures that your investment in expensive machine tools is first and foremost. Setting up a work center specific checklist that is followed and signed by your operators daily is paramount. A simple check box to be sure that all recommended aspects are covered. Topping off oil levels, changing dirty filters and monitoring pressures and temperatures should be included for operators to initial and sign. 

Daily maintenance log

Managers should follow up at a minimum weekly to ensure operator preventative maintenance procedures have been followed correctly and efficiently. Be diligent in your efforts to support machinist and operators in their endeavor and provide positive reinforcement to support this important initiative.