Description
This unit introduces students to the importance of equipment maintenance programmes, the benefits that well-maintained equipment brings to an organisation and the risk factors it faces if maintenance programmes and processes are not considered or implemented. Topics included in this unit are: statutory regulations, organisational safety requirements, maintenance strategies, safe working and maintenance techniques.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to explain the importance of compliance with statutory regulations associated with asset maintenance, illustrate maintenance techniques adopted by the industry, work safely whilst performing maintenance tasks in an industrial environment and identify inspection and maintenance techniques.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
1. Analyse the impact of relevant statutory regulations and organisational safety requirements on the industrial workplace.
Statutory regulations:
The responsibility of employers and employees with regard to statutory regulations in the workplace, including: HASWA 1974, MHSWR 1999, PUWER 1998, COSHH, LOLER 1998, Working at Height Regulations, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, PPE at Work Regulations 1992, Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Control of Noise, at Work Regulations 2005, RIDDOR 1995, CDM Regulations 2015, ACoP HSE Guidance Notes and Safety Signs
Organisational safety requirements:
The responsibility of the employee with regard to organisational safety requirements such as the role of the HSE and the power of inspectors, right of inspection, improvement notices and prohibition notice
2. Differentiate between the merits and use of different types of maintenance strategies in an industrial workplace.
Maintenance strategies:
Definition of, and need for, maintenance
Component failure, bathtub curve
Equipment design life and periodic maintenance (e.g. belt adjustment, lubrication etc.)
Reactive, preventive, predictive and reliability centred maintenance
Comparison of the presented maintenance programmes
3. Illustrate competence in working safely by correctly identifying the hazards and risks associated with maintenance techniques.
Working safely:
Life-saving rules for employee safety, such as safety devices and guards, lock out, tag out, electrical work, arc flash, fall protection and permit required confined space working
Development and implementation of safe schemes of work
Lone working
Permit to work (PTW)
Emergency Procedures
Hazard identification and assessment of risk associated with identified hazard
Use of control measures (ERIC SP)
Production of a Risk Assessment & Method Statement for a maintenance procedure
4. Apply effective inspection and maintenance techniques relative to a particular specialisation e.g. mechanical or electrical.
Maintenance techniques:
Importance of isolation and making safe before undertaking maintenance
Adherence to PTW process and shift changeover procedures
In-service (live) preventative maintenance e.g. thermographic survey, partial discharge inspection
Compliance with manufacturer’s recommended inspection and maintenance procedures, using manufacturer’s data as case studies
Look, listen and feel philosophy. Visual inspections
Measurements: electrical and mechanical. Mechanical operations test
Functional tests e.g. exercise switching mechanisms
Recording data and maintenance records