Preventative maintenance is the proactive or scheduled upkeep of a vehicle or piece of equipment for the purpose of avoiding unnecessary mechanical failure. Maintenance is critical to keep the equipment running at its optimum ability for the life span of the machinery. This allows the owner to get the maximum return on their equipment investment. The process can be as simple as an oil change, or as complex as a long detailed inspection of all major parts and components. If you own any large equipment, you must have a preventative maintenance schedule and follow it.
For each type of equipment you own, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OHSA) will have a standard compliance manual to help you stay within local and state regulations for operation. OHSA will give you the necessary information to keep your maintenance current but it doesn’t always explain the benefits of continuous maintenance.
To save you time, I have included below five long term benefits of preventative maintenance:
1. Addresses Issues Before they Become Urgent
Nothing is more frustrating than being in the middle of a contract or job than to have a large expensive piece of equipment, necessary for a large majority of the work, fail. It is even more frustrating to determine that the failure was due to some minor matter that could have been addressed with simple maintenance. Low fluids, unlubricated joints, and dirty filters are all simple fixes but if left unchecked can cause major problems.
2. Increases the Lifespan of the Equipment
Every minute spent on preventative maintenance can add additional time to the overall length that the equipment functions. By taking the time to take care of what you already have you will save money allowing you to use your equipment for more jobs and for longer periods of time.
3. Improves Performance of Equipment
After continual use, your equipment like all mechanical devices, will begin to deteriorate in functionality making it less reliable and efficient. Maintenance will allow you to improve efficiency and slow down the deterioration process.
4. Reduces Risk of Catastrophic Failure
The review process done during preventative maintenance can catch major issues before they arise. An example would be worn hoses that pump necessary fluids to various parts of the equipment that can spray hazardous material, if defective or damaged, causing bodily harm to operators and render some equipment inoperable.
5. Helps Avoid Costly Work Stoppage
The injury of a worker, civilian, or the destruction of large equipment will cost you time and money that preventative maintenance can help you to avoid.
These five benefits are something to seriously consider if you own large equipment. Creating a preventative maintenance schedule and plan for your machinery should be a top priority for your business. The challenge of knowing what to do and how to do it is the reason many equipment owners fail to take the necessary precautions.
This is where we come in to help. If you are in the Colorado area, we specialize in maintaining and repairing all types of large equipment. Let us help you experience the benefits above for yourself.
Schedule a free equipment inspection today!
