Doesn't it seem like something always breaks right before,
or even during, your busy season? While sometimes that is just going to happen,
oftentimes breakdowns can be avoided by scheduling regular maintenance
check-ups for your equipment and machinery.
To create a basic maintenance schedule, you can use a
spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel and create a simple tracking sheet.
Column headings could include machinery name and/or serial number while the
rows list the date a check-up is needed. Then, the employee overseeing the
maintenance or check-up would initial in the corresponding box. You could use
the different tabs to divide out your equipment by department, or if it’s easy
to fit all equipment on one tab you could use a different tab for each year.
We’ve created a very
basic sample to help you get started. As a starting point, we have inserted
monthly checks but we recommend checking the manufacturer’s guidelines for each
of your equipment to make the best plan for your company.
In addition to avoiding untimely breakdowns, equipment
maintenance programs also ensure your product and consumer’s safety and reduce
unexpected maintenance repairs. Be sure to check
out this website on preventative machinery maintenance for thorough advice
and reasoning for creating a complete maintenance program for your company.
One last thing: Don’t forget about regular check-ups of
office items as well, including printers, carts, etc. You don’t want the copier
or printer broken just as you’re about to print invoices for the month or
reports for the year; or the two-wheel cart needed to transport product from
store to store to be found with flat wheels.
Do you have tips for scheduling maintenance check-ups? Leave
us a comment below!
Did you know that
equipment maintenance is one of the many facets of HACCP planning? RCI members
can access videos of past education sessions discussing GMP and HACCP plans on
the member side of the RCI website under ‘past education sessions’.
