NI Safety Tip of the Week: Make time for Planned Preventative Maintenance PPM
Planned Preventative Maintenance – Don’t Wait for Something to Fail
“We don’t have time for maintenance” is a phrase heard far too often in busy workplaces. However, delaying routine maintenance can allow guards, emergency stops, extraction systems, electrical bonding and other safety-critical features to deteriorate. The eventual breakdown may cost considerably more time—and could result in a serious accident, fire or explosion.
This Week’s Tip: A quick, practical guide for battery safety DSEAR
1. Identify safety-critical equipment
List the machinery, vehicles, extraction systems and protective devices that could create a significant risk if they failed. Give priority to guards, interlocks, emergency stops, brakes, sensors, ventilation and electrical bonding.
3. Record the work completed
Keep clear records of inspections, servicing, defects and repairs. Maintenance logs help demonstrate that equipment is being managed properly and allow recurring problems to be identified.
2. Follow a planned maintenance schedule
Base maintenance intervals on the manufacturer’s instructions, equipment usage, operating conditions and previous faults. PPM should be treated as part of production planning—not something fitted in only when time becomes available.
4. Make maintenance work safe
Maintenance can introduce its own serious risks. Machinery should be properly shut down, isolated and secured against unexpected start-up before work begins. Maintenance must only be carried out by competent people
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The Legal Position
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 require work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
PPM is not lost production time—it is an essential investment in safety, reliability and business continuity