I've done it myself, found a defect in the equipment and Macgyvered a quick fix to stay online. No need for maintenance or a report. I saved everybody time and hassle, right?
Wrong! Nothing was fixed. The defect remains, will recur and is a secret. When a defect is found, unless it is creating an emergency and immediate or imminent danger, the best action is leave it as is. Report the defect and allow the correct personnel to determine the next steps.
The defect might already be known, and maintenance is planned along with five other defects known in the same system. Applying wrench time is wasting time which should have been applied to scheduled work.
Unreported defects do not become part of the equipment maintenance history therefore the history on record becomes a lie, a false impression of superior operation.
Subject matter experts (SME) will review the defect and history of the system to determine if there is an improvement which can avoid similar defects in the system and extend mean time between failure (MTBF). A plan for repair will be created and scheduled at an optimal time.
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Larry James
Lockout Larry
1. Personnel 2. Environment 3. Equipment 4. Revenue
Reno NV
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