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Provide Proper Maintenance to Construction Tools
Failing to keep up with maintenance on construction tools can affect your projects since maintenance contributes to about 40% of total construction project overruns.
By failing to maintain equipment properly, you risk missing key due dates, which lowers your profits in the long run. So spend a bit more time planning your preventative maintenance for all mechanical equipment. You will be rewarded for your work.
Why You Should Conduct Preventative Maintenance
- It will save you money – Even if you have your equipment checked and find it is in perfect working order, you did the right thing. Investing in preventative maintenance is not about managing a significant issue. It is about avoiding a major issue. Professionals examining your tools will catch minor issues, replace parts before more significant issues arise and conduct standard maintenance procedures. This is a great way to avoid major repairs that will cost you big-time. This regular maintenance will save you money over the long haul.
- Do it for safety – Injured construction personnel costs millions of dollars each year in lawsuits. No, you cannot foresee every circumstance, but you can work to minimize incidents. Maintenance is part of that. The more you have your equipment inspected and tuned, the less likely it will fail or work improperly. Combining maintenance with best practices means a lower risk of injury. A safe worksite is always more profitable because you will have fewer setbacks and fewer legal costs.
- Save time – Yes, maintenance time leaves your tools and other equipment out of the rotation for a bit, but it will be much less time than having it out of commission for weeks or months due to failures. Learn to cycle your maintenance, so operations remain up and running on the worksite. Devising such a schedule can be a bit daunting, but construction management software is on the market to help you create a comprehensive maintenance schedule. Keeping up with the schedule means you will not have equipment out of service for days or longer.
- More efficiency – Focus on operational efficiency at the worksite. It will increase your returns on investment at every turn, which means more profit for your company. Keeping up with construction equipment maintenance is part of this efficiency. Since preventative maintenance checks for wear and tear and any damage to your equipment, it will help keep it working efficiently. It will also help you get the most out of your tools because your equipment remains functional and running optimally. This also provides a safer work environment because there is less risk of failure and your team members won’t be tempted to try to fix equipment themselves. You also will have less worry about missing deadlines because your equipment is not working efficiently.
- Accreditation, insurance and records – Equipment maintained regularly may be a condition for accreditation your business needs or for specific trade organizations. Keep accreditation current by keeping all equipment maintenance on schedule. This also affects your insurance. In some cases, payouts from some insurance policies are contingent on you keeping all equipment maintenance on schedule. Don’t put yourself in a position where you will not qualify for a payout should equipment become damaged or fail.
Adhere to an equipment maintenance schedule to avoid drains on project budgets, time and safety.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.