Proactive maintenance is vital when your business depends on keeping equipment reliable and running. However, keeping track of the maintenance performed on every asset a company owns can be challenging. To help, maintaining accurate and updated equipment maintenance logs is essential. Here’s how to do that.
What Are Equipment Maintenance Logs?
An equipment maintenance log is a running list of all machine maintenance procedures and work performed. Their general purpose is twofold. First, they make it possible to ensure that every piece of business equipment always gets the attention it needs. Second, they provide a paper trail to help the business decide which maintenance procedures work and which need improvement. Equipment maintenance logs must be as detailed as possible to accomplish both goals.
Why Are Equipment Maintenance Logs Important?
There are a variety of reasons why businesses should keep maintenance logs. We’ve covered the two most important reasons above. There are more, however. One is that they make managing equipment warranties easier. Most warranties require maintenance documentation to remain enforceable. Maintenance logs also help business planners decide on capital improvement plans. They do this by providing an easy means of determining current equipment replacement needs and facilitating replacement need projections. Plus, maintenance logs help businesses reduce maintenance errors, which is an effective way to avoid unplanned downtime.
What Information Should Maintenance Logs Contain?
Maintenance logs must contain specific information to help a business keep its assets functional. The following types of information are essential.
Equipment Identifiers
At a basic level, an equipment maintenance log must include sufficient information to associate it with a specific asset. That consists of a physical description of the equipment, a model number, serial number, and purchase date. It should also include the equipment’s location and an asset tag number for internal tracking.
Performed Maintenance Entries
Next, the maintenance logs should contain dated, specific entries describing all maintenance activities. It’s crucial to add an entry for all maintenance work, no matter how insignificant. That also includes inspections, even if no physical work gets performed. Every entry must specify a date and time, the name of the maintenance employee, and a detailed list of all actions taken. If the maintenance includes replacing a part, detailed asset information for the part must appear in the log.
Maintenance Schedule Information
Maintenance logs should also contain a specific maintenance schedule for the specified equipment. That functions as a reminder for the maintenance staff and a checklist for them to follow. The maintenance schedule should be as in-depth as possible. For example, if an excavator requires drive motor replacements after so many hours of use, the schedule should mention that. Maintenance workers should reference tasks listed in the schedule in their maintenance entries.
Additional Information and Media
If applicable, maintenance logs should include additional relevant information, such as observations made by maintenance employees during service visits. They may also include pictures and videos to compare equipment conditions between maintenance activities.
Quality Maintenance Logs for Reliable Maintenance
The bottom line is that quality maintenance logs are the backbone of a quality maintenance routine. In the long run, they save businesses time and money. They also help ensure businesses remain capable of promptly providing the services customers pay them for. They’re a relatively simple and inexpensive way to keep a business’s vital operational functions moving forward at all times.
Published By: Aize Perez
