What are some examples of reactive maintenance?
Maintenance refers to the action taken to keep something operating as it should or simply just in good condition. All business owners and commercial building owners should be aware of the importance of maintenance and how best to approach it. Reactive maintenance refers to the form of maintenance that is performed in reaction to a failure. For example, if a piece of equipment suddenly breaks down, reactive maintenance measures can be taken which can include paying an engineer to make the relevant repairs.
When is reactive maintenance used?
Reactive maintenance is often used when something goes wrong. The main goal of reactive maintenance is to restore the equipment in question so that it functions fully again and is reliably operational for the foreseeable future. However, it is often nicknamed “run-to-failure maintenance.” This is because reactive maintenance involves making no precautionary actions to prevent breakdowns and failures from occurring. It suggests that the owner doesn’t care to maintain the equipment until it actually fails them, which isn’t the most sensible business decision.
Reactive maintenance doesn’t allow you the same level of control that “Protective Maintenance” does. It’s also never certain whether or not repairs can be carried out immediately, or if you’ll have to wait for a certain part to arrive.
Reactive maintenance can be very expensive, especially for businesses. Surprise emergency repairs and fittings are usually costly. Many people deem reactive maintenance to be the less sensible option, as it is always considered best to do everything you can to prevent known problems that are likely to occur. PPM allows you to do this, whereas reactive maintenance does not.
Technically, those who carry out regular and thorough maintenance are going to have less free time on their hands than those who don’t, as there are no checks to be made. There is also no initial cost associated with reactive maintenance, and it does not require any maintenance planning which can cost time and labor resources.
Is reactive maintenance worth it?
Although there are no initial costs, if something does go wrong, it is going to cost you. If there is an unexpected breakdown of machinery, it can mean downtime in the middle of production which can lead to a whole host of other problems including losing customer loyalty, damaged goods, late deliveries, and negatively impacted revenue. Emergency shipping of rare parts can also set you back thousands of pounds.
Reactive maintenance doesn’t involve optimizing the running of equipment and machinery. Because of this, it does not maximize initial investment in the machinery. If you keep on top of maintaining your equipment, they will last a lot longer. Regular and thorough maintenance is ideal as workers have the opportunity to prepare and review standard operating procedures for maintaining specific pieces of equipment. Reactive maintenance also requires urgency, which can make workers feel anxious and under pressure. This can affect the overall morale of the business.
While PPM gives you the opportunity to plan your maintenance procedures and carefully consider potential risks, reactive maintenance is a little more complicated. Failures and breakdowns can occur unexpectedly, which leads to workers abandoning their current job in order to find the correct safety manuals or spare parts and tools to try to fix the problem. This is ineffective, especially in a business.
Also, if you don’t properly care for and maintain your assets, they’re going to use more energy. Studies have shown that simple maintenance tasks such as greasing parts or changing a filter can reduce overall energy consumption by up to 15%.
Conclusion
When it comes to maintenance measures, there are numerous options. The approach could be to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each and choose the ones that are best for your business. One of our most significant pieces of advice is that reactive maintenance should always be employed as a strategic rather than a reactive measure. This is the most effective method for defining the right work plan and allocations.
AMS Solutions staff a skilled team of electricians that are ready and on-call for many different forms of reactive maintenance that involve electrical repairs. If you’re anywhere in the North West and need a qualified professional at your site within just 2 working days after booking them, then AMS Solutions have you covered. To arrange Reactive Maintenance, please call 01204 216955.
Please note, if you require urgent assistance, then we would recommend that you utilise our Emergency Electrical Breakdown Service.
