Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
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Reliable Plant Anniversary Edition | www . reliableplant.com 21 tions, much like an assembly sheet you receive when buying furniture, especially in situations where performing the steps out of order or entirely missing one could result in an extremely negative outcome. A CHECKLIST FOR CHECKLISTS e steps below are loosely based on a similar graphic from Atul Gawande's "e Checklist Manifesto," which should be required reading for anyone wanting to develop check- lists. ere are three steps to developing a quality checklist — develop, draft and validate. Developing Before beginning to develop a checklist, think about what your objective should be. Ask yourself: • Are you using the appropriate type of checklist for the activity? • Is the checklist highly complex? • Does the checklist cover multiple areas of the plant, or can it be completed standing in one place? e answer to these questions may drive you to choose one style over the other in order to adequately meet your demands. If you're using the checklist as preventive maintenance, be sure that each step is directly related to a known failure mode of the machine. is may require performing a Failure Mode Effects and Analysis (FMEA). An example of a checklist step utilizing preventative maintenance practices would look similar to this: SYSTEM: Wire feed system FUNCTION: Maintain proper wire tension across rollers EQUIPMENT: Clutch FAILUR E MODEL: Seizes due to plate corrosion FAILURE EFFECT: Wire breaks and shuts down sheeter CHECKLIST STEP: Verify wire feed clutch is operational and maintains wire tension between XX and XX. At this point in the checklist creation process, it would be wise to consider the frequency of the checklist. As these failure modes start to come into focus, make sure the performance frequency is aligned with the facility's ability to catch a failure early enough to ensure equipment is still operational. is allows enough time for corrective maintenance to be scheduled and for the issue to be corrected before serious consequences can occur. It is recommended to use this development period to discuss the checklist with other departments or groups to get their input on the specific steps included. It is also a great time to discuss how the completion of the checklist steps may impact their work routines or schedules. Drafting Now that the steps are starting to come together, it's important to make sure that the checklist is logical and user-friendly. To achieve this, consider aspects such as: • Breaking the checklist into sections. • Keep each section small enough to be completed from one general location without much movement required. • Use consistent terminology and phrasing to maintain continuity. Some popular terms and their meanings to consider implementing in your checklist can include: • Verify: Ensure an action is completed • Check: Look at something casually • Inspect: Look at something closely, usually performed by a trained individual or using a specific standard •Visually Check or Inspect: Observe without making contact •Manually Check or Inspect: Observe and complete action using hands or tools For example, specific action steps including these terms might look like this: • Verify air pressure is between 35-45 psi • Inspect chain sprocket for damage or hooking • Visually check to ensure that all fasteners are present • Manually check that piping is secure and stable It is also important to make sure that the intended outcome or response is clearly stated within each step. For example, instead of saying, "Inspect the belt," clarify it to say, "Inspect the belt for proper tension." Lastly, I have found that using a consistent positive or negative outcome can help with understanding when performing the check- list steps. For example, have each step either look for a positive condition (using terms such as "intact", "present", "tight", "full", etc.) or SCAN QR CODE TO DOWNLOAD!