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How to Keep the Boss Out of Jail

How to Keep the Boss Out of Jail

Here’s a case where they didn’t know how to keep the boss out of jail! In Jan 2019, a mine tailing dam (the structure used to contain waste from mining operations) collapsed. The video below shows the event. 259 people were confirmed dead and 11 declared missing. Cause – liquefaction – a commonly occurring phenomenon, and one that this particular mine had been warned about. Outcome – fatalities and associated human cost, suspended operations (for a brief period), company reputation, criminal charges (executives and engineering consultants). Risk management is an often neglected part of our job. [Read more…]

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There’s More to Maintenance Software Than Work Orders

There’s More to Maintenance Software Than Work Orders

At its core, maintenance software is a tool that allows you to generate and schedule work orders and get the right people to do each job. Maintenance software automates paper processes by enabling people to create requests for maintenance work. Maintenance workers then enter the requests into the computerized maintenance management system software (CMMS), which generates the work orders. However, when it comes to the functions of a CMMS, work order generation is only the tip of the iceberg.

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What Is Equivalence Testing & When Should We Use It?

What Is Equivalence Testing & When Should We Use It?

Most quality professionals are familiar with basic hypothesis tests such as the 2-sample t test.  However, depending on the goals of the study, another type of test, called an equivalence test, may be utilized instead of traditional hypothesis tests.  This article will review statistical hypothesis testing in general and then introduce equivalence testing and its application.  To illustrate the differences between traditional hypothesis tests and equivalence tests, we will focus on the case of comparing 2 independent samples.  The concepts may be easily extended to other situations (such a comparing a sample to a target or paired comparisons).   [Read more…]

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The Keys To Successful RCM Implementation

The Keys To Successful RCM Implementation

If you have attended any Maintenance and Reliability conference in the last several years, chances are you have seen a presentation on the struggles of RCM implementation. Most present that over 70% of companies who attempt to get started with Reliability Centered Maintenance fail to implement the recommended mitigating tasks identified in their analysis.

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What Happened?

What Happened?

As many of you know, I have been encouraging my LI contacts for years to take me up on my offer to review any pictures they have of failed parts, and we would try and provide them some preliminary feedback. Well, someone finally took us op on the offer and we wanted to share what was learned (we obtained permission to do so providing the company name was not used).

Here was the original inquiry via LI instant messenger along with the pictures:

“Dear Sir, As per your advise, I’m sending you a photo of failed flange bolts. I belief they were failed due to fatigue. Could you please review them and identify/ label their failure mode. After your comments on this photo, I’ll put up a recommendation on my RCA. Looking forward to hear from you. Regards.”

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Building a Recommended Course of Action

How to Translate an Assessment into an Action Plan

An assessment was performed and many opportunities identified, but it has been three months, and nothing has changed.   Does this sound familiar?  As discussed in a previous post, the goal of an assessment is to identify gap to best practices and provide the basis to develop a plan to move forward.   However, many times an assessment is performed, the results put into a binder and put on the shelf (does this sound like your RCM initiative?).
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Business Case Estimator Insights

Business Case Estimator Insights

Our business case estimator insights show you both savings and earnings potential for improvements in maintenance and reliability. If you are reading this, you probably think there is some opportunity to improve your operational reliability and maintenance performance. You might want to create a business case for change that you can use to get senior management approval and funding. You are in the right place. We’ve created the tools for you to do that, they are readily accessible and inexpensive (the first step is even free). After a period of isolation and/or skeleton staffing, you can probably see problems that may be more hidden when operating with a full staff. Now is a good time to address those to bring performance up as a part of your “new normal”. [Read more…]

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Finding Certainty in an Uncertain Future

Finding Certainty in an Uncertain Future

Guest Post by Daniel Burrus (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

In many ways, I am sure society is well aware of certain leadership principles that have stood the test of time in business environments. Personality traits such as integrity, honesty, and responsibility immediately come to mind; however, in a disruptive world, there are more that, many do not realize, are vital to professional success to find certainty.

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How Undetected Process Changes Can Impair Product Reliability

How Undetected Process Changes Can Impair Product Reliability

SPC and Reliability

We often think of Statistical Process Control as a tool to help drive product quality by informing us when process changes occur.  By systematically detecting (and rectifying) sources of special cause variation upstream in the process, the important process outcomes become predictable.  Furthermore, a focus on reducing common cause variation drives higher levels of process capability and more consistent product performance. [Read more…]

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Is There a Direct Correlation Between Reliability & Safety?

Is There a Direct Correlation Between Reliability & Safety?

“Assumption 1: Safety is increased by increasing system or component reliability. If components or systems do not fail, then accidents will not occur. (p. 7)

This assumption is one of the most pervasive in engineering and other fields. The problem is that it is not true.

Safety is a system property, not a component property, and must be controlled at the system level, not the component level. 

New Assumption 1: High reliability is neither necessary nor sufficient for safety. (p.13)”

These statements were excerpted from Nancy Leveson’s “Engineering a Safer World“. 

This contradicts the common belief there is a direct correlation between Safety and Reliability. I personally, being in the Reliability field for 30+ years, believe there is a correlation between Reliability and Safety. But I would assert that it is not a direct correlation. 

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Be Audit Ready: How to Ensure Your Maintenance Program Can Stand Up to Regulators

When was the last time you were involved with a regulatory body?  I can remember a time when a millwright was involved in an incident in our maintenance shop.  He was using a 20″-disc grinder when the piece of steel he was grinding got caught and pulled his hand into the grinding wheel.  He was off for a quite a few weeks, but he did not sustain any long-term injuries.
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Solving Problems Before They Occur

Solving Problems Before They Occur

Guest Post by Patrick Ow (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

How to get better results by solving problems before they occur in a fragile world

When people think of problem-solving, their mind may instinctively jump to thoughts of things that are broken or things that need fixing.

Problem to most people is a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. [Read more…]