BERNARD AKINYEMI, PMP, C.E.T.’s Post

Operator Training Improve training and skills of equipment operators Improving the knowledge and skill of equipment operators and other people that come in contact with the equipment is among the most cost-effective and easy ways to improve equipment reliability. Most of the machines operated in industrial settings have to interact with humans in one way or another. No matter how sophisticated the controls for tracking machine health are, if the operators are not properly trained, the equipment is bound to experience frequent failures. At the design stage, reliability engineers can work with ergonomic consultants to simplify the design from a human perspective. In other words, to balance equipment efficiency with its ease of use and maintainability. Once the human factors are incorporated in the designs, the next phase is often to make sure that operators get proper training and education. The error-free operation of the equipment and its effective and quick troubleshooting produce a direct impact on reliability by reducing unscheduled downtimes and other unpleasant surprises. As such, they should be one of the building blocks of a solid asset management program.