2.1 Introduction
Maintenance is the most critical function when it pertains to product output, quality and safety. An effective maintenance organization possesses the ability to adapt to a dynamic, quick changing environment. Today’s environment is a competitive one that is ever changing and expanding at an increasing rate to keep up with the demands of electrical generation. It is not enough, nor is it an effective strategy to meet competitive challenge through doing less. This measure may be the quickest but it is not necessarily the wisest.
To best meet the competitive challenge the continually improving maintenance
organization is finding ways to work smarter. Working smarter means being ready for the expected and the unexpected. Taking advantage of new technologies has been one method that has proven to be successful. Technology has lead to more efficient and reliable equipment, but with the increase in efficiency and reliability has come complexity. With complexity there is the growing need for better training and better resources for the maintenance craftsman to be able to perform their work. One of the resources that can aid the craftsman in this area is the work package.
Key O&M Cost Point
To best meet the competitive challenge the continually improving
maintenance organization is finding ways to work smarter. Working smarter means being ready for the expected and the unexpected.
With the complexity of plant equipment it is no longer feasible to rely on the memory of the craftsman to ensure the inspections and corrective maintenance are performed
correctly, efficiently and safely. The craftsman requires guidance. Without this guidance a task may take longer to perform, it may be performed incorrectly or incompletely. All available work may not be performed while the equipment is available for maintenance.
These inefficiencies may lead to increased equipment unavailability and downtime during the maintenance activities as well as increase the likelihood of reduced reliability due to poor maintenance or missed opportunities to perform required maintenance.
Work packages provide the maintenance craftsman with the level of detail necessary to perform a work activity correctly, efficiently and safely. In addition, work packages provide an opportunity to incorporate controls and barriers to mitigate the potential for error or to mitigate the consequences of error. If a maintenance task is to be performed correctly it must contain sufficient detail. The amount of detail required will different from one maintenance organization to another based on many factors. (E.g. Training, experience and skill level of craftsman, resources, etc) Although the level of detail may vary to basic content of the work package from one facility to another to another should
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possess some basic similarities. (E.g. Scope of work to be performed, parts required, tools required, proper equipment clearance, safety and error free considerations, step by step guidance on how the work is to be accomplished)
Key Human Performance Point
Work packages provide the maintenance craftsman with the level of detail necessary to perform a work activity correctly, efficiently and safely.
If the maintenance organization finds itself in a position of constantly reacting to emergencies and unplanned shutdowns, spending significant amounts of time searching for spare parts, lacking the proper skills and tools for the craftsman or always feeling rushed to perform repairs at the sacrifice of quality, then the maintenance organization is functioning in a “fire-fighting” mode. The use of developed work package templates allows the maintenance organization to move from the fire-fighting mode of performing work to an operational mode that is structured and proactive. The work package will serve as the backbone of a proactive maintenance organization. It will provide the how to for work execution, information input to a variety of maintenance functions and a
valuable source of feedback for continuous improvement. The work package will be the primary tool used to manage all aspects of the maintenance activity: labor resources, parts, human performance, a measure of organizational effectiveness, etc. The labor resource is one of the largest and expensive within the maintenance department. If the labor resource is not being utilized effectively and efficiently, a significant amount of money is being wasted.
Key Technical Point
The use of developed work package templates allows the maintenance organization to move from the fire-fighting mode of performing work to an operational mode that is structured and proactive.
Key O&M Cost Point
The labor resource is one of the largest and expensive within the maintenance department. If the labor resource is not being utilized
effectively and efficiently, a significant amount of money is being wasted.
When equipment inspections are required a pre-developed package can be retrieved and used to perform the inspection. It can be easily modified accommodate the current needs.
The majority of the preparation planning was done far in advance. The major activity left, other than the work itself, is to pull together the resources defined within the work
package. The same applies for corrective maintenance and overhauls. In the case of corrective maintenance it is very probable that an overhaul work package template could be modified to meet the particular needs of the corrective maintenance far more
efficiently than starting from scratch.
The work package is the communications vehicle for the maintenance organization to perform its overall function. Not only does it provide the craftsman with the necessary instructions on how to perform the work but it also provides the acceptable maintenance standards and behaviors expected during the performance of the work When the work package is properly implemented it helps ensure that the maintenance is performed consistently and correctly, regardless of which craftsman performs the work
2.2 Benefits of Work Package Templates
The first impression may be that work package templates will take resources from other critical maintenance functions with very little benefit in return. Like most new processes the initial effort may appear overwhelming. The issues facing the organization today appear to overshadow the longer term priorities. The work package template will provide the maintenance organization with a more accurate and efficient tool for the scheduling and execution of maintenance activities. Works order templates contain all planned information including parts, resources requirements, work instructions, etc. Work
package templates can take a lot of the work out of the planning function so that it can be focused more on other improvements. Following are some of the benefits that can be realized from a system of work package templates.
1. The maintenance organization will be more responsive to meeting emerging work needs. It will move from a fire-fighting mode to a mode that is more structured and proactive.
2. Provides step-by-step sequence of work instructions. This includes NOTE’s and CAUTION’s that can protect both equipment and personnel as well as provide additional information to enhance the effectiveness of the maintenance activity.
3. Templates can be readily modified to suit particular maintenance activities. They can be used in their entirety or in part based on the particular needs.
4. Can provide improvement in safe working practices.
5. Estimation variances, additional tips or instructions, improving the safe working practices and reviewing the stores re-credits can offer areas of improving work order templates.
6. Templates can be used as training tools.
7. Templates can also be used to store trouble shooting guides for specific symptoms/fault modes.
8. Work packages can assist the maintenance craftsman in reducing errors.
Key O&M Cost Point
The work package template will provide the maintenance organization with a more accurate and efficient tool for the scheduling and execution of
maintenance activities.
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2.3 Work Package Templates
The work package templates in this report are generic. They were designed, in most cases, to encompass a wide range or work tasks required on a particular type of
equipment regardless of the manufacturer of the equipment. There are a few exceptions such as Limitorque actuators and Gould 3196 process pumps. Due to their wide spread use in the industry more detail is provided. Tolerances and specifications are left to the specific site. Also due to differences in design some templates reference a particular design type. For example a coal pulverizer may use one of many mechanisms to perform its function. (E.g. roll wheel verses a tube or ball mill). Although their function is
identical the inspections and overhauls of the different types would be different. It is difficult to create a generic work package template. In the case of low voltage air operated circuit breakers the task is more feasible. Circuit breaker design is similar enough between manufacturers to allow for a work package template to be created. All breakers have a frame, operating mechanism, contacts and protective devices. There will of course be differences in certain devices between manufacturers.
2.4 How to Use the Templates
The degree of formalization of work processes between fossil plants will differ. Some plants may possess very detailed and formalized procedures for the conduct of
maintenance activities. At the other end of the spectrum will be plants that develop and redevelop work instructions only as they are needed upon equipment failure. Of course there will be a wide range of processes used between these two extremes. Regardless of the level of sophistication of the work process being used by any given maintenance organization, the work package templates contained in this report will prove to be of value. In facilities where more formalized processes exist, the work package templates may provide alternative methods, human performance considerations, notes or cautions or other information that will be of benefit to the way maintenance is performed. In less formalized processes the work package templates will provide a foundation for the development of specific work packages for the templates provided as well as a process that can be used to develop specific work packages on other pieces of equipment.
In organizations with more formalized processes, either procedures or work packages, the templates may be used to enhance existing products. Key considerations during the review should include:
1. Personnel safety and equipment protection – Throughout the templates there are notes and cautions used to raise awareness to potential personnel safety issues or to maintenance issues that could affect the reliability of the maintenance being performed.
2. Pre-job brief – In this section there are items that may be considered when performing pre-job briefs prior to maintenance activities. The items in this
section are directly applicable to the type of work being performed and may assist in the prevention of errors during maintenance.
3. Inspection activities – When items are required to be inspected most procedure tell what is to be expected. The templates provide what to inspect and in addition provide guidance to the craftsman of what the inspection should entail.
In organizations that do not possess formalized procedures or work packages for equipment inspections, repairs and overhauls, the templates will provide a solid
foundation from which facility specific work packages can be developed. There will be short term costs associated with the development of the specific work packages but the long term gains will outweigh these costs.
Key O&M Cost Point
There will be short term costs associated with the development of the specific work packages but the long term gains will outweigh these costs.
Because the work packages templates are generic it is recommended that during specific work package development that appropriate references be used. References include vendor technical manuals, drawings and other engineering documents. For example there may be tolerance criteria for a measurement taken on a piece of equipment. Appropriate acceptance criteria should be obtained from the vendor technical manual. Another example of the generic nature of the work packages would be equipment alignment. The work package will appropriately call for an alignment but it is left at the discretion of the particular facility as to how the alignment is to be accomplished. Each plant will be different based on the method that is used in their training or the technology available (E.g. laser alignment, double-dial)
2.5 Planning Walkdowns
An important step in the planning process is the planning walkdown. This is an important step in developing the finalized work package for the maintenance activity.
The planning walkdown is essential for the development of pre-job considerations and contingencies. Each facility will differ with respect to where equipment is located, accessibility to equipment (E.g. work platforms), laydown areas, interferences (E.g.
struts, pipe supports, hangers), rigging supports, etc. The effort taken to perform a thorough walkdown of the work area will enhance the work package and enable it to be used more effectively. It will help expedite repairs and minimize equipment
unavailability. The thoroughness and consistency of walkdowns can be improved through the use of a checklist. During the walkdown considerations should typically include:
1. Does the work instruction encompass the scope of work to be done? Have new items been identified that should increase the scope? Conversely are the items that should be removed from the scope of the work package?
2. Will the work impact other equipment in the area? Will operating equipment in the work area require special considerations with respect to potential impact on the operating equipment or personnel safety? This is of special note when the maintenance is being performed with the unit on line.
3. Are there interferences that must be removed to support the maintenance activity?
Can they be removed safely? Will their removal impact operating equipment?
Pipes? Supports? Hangers? Insulation? Etc.
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4. Is there sufficient space in the work area to carry out the maintenance safely? Is there room for scaffolding, ladders, laydown areas, proper rigging sites, forklift access, cranes, etc.?
5. Are there physical limitations to performing the work safely?
6. What is the status of environmental conditions at the work site? Lighting?
Temperature concerns? Hot pipes? Rotating machinery? Etc.
7. Are there any personnel safety considerations?
8. What special permits may be required? Confined Workspace? Transient combustible storage? Etc.
9. Are facilities available? Electrical, water, air, phones?
10. It also provides an opportunity to validate materials and special tooling needs.
Key Human Performance Point
The planning walkdown is essential for the development of pre-job considerations and contingencies.
The results of the walkdown should be incorporated into the work package.
During the walkdown there are tools that should be available to the planner to achieve the greatest benefits from the walkdown. These include:
1. Digital voice recorder. It is much easier than taking written field notes.
2. Small digital camera. These are of benefit when sitting down and completing the work package. They also make excellent reference materials during pre-job briefs.
3. Measuring tape.
4. Strong flashlight
5. Laser pointer. (Excellent for pointing out details in pictures, E.g. leak identification)
6. Notebook.