Preventive maintenance is a system to prevent equipment breakdown and involves servicing and maintenance on a scheduled basis. Calibration means measuring something against a known standard. It tests and adjusts instrument performance to ensure accurate function or measurement. Preventive maintenance reduces downtime, minimizes or prevents damage, extends equipment life and allows forward planning. Training is essential for preventive maintenance and calibration to prevent food contamination, equipment and tool damage and equipment malfunction.

Preventive Maintenance and Calibration (PMC)

Preventive maintenance

Inspection Schedules

All equipment is subject to wear and tear. Over time, efficiency and performance will decrease. Regular inspections are necessary to identify performance issues before a breakdown occurs.

Inspection schedules should include a review of equipment performance. They should also include regularly scheduled servicing and inspection of all other areas of the facility.

When developing the maintenance schedules, also check the instruments used to measure equipment performance. Check or calibrate these testing tools frequently to make sure they are working well.

Inspection and scheduled servicing records can supply important information to the maintenance department. Use this information when drawing up a maintenance schedule.

Lubrication and Other Preventative Maintenance Activity Schedules

Preventative maintenance schedules are an important part of the equipment program. Most machines have parts that require lubrication, tightening or other adjustments. The following is an example of a six-step process that maintenance staff can follow every day for preventative maintenance.

1. Collect the preventative maintenance schedule cards for the day (or maintenance requests from a department or staff member), or examine the maintenance schedule for required activities.

2. Collect necessary tools and lubricants.

3. Perform necessary activities and then tag machines to show the maintenance activity is complete.

4. Notify the sanitation department or production supervisor that equipment is ready to be cleaned and inspected.

5. Record the job on a card or log, and note any important issues about the maintenance or equipment.

6. Where applicable, return the cards to an appropriate location or employee.

Importance of PMC

Preventitive maintenance and callibration prevents food safety risks:

1. Microbial growth from delays due to equipment breakdown
2. Contamination such as leaking chemicals, rust, flaking paint
3. Bacterial niches – pits, cracks and crevices
4. Poor temperature control
5. Failure of critical equipment to perform
6. Inaccurate measures of critical ingredients
7. Prevents environmental risks due to spills and leakages from malfunctioning equipment
8. Reduces downtime, repairs, replacement costs
9. Extends equipment life

Value of PMC

While preventitive maintenance costs money, it is a good investment because it save money in the long run.  Preventitive maintenance and callibration will result in:

1. Improved system reliability
2. Decreased replacement costs
3. Fewer production stoppages
4. Fewer large scale repairs
5. Less food spoilage
6. Increased equipment life
7. Less need for backup equipment
8. Ability to identify equipment that should be replaced
9. Better parts control
10. Greater occupational health and safety
11. Lower manufacturing costs
12. Better control of food quality and safety

Challenges of PMC

There are challenges associated with maintaining food processing equipment because it:

• Has many mechanical, moving parts
• Has many digital and electronic controls
• Is becoming more and more technologically sophisticated
• Is frequently operated in cold, wet or dusty environments
• Requires more engineering support (provided by outside contractors.)

Requirements for a Successful PMC Program

• One person in charge- If many people are in charge, maintenance may be forgotten, or re-done unnecissarily.
• All manuals in central location- missplaced manuals waste time and can lead to mistakes.
• A way for workers to report equipment requiring maintenance/calibration- a single point of reporting failures makes sure all failures are responded to and not forgotten.
• Food grade products used in maintenance activities (e.g. lubricants) are listed in CFIA reference listing.  Using non listed products can lead to toxic chemical food contamination.
• Collection, cleaning and return of all tools, parts and other materials after completion of the maintenance activity.  This decreases potential for physical hazards and cross contamination.
  • Storage of maintenance tools in designated areas
  • Separate, colour coded tool boxes for different areas

References

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/da0b4f14-7249-427b-a17b-1688f21f82ce/resource/805dc063-e842-4049-b4f4-e66af8a7586e/download/2015-food-safety-guidebook.pdf