Maintenance

Work Orders, Part 1

To best support the production function, which runs on planning and scheduling, the maintenance function must plan and schedule its work. Ad hoc work assignments undermine this, so issue each job assignment via work order instead. The notable exception would be in the case of an emergency or priority No. 1 repair; in such a case, a supervisor needs to walk the work order through while the work is underway.

But isn't a work order just paperwork? No, and in some facilities the work orders aren't even paper. A work order is a formal order to do specific work (thus, its name).

Today, nearly all maintenance departments use a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). In this system, you prioritize, assign, track, and analyze maintenance work. When the work is completed, the filled-out work order provides valuable information to the CMMS.

Bypassing work orders means bypassing the CMMS. That's a sure way to plunge maintenance and production into costly chaos.

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Repair

Electrical Troubleshooting Quiz

The company controller noticed an odd pattern and brought it to your attention, saying, "I’m looking at year-to-date expense data, and it we've replaced far too much office equipment. That includes break room appliances like microwave ovens and even a refrigerator. But from last year going back five years, there wasn't a single replacement. Overhead lights, too — why all these bills for replacement lamps and ballasts? And, despite the office manager’s energy initiative, the admin building utility bill has gone up." What's going on?

Visit EC&M's website to see the answer.

When Circuit Boards are Toast, Part 14

Previously, you found your transformer had excess harmonics on the load side. The next step is to look at the primary side. The easiest place is probably at the panel supplying this transformer. That may be your service panel or a distribution panel downstream of it.

If you find high 5th and 7th harmonics, you may have a problem with power factor correction capacitors. Also, look at highly inductive loads, such as motors. If you have large motors that start across the line, installing a VFD that corrects for power factor and harmonics is pretty much a no brainer for power quality and cable integrity reasons alone. As you address whatever problems you find, be sure you work to the applicable IEEE standards, especially IEEE-519 (the harmonics standard) and IEEE-142 (the Green Book).

To read more on this story, visit EC&M's website.

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Operation

NEC in the Facility

Commonly misunderstood/misapplied terms, part 10.

• Special permission. This does not mean the corporate office says it's OK so you can do it. This kind of permission comes from the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ, see Art. 80 for definitions and details), and must be written. Before you implement any special permission design or construction technique, also obtain the permission of your insurer. The insurer may not agree with the AHJ and, in the event of a conflict, you’ll want to keep your insurance policy in effect.
• Structure. The NEC often refers to "a building or structure." However, the NEC defines a structure as "anything built or constructed" and defines a building as a special type of structure. All buildings are structures, but not all structures are buildings.
• Surge arrester. This isn't a generic term for "any device that mitigates electrical spikes." It's a specific class of such devices (see Art. 280). Its mode of operation is it discharges or bypasses surge current and stays capable of doing this repeatedly. The spark gap arrester on the utility pole is an example.
• Surge protective device (SPD). These are covered by Art. 285. The SPD mode of operation is it limits transient voltages by diverting or limiting surge current. An MOV is an example.

Safety

In some companies, safety training programs are merely "check-off–the-box" exercises for compliance purposes. Companies with these low-information programs predictably have major "accidents." In other companies, the management is dedicated to promoting a safety culture. This is the kind of company you want to work for or help change your company into if it's not there yet.

Nevertheless, even extensive safety training doesn't make anybody any safer. A safe workplace exists only when you and your coworkers use what you learn. It's not the training that makes you safe, but how you apply the training.

Attitude is the key to staying safe. Rather than look at safety as something that interferes with your work, look at it as your guiding principle for every task you do. Think of safety as how you work, rather than a hindrance to your work. Bonus: Safe work practices, due to their methodology, can provide a net increase of efficiency.

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