Carrying out maintenance activities on mechanical equipment
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out corrective maintenance activities on mechanical equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. This will involve dismantling, removing and replacing or repairing faulty components, in line with company procedures, on a variety of different types of mechanical equipment such as machine tools, gearboxes, portable tools, engines, pumps, process control valves, compressors, process plant, conveyers and elevators, lifting and handling devices, transfer equipment, mechanical structures, workholding devices and other company-specific equipment.
You will be expected to cover a range of maintenance activities, such as labelling/proof marking to aid reassembly, dismantling components to the required level, setting, aligning and adjusting components, replacing ‘lifed’ items, replenishing oils, greases or other fluids, torque loading components and making ‘off-load’ checks before testing and starting up the maintained equipment, using appropriate techniques and procedures.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the maintenance activities undertaken, and to report any problems with these activities, or with the tools and equipment used, that you cannot personally resolve or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You must ensure that all tools, equipment and materials used in the maintenance activities are removed from the work area on completion of the activities, and that all necessary job/task documentation is completed accurately and legibly. You will be expected to work to instructions, alone or in conjunction with others, taking personal responsibility for your own actions, and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will enable you to adopt an informed approach to applying mechanical maintenance procedures. You will have an understanding of dismantling and reassembly methods and procedures, and their application. You will know how the equipment functions and the purpose of individual components, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out any maintenance, repair or adjustment. In addition, you will have sufficient knowledge of these components to ensure that they are fit for purpose and meet the specifications, thus providing a sound basis for carrying out reassembly.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the maintenance activities, especially those for isolating the equipment. You will also understand your responsibilities for safety, and the importance of taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1 work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
P2 follow the relevant maintenance schedules to carry out the required work
P3 carry out the maintenance activities within the limits of your personal authority
P4 carry out the maintenance activities in the specified sequence and in an agreed time scale
P5 maintain and/or replace components as required
P6 deal with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
P7 complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements
P8 dispose of waste materials in line with organisational and environmentally safe procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 the isolation and lock-off procedure or permit-to-work procedure that applies
K2 how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
K3 the importance of wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and of keeping the work area clean and tidy
K4 how to obtain and interpret information from job instructions and other documentation used in the maintenance activities
K5 the methods and techniques used to dismantle/assemble mechanical equipment
K6 methods of checking that components are fit for purpose, how to identify defects and wear characteristics, and the need to replace ‘lifed’ items
K7 the basic principles of how the equipment functions, its operating sequence, the working purpose of individual units/components and how they interact
K8 the uses of measuring equipment
K9 how to make adjustments to components/assemblies to ensure that they function correctly
K10 the importance of making ‘off-load’ checks before running the equipment under power
K11 how to check that tools and equipment are free from damage or defects, are in a safe and usable condition, and are configured correctly for the intended purpose
K12 the importance of maintenance documentation and/or reports following the maintenance activity, and how to generate them
K13 the equipment operating and control procedures to be applied during the maintenance activity
K14 how to use lifting and handling equipment in the maintenance activity
K15 the activities that can go wrong when carrying out routine maintenance, and what to do if they occur
K16 the organisational procedure(s) to be adopted for the safe disposal of waste of all types of materials
K17 the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
1. Carry out all of the following during the maintenance activity:
1.1. undertake the maintenance activities to cause minimal disruption to normal working
1.2. use the correct issue of maintenance documentation (such as drawings, manuals, maintenance records)
1.3. adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
1.4. ensure the safe isolation of equipment (such as mechanical, electricity, gas, air or fluids)
1.5. ensure that safe access and working arrangements have been provided for the maintenance area
1.6. report or take action with regard to any defects that require immediate attention (such as replacing non-‘lifed’ components) re-connect and return the equipment to service on completion of the maintenance activities
1.7. dispose of waste items in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner
1.8. leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition
2. Carry out maintenance activities on two of the following types of equipment:
2.1. gearboxes
2.2. machine tools
2.3. lifting and handling devices
2.4. process plant
2.5. portable power tools
2.6. engines
2.7. pumps
2.8. transfer equipment
2.9. process control valves
2.10. compressors
2.11. conveyers and elevators
2.12. mechanical structures
2.13. workholding devices
2.14. company-specific equipment
3. Maintain and/or replace six of the following types of components:
3.1. shafts
3.2. brakes
3.3. cams and followers
3.4. wire ropes/cables
3.5. couplings
3.6. bearing and seals
3.7. chains & sprockets
3.8. housings
3.9. gears
3.10. seals
3.11. pulleys and belts
3.12. actual mechanisms
3.13. clutches
3.14. fitting keys
3.15. levers and links
3.16. structural components
3.17. valves and seats
3.18. springs
3.19. slides
3.20. locking and retaining devices (such as circlips, pins, lock nuts)
3.21. pistons
3.22. diaphragms
3.23. rollers
3.24. splined components
3.25. blades
3.26. pumps
3.27. pipework
3.28. flanges/gaskets
3.29. other specific components
4. Carry out all of the following maintenance activities:
4.1. dismantling equipment to the required level
4.2. labelling/proof marking of components
4.3. checking components for serviceability
4.4. replacing all ‘lifed’ items (such as seals, gaskets)
4.5. replacing or repairing damaged/defective components
4.6. setting, aligning and adjusting components
4.7. tightening fastenings to the required torque
4.8. making ‘off-load’ checks before starting up
4.9. replenishing oils, greases or other fluids
4.10. functionally testing the maintained equipment
5. Maintain mechanical equipment, in accordance with one of the following:
5.1. organisational guidelines and codes of practice
5.2. equipment manufacturer’s operation range
5.3. BS, ISO and/or BSEN standards
6. Complete one of the following maintenance records, and pass it to the appropriate person:
6.1. job cards
6.2. permit to work/formal risk assessment and/or sign-on/off procedures
6.3. maintenance log or report
6.4. organisational-specific documentation
6.5. electronic reports