Understanding, Identifying, and Managing Maintenance Errors

Introduction

Human factors are significant contributors to maintenance-related failures and incidents across various industries, including aviation, chemicals, oil and gas, energy, and transportation. Research indicates that around 12% of aviation accidents are linked to maintenance factors, while 56% of forced outages at coal-fired power stations occur within a week after planned maintenance shutdowns. A power distribution company reported that 50-60% of all failures are associated with maintenance errors.

Given the complexity of modern technologies, maintenance errors can severely impact safety, environmental issues, downtime, and costs. While eliminating maintenance error risks entirely is not feasible, better management practices are essential.

This course, Maintenance Management and Eliminating Human Error, provides participants with essential skills and knowledge to understand and address maintenance errors. It explores maintenance task execution, planning and preparation, manual writing, and asset engineering. Participants will learn to analyze technical failures and incidents to manage maintenance errors effectively, focusing on the individual, task, team, workplace, and organization. Establishing a safety culture to mitigate maintenance errors will also be emphasized.

Objectives

Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the significance of human factors in maintenance activities.
• Identify human factors that contribute to maintenance errors.
• Apply a systematic approach to root cause analysis of technical failures and incidents.
• Articulate the core principles of Maintenance Error Management.
• Explain how managing maintenance errors integrates with and supports safety culture.
• Develop actionable plans to manage maintenance errors within their scope of responsibility.

Training Methodology

• Interactive Workshops
• Case Studies
• Hands-On Exercises
• Simulation Tools
• Group Discussions
• Expert Lectures

Course Outline

Unit 1: Introduction to Human Error and Maintenance

• The Importance of Addressing Human Error
• Human Error in Maintenance: Concerns and Implications
• Risk Management and Human Factors
• Psychological Aspects of Human Error
• Human Attention and Performance Levels

Unit 2: Understanding Human Error

• Types of Human Error in Maintenance
• Observing and Identifying Errors
• Causes and Situations Leading to Errors
• Impact of Maintenance Errors

Unit 3: Learning from Maintenance Errors

• Methods for Investigating Technical Failures and Incidents
• Exploring Different Perspectives
• Task Solutions and Cause-and-Effect Correlation
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Methodologies
  • Collins RCA
  • TriPod

Unit 4: Maintenance Error Management

• Strategies for Effective Maintenance Error Management
• Measures for Improvement:
  • Individual and Team Factors
  • Workplace and Task Factors
  • Organizational Factors
  • Developing a Safety Culture

Unit 5: Implementation

• Aspects of Implementing Maintenance Error Management
• Performance Management Implementation
• Behavior Change for Effective Results
• Developing an Action Plan
• Case Study Analysis

Conclusion

The Maintenance Management and Reducing Human Error course offers practical training to enhance skills in maintenance management and error prevention. Covering maintenance planning, engineering, and management, this course aims to improve understanding and execution of maintenance activities. Participants will gain knowledge of common errors and techniques to mitigate them, bridging the gap between engineering and operations. The course enhances competencies in maintenance management, fostering a culture of reliability and safety.