Water Well Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1330849
increased productivity and profitability, and differentiation from the competition. "If your equipment is constantly breaking down and not available, you lose opportunities to your competitors and your clients lose confidence in your abilities," Snelten says. "Plus, who doesn't like a well-maintained, good-looking piece of equipment? If you look to the Groundwater Week exhibition floor, you find the most people huddled around all that nice and shiny new equipment." Layne rolled out a new maintenance program in 2021 for its several thousand pieces of equipment—drill rigs, pump rigs, trucks, trailers, and support equipment—and for the roughly 350 field staff who operate them. "We're showing our crews that we care about their safety by caring for our equipment. We're showing our clients that we care about our equipment and our people and making sure that their projects are completed in a safe and efficient man- ner," says Snelten, chair of the NGWA Government Affairs Committee. "But at the end of the day we don't want to hurt anyone—that's our highest priority." The program consists of daily, monthly, and annual in- spections of the drill rigs, pump rigs, and service trucks. In- spection items include fluid levels, wire ropes, sheaves, frame welds, controls, emergency stops, etc. A copy of the inspec- tion goes to the field superintendent and mechanic and repairs are addressed. "Employees are asked to report and record all deficiencies so they can be corrected," Snelten explains. "No employee is allowed to work on any piece of equipment that is not 100 percent safe and compliant with OSHA, DOT, or any other safety standards. The employees are key to the success of the program. Their engagement in identifying and ensuring items are corrected is critical." The program also presents Layne with information to determine action steps for a piece of equipment. If a piece of equipment continues to have persistent maintenance issues, and its records show maintenance costs are excessive, the question becomes: Is it better to perform a mid-life rebuild where another seven to 10 years can be gained, or is it better to replace it? For smaller companies in the industry, Snelten says to come up with a maintenance plan and stick to it. "This also needs to be an everyday thing," he says. "You have to dedicate yourself and your business to a program like this. You can't fix everything at once, it will take time. "Find what works for your business and your equipment and keep working at it. Will it take money? You bet it will. But at the end of the day, it's the right thing to do for employ- ees to provide them with safely operating equipment. Your customers will thank you also when you don't leave an oil bloom on their driveway or yard." NEXT GEN PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE from page 23 Mike Price is senior editor of Water Well Journal. In addition to his WWJ responsibilities, Price also contributes to the Association's scientific publications. He can be reached at mprice@ngwa.org, or at (800) 551-7379, ext. 1541. WWJ 24 n February 2021 WWJ waterwelljournal.com BAUER Equipment America, Inc. 680 Conroe Park West Drive Conroe, TX 77303 Sales: 713.691.3000 Parts: 713.699.7699 Service: 580.977.9866 www.gefco.com