Industrial Maintenance Performance Analysis Routine – IMPART

Abstract: When discussing industrial maintenance, human error is a topic that easily comes to mind. Slips, lapses and mistakes due to hazardous settings of critical conditions referred to as Performing Shaping Factors (PSFs) introduce unforeseen and unanticipated risks. Unlike several tools to date, the methodology presented in this master thesis is thought to serve as an easy and fast way to identify risks related to this issue, thereby highlighting fallacies, which the company can look into further. The methodology called “Industrial Maintenance Performance Analysis RouTine” or just “IMPART”, uses a questionnaire-based, semi-quantitative approach by revealing the operators’ and maintenance mechanics’ view of the settings of the PSFs. As the name implies, it imparts information to the company, this by combining up-to-date research in the field of human reliability and behavior with the very core of the maintenance industry The IMPART backbone is built up from five PSFs which are (1) stress, (2) ergonomics, (3) expertise, (4) maintenance strategy, and (5) types of maintenance works. Each of the five originates from various number of dimensions, which are elucidated with the questionnaires. In order to exemplify the IMPART methodology, it was tested on a chemical plant within a successful multinational company in the south parts of Sweden. The concluding results showed evident shortfalls in several dimensions in three of the five PSFs, the most prominent being lacking communication skills, the occurrence of harassments as well as deficiencies in the maintenance strategies. A discussion is also held regarding validity, reliability as well as advantages and limitations of the methodology.