Getting Your Machinery Ready For Spring

As we move into Spring, it is time to brush away the cobwebs and get the cogs turning again. Machine maintenance and care is vital for the safety and longevity of equipment. This blog has some tips on how to best care for your machinery and get it ready for use again in the Spring. 

To get your machinery ready for Spring, follow these steps and see if they help you!

Perform essential maintenance checks 

Carrying out essential checks helps to ensure the condition of the machinery has not deteriorated over winter. You can do this by changing the oil in the machinery/equipment; oil changes help to reduce and remove any excess dirt that can build up in your engine over time. Also check the coolant level, as if there is a leak it could cause the engine to overheat. 

In addition to engine checks, lubricate the moving parts. This reduces friction and the parts getting too hot. Also it will help slow down any rusting that could occur. Changing the filters as well is important as over time they can become clogged and won’t work as effectively, which can have an impact on the internal structure of the machinery. Start the new season with fresh filters! A final maintenance check is the tires; look for any wear and tear that could have happened accidentally. 

Turn the machinery on and off to make sure these controls are working well

Ensuring the on/off control switches are working well is especially important so that you know you have full control of the machinery. If the machinery suddenly needs to be turned off in an emergency, it needs to happen quickly. If these controls were to fail, it could put lives at risk.

Clean the machinery

After sitting for a while, dirt and debris will have collected in and around the machinery that will need to be cleaned and removed before proper use. Regular cleaning should be in place, as any debris left can cause malfunctions and long term damage to the equipment.

Do a test run

Doing a test run of the machinery before it goes into full use is a good way to see if there are any issues and where exactly they might be. You should report any problems to a manager and keep a log so they can be referred back to, and to check progress and improvement after maintenance. Always do this with another member of staff for safety reasons, as injury could occur. 

Review any paperwork- check the warranty

In case the machinery needs any repairs, check the paperwork to make sure everything is still in date and within the warranty period. Also go over any insurance documents and renew them if need be.

Do you need to refresh any training?

Are you or any members of the team in need of a training refresher? Now is a good time to go over any training and machine handling so that you are all on the same page. Keeping up with training and having fairly regular refresher training increases efficiency and safety in the workplace.