How many times have you honestly wanted to just put a Band-Aid on something at your maintenance department instead of really fixing the issue? If everyone answers honestly, it's probably a higher number than you might think.
However, preventative maintenance is not about a quick fix, which is what a low-risk treatment facility in Jacksonville, Florida found out recently.
Seven teens in two separate incidents escaped from the facility due to a lack of proper maintenance.
The report also said "the maintenance staff could not keep up with the repairs" caused by the damage by the teens when they kicked the windows out of the room doors in another incident.
It is like that with any maintenance department where a "Band-Aid" type fix is not sufficient in keeping away the larger problems that can come up due to faulty planning. In fact, it doesn't matter if it's a facility such as this one, a healthcare facility, a resort, condominium, apartment complex, processing plant, or bottling plant – preventative maintenance is just as important as the work orders that are given to fix things that break. In this case, what if the facility had housed inmates and they escaped instead of the teens?
Keeping preventative maintenance in order takes planning and thinking but it can be made easier with a Preventative Maintenance Software program. What this program does is allows you to schedule all of your preventative maintenance in advance so that it never gets pushed aside or has to have a quick fix just to keep operations running.
Read More: The Importance of Building Safety
Not everyone runs a department where there is a chance that those housed will be at risk for escape, but that is irrelevant since safety is important in every facility. There will always be issues that need your full attention, so be prepared with the proper tools.