We are publishing a series of subscription posts on the theme Warning Flags Over Your Organization, with the subtitle “How lucky are you feeling today?”. There are six flags. The posts are,
Over-Confidence Based on Rule Compliance,
Departmentalized Information Flow,
Ineffective Audit Processes.
The following fictional vignette summarizes why warning flags need to be raised.
Maintenance Mechanic:
That safety valve is totally unreliable. Soon it will fail, and we will have a huge explosion. We need to fix it now!
Maintenance Supervisor:
The safety valve is unreliable, and it is in a critical service — we must repair it as soon as possible.
Maintenance Manager:
The valve is important, and we will make sure it is repaired at or before the next turnaround.
Plant Manager:
All valves requiring maintenance work have been identified; they will be repaired on schedule.
Operations Vice President:
I am proud to report that we have an effective and proactive maintenance program — all opportunities for improvement have been identified.
