Module 1 Activity 2 - Equipment Criticality and Equipment Total Risk

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MikeS

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Nov 3, 2012, 11:26:24 PM11/3/12
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Dear Herman,

 

I too prefer the 16x13 risk matrix layout for assessing equipment risk.  I include the standard 5x5 risk matrix in the workbook, since most people working in industry have seen that risk matrix format before.  You can still use the standard matrix for the Equipment Criticality activity.  But the 16x13 matrix is based on determining the total business-wide moneys lost by a failure, whereas the 5x5 matrix is based on using inaccurate descriptors of failure events.  I get you to rate risk in dollars because managers like to see the monetary value that maintenance saves them.  If a maintenance activity does not save the business money by protecting it from the costs of equipment failure, then change to a better maintenance activity that does prevent risk.

 

When I review the Module 1 Equipment Criticality assignment I check to see that you used the table correctly.  Most important is that your mitigations reduce the risk level from the original level.  I am not always knowledgeable with the equipment people use in the activity, but if they show that the residual risk is lower after the mitigations, it at least shows me that they have thought about using the method, and have applied it in a sensible way.

 

In your case you have equipment that seems to be very reliable.  It is hard to reduce risk if your equipment is already reliable.  You will get greater value from Equipment Critcality by looking at the risk from human error when maintaining the equipment.

 

One thing that you need to be aware of is the Total Risk for an equipment item is always as high, or higher, than the highest risk for its assemblies. 

 

The risk to the equipment is the sum of all risk to its working parts (because any risk to any working parts will also stop the equipment).  You had it right in the first table, but wrong in the second table.  In the second table three of the equipment's assemblies each have High initial risk.  This makes the Equipment Total Risk is at least ‘High’ (probably more), and not the 'Medium' risk that was stated.   Because the assemblies are at 'High' risk, so to is the equipment they belong in.  With three assemblies at 'High' risk the equipment must be at an even higher risk of failure, because any of the three 'High' risks will cause the equipment breakdown.

 

For each assembly there is one 'High' risk of its failure, but for the equipment the three assemblies mean that there are three 'High' risks of equipment failure.  Hence the equipment must have a higher risk than the highest risk for any of its assemblies.

 

Keep up the great work.

 

Mike S.

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