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A Case Study of Machinery Maintenance Protocols and Procedureswithin The UK Utilities Sector PDF
A Case Study of Machinery Maintenance Protocols and Procedureswithin The UK Utilities Sector PDF
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: Failure to conduct periodic fixed-time-to (or scheduled) maintenance on off-highway plant and equip-
Received 27 July 2015 ment represents a significant health and safety hazard and major litigation risk for utility contractors
Received in revised form 23 October 2015 completing service excavation and reinstatement works on public highways. Mini-excavators are a ubiq-
Accepted 25 October 2015
uitous mobile plant item used for such tasks and have recently been responsible for several major injuries
Available online xxx
and fatalities involving workers and members of the public in the United Kingdom (UK). The research
Dedicated to Mrs. June Edwards, a lady of utilises the method of triangulation to examine the maintenance practices of utility contractors in the
great distinction who preserved the health UK. Findings from the research reveal that a combination of prevailing market forces and internal ‘com-
and dignity of others for many years. A pany’ pressures have inadvertently removed knowledgeable and trained operators, site foremen and
loving mother and grandmother, without managerial supervisors from hands-on maintenance inspections. Rather, ‘virtual’ maintenance protocols
whose help, this work and many and procedures are adopted by head office but rarely fully implemented on-site. The research concludes
achievements would not have been with pragmatic recommendations and direction for future research.
possible.
© 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords:
Mini-excavators
Maintenance
Accident prevention
Safety
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
0001-4575/© 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
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2 D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
being used by utility contractors for their mini-excavators on site. focus groups and on-site observations. The four collaborating
Specific objectives include to: utility contractors sought research via an independent academic
institution that would suitably isolate the investigation from inter-
• determine current deficiencies in on-site maintenance practice organisational and inter-departmental influences (i.e. health and
and procedure; safety, production and so on). Anticipated benefits included the
• provide recommendations for mitigating risks that could result generation of an impartial account of current practices and the
in injuries or accidents; and development of guidance to improve practice, thus yielding maxi-
• recommend future research that is required to ensure safe mum impact.
working practices when operating and maintaining plant and
equipment. 3.1. Data collection
As there has been limited research to examine risk mitigation Data was collected predominantly through interviews, video
for machinery within construction, a research approach that is able footage and images taken using a Canon EOS550D camera; addi-
to systemically accrue multiple viewpoints is required to obtain a tional hand written notes were also taken to record impromptu
balanced understanding of their occurrence. meetings or telephone calls. Previous research (Edwards and
Holt, 2014) has shown that audio-visual records of maintenance
experiences on-site provide an elaborate account of contempo-
2. The UK utilities sector rary practices through the exploration of worker experiences and
additional interrogation of the images recorded. They also afford
The utilities sector (electricity, gas, telecommunications and sponsoring organisations the opportunity to learn from everyday
water) provides vital services that facilitate economic and social experiences of workers and site managers.
development, and are a prerequisite for eradicating poverty (ILO,
2009). Within the United Kingdom (UK), various statutory instru- 3.2. Operational approach
ments ensure a continuance of reliable, universal access to utilities
within a competitive market; these include: the Energy Act, The operational approach adopted for this research encom-
2013 (HMSO, 2013); the Fuel Poverty (England) Regulations, 2014 passed three core stages: (1) pilot work; (2) a stakeholder focus
(HMSO, 2014); and the Utilities Act, 2000 (HMSO, 2000). However, group; and (3) on-site machinery inspections (Fig. 1).
a report by the regulator ‘The Office of Gas and Electricity Mar- Pilot work was sub-divided into three activities. First, formal
kets’ (Ofgem) and the Office of Fair Trading (Ofgem, 2014) found meetings held with sponsoring utility contractors sought to clearly
that amidst the public’s growing distrust of the six largest utility define the research scope and agree formal contractual terms
companies, suppliers’ profits were increasing despite no evidence and conditions. Second, a random sample of workshop based
of them attempting to reduce their own costs or improve customer fixed-time-to (or scheduled) maintenance (typically 250, 500 and
experience. As competition was not working as it should, Ofgem 1000 h service) and daily maintenance records were inspected.
applied for a referral to the Competition and Markets Authority Scrutinising these records allowed a clear understanding of
(CMA) (CMA, 2014). Some utility companies have already begun to maintenance procedures and practice to be developed. Third,
respond to, for example, Ofwat’s PR14 business plan (Ofwat, 2014), unstructured interviews with stakeholders sought to ascertain the
by reducing wholesale and retail expenditure through measures validity and reliability of the research tools, and also to identify
such as voluntary redundancies (Welsh Water, 2014). any practical problems faced by the research team (Cholasuke
The prevailing government’s National Infrastructure Plan sets et al., 2004). Typical questions posed sought to elicit information
out an ambitious £100 billion (UK sterling) investment in infra- on the types of faults found and common reasons for these. Key
structure to ensure a continuance of economic growth (UK Trade stakeholders included self-nominated representatives from the
and Investment, 2014). Such investment has created significant utility contractors (4 no.) and members of their supply chain, e.g.
opportunities for both the maintenance of existing services and plant hirers (4 no.), sub-contractors with owned plant (30 no.) and
additional improvements, which include new services, and stimu- original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) (5 no.). A stakeholder
lated employment opportunities (despite efficiency gains sought). focus group held at circa twelve monthly intervals, presented
Works are undertaken either by the utility company directly, by members of the group with an opportunity to review progress
a contractor(s) or a partnership between them and other mem- and inspection reports, and provided invaluable feedback and
bers of their supply chain (including plant hirers). Automation is a additional research direction. The on-site machinery inspections
predominant feature of utility works because it can augment pro- extended over a three-year period (2013–2015), during which
ductivity performance (Edwards et al., 2003) and meet efficiency machinery inspections and accompanying site visits were com-
gains sought by government. However, despite the abundance of pleted in 10 major UK cities and their surrounding suburbs. In
forthcoming contract work, there is a growing perception amongst total, 289 (no.) machines were inspected during this period.
professional contractors and hirers within industry that machinery
is being used irresponsibly and maintained inadequately in order to 4. Pilot study
drive down productivity costs and meet insatiable utility company
demands for profits. This economic-political backdrop, combined Initial meetings with utility contractors revealed that they had
with anecdotal practitioner evidence, affords further justification recorded a number of major incidents involving mini-excavators
for this research. (weighing ≤3 ton) in recent years. These incidents had led to con-
cerns about corporate reputational damage, an elevated risk of
3. Research method litigation and importantly, the prevention of fatality involving
workers and/or members of the public. The research scope there-
Triangulation is an approach that accommodates both qualita- fore focused upon ≤3 ton mini-excavator machines working on
tive and quantitative methods of inquiry, thus enabling a stronger utility excavation and road/pavement reinstatement activities on
research design to be accrued, together with more comprehen- public highways. These machines use a variety of attachments,
sive research findings. The triangulated approach adopted for this including buckets and impact hammers, supplied by high-pressure
research relied upon the use of interviews, documented sources, hydraulic lines connected to the implementation circuit and
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
G Model
AAP-3959; No. of Pages 11 ARTICLE IN PRESS
D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 3
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
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AAP-3959; No. of Pages 11 ARTICLE IN PRESS
4 D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
Table 1
Faults recorded and frequency.
Bucket hitch and pins Missing or damaged 57 PF Attachment detachment – elevated risk of fatality
safety pins via contact with pedestrians, workers or
buildings/other physical assets.
Unspecified safety pins 25 PF Ditto previous
used
Cab Cleanliness e.g. debris 130 H Inadvertent operation of controls – elevated risk of
under foot pedals contact with pedestrians, workers or
buildings/other physical assets
Broken or damaged 32 PF Inability to operate correctly – elevated risk of
controls fatality via contact with pedestrians, workers or
buildings/other physical assets
Missing or damaged 58 H Absent information and instruction – reduced
decals/safety signage machinery performance and elevated risk of
inc. safe loads incipient failure
Broken or damaged 18 L Whole body vibration – elevated risk of lower back
seat suspension pain
Engine, hydraulics and Low fluid levels 143 L Excessive wear of internal components within
brakes compartments – elevated risk of incipient
breakdown
Greasing Lack of/no greasing 193 L Excessive wear of bushes and pins – elevated risk of
incipient breakdown
Hydraulic hoses Burst hoses 5 H High hydraulic pressure release – elevated risk of
skin puncture or blinding
Detached hoses 25 H Ditto previous
Lights, mirrors and No pencil beam mirrors 10 H Visibility reduction – elevated risk of contact with
visibility pedestrians, workers or buildings/other physical
assets
No convex mirrors 242 L Ditto previous
Broken 118 H Ditto previous
mirrors/cracked glass
No rear view camera 266 L Ditto previous
Broken windscreen 15 L Ditto previous
compartments and nineteen components of the machine (Table 1). 5.1. Focus group meetings
This level of detail surprisingly exceeds existing maintenance
inspection coverage; a utility contractor commented: “We suspect Individual membership of the focus group was fluid1 but gen-
that the way that we conduct daily maintenance and inspection on- erally it consisted of at least one representative from each utility
site may be inadequate and we would rather collect more data during contractor, one representative each from two plant hirers, one rep-
this study and ‘rule in’ or ‘out’ what is important at a later date.” resentative each from two OEMs and representatives from five
From a practical perspective, geographical distance and the tran- subcontractors. Having previously identified fault categories and
sient nature of operations on-site posed the greatest challenges. sub-categories during the pilot study (Table 1), the group next
Many of the sites were located in remote suburbs and works could established three appropriate accident risk categories, namely:
be completed at any time during an eight-twelve hour working shift (1) low risk (L); (2) high risk (H); and (3) potentially fatal (PF). Each
(labour and resources permitting). This meant that site-foreman sub-category of fault was then allocated to one of the three risk
and works managers assisted in the co-ordination of site activities categories, along with some further description of the associated
as they closely monitor works in progress. risk.
During the first meeting, discussions revealed differences in
opinion between, most notably, plant hire companies and utility
5. Case study contractors on issues relating to the categories of fault and also
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
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the maintenance services rendered within the supply chain. One superstructure consists of the operator’s cab or canopy,2 engine
contractor was adamant that all-round visibility posed a major compartment, fuel and hydraulic tanks and a counter weight on the
risk of ‘struck by’ or ‘contact with’ [the machine]. Others within engine compartment’s tailgate.3 Configurations between manufac-
the groups vehemently disagreed and stated that for both cab turers may differ but typically, a mini-excavator has three hydraulic
and canopy variations of mini-excavator, visibility met the recom- pumps: two that provide high hydraulic pressure (<5000 psi) for
mended international standard’s guidance (BSI, 2007, 2013) and operating the machine’s arm, tracks, slewing gear and imple-
were conformant to the Supply of Machinery Regulations (SMR) mentation drives, and a third low pressure pump (<1000 psi) for
(HMSO, 2011). The premise for this dispute centred on ambiguity pilot controls that assist in machine operation. The boom, dip-
between SMR and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regu- per arm and attachment for ancillary equipment are fitted to
lations 1998 (HMSO, 1998). The former permits factory fitted pencil the upper-body and powered by hydraulic lines; movement is
beam mirrors, yet non-CE (Communauté Européenne) marked con- restricted to straight up and down although attachments may
vex mirrors and/or rear view cameras, affording greater visibility, have swivel operation for grading operations on embankments. The
are not fitted as standard. All group members except one felt that undercarriage and upper-body superstructure are connected by a
the inclusion of convex mirrors and rear view cameras was exces- slewing ring and centre pin that enable the upper-body to slew
sive – nonetheless, the decision was made to collect information on 360◦ .
this sub-category of fault in the best interest of preserving collegiate Each of the 289 machines inspected represented one site visit
working relationships. and included an interview with the operator of that machine. Often,
Tension between the plant hire companies and utility con- a manager, supervisor or ganger-man would be responsible for one
tractors regards maintenance procedures was observed. Utility or more machines in their area (so-called ‘patch’) – as a result, 65
contractors believed that hirers should undertake a far more supervisors were also interviewed. Machine selection was based
robust maintenance and servicing regime. This assumption was not upon opportunity sampling because of logistical difficulties previ-
challenged during the stakeholder focus group meetings but sub- ously described. A preliminary induction to each individual site was
sequent informal discussions gave an alternative perspective. One held to: ensure that job specific risks were explained; that appropri-
utility contractor stated: “Our clients are squeezing every inch of our ate site policies and procedures were clearly explained and adhered
profits. One mistake or error in a contract could cause us to lose that to; and that appropriate personal protection equipment was worn.
profit – things are so tight that we have become overly stretched. We These preliminary sessions also afforded an ideal opportunity to
have great in-house maintenance policies but our high standards of speak informally to site management about machinery operations
procedures and practice are not being enforced by our hire companies and maintenance. In all cases, the researchers were assured that
on the ground and they need to step up to the mark and work more in operators were trained and competent and that regular machin-
partnership with us.” ery inspections were conducted. Post inspection debriefings later
This apportionment of blame was strongly refuted by hirers who revealed that these initially guarded views obscured concerns and
viewed this situation from a very different perspective; one hirer insecurities of site management (highlighted in the ensuing narra-
stated: tive). Inspections for each of the machine’s main components are
now discussed and summarised – refer to Fig. 3 for the frequencies
“It’s an aggressive market but the problem we face is that oper-
quoted.
ators and contractors do not maintain the equipment on-site as
they should. Instead it’s almost as though they use and abuse the
machine until it breaks down and then expect us to carry the cost. 6.1. Bucket pins and hitches
We want close partnership arrangements with our customers but
this should not mean that our costs are trimmed any further than The accidental release of attachments from their hitches, due
they already have been – we have to make a living too!” to the retaining pins which secure the attachment to the machine
being missing, has caused several major crushing injuries and fatal-
The uneasy mistrust, if not semi-adversarial discourse, between ities (OPERC, 2008a,b). Such incidents have generated a flurry of
the contractor and hirer illustrates how the client’s efficiency drive industry activity and best practice guidance, which are in addition
can transcend the supply chain and be cascaded through the com- to the established legal requirement for thorough inspection, as
panies within it; this despite supply chain companies berating the stipulated in the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regu-
cascading-cuts approach. The concept of cascading-cuts, developed lations 1998 (HSE, 2014a). Against this now well established and
as part of this research, encapsulates the domino-effect of forc- documented risk, it was surprising to find that a significant num-
ing cost efficiencies down through the supply chain. Future work ber of machines had either a missing/damaged pin or bolt or utilised
is required to: measure the validity of this assertion; quantify the a non-specific pin of unknown shear strength characteristics (fre-
financial impact it has upon individual suppliers; and develop alter- quency (f) = 57 and 25 respectively). Two fundamental reasons for
native measures to counter its occurrence. this emerged from interviews with operators; namely: (1) lack of
training and awareness; and (2) systemic failure to enforce safety
protocols and procedures. One operator said: “One of the issues we
have [on this site] is the have a go hero – predominantly young lads
who think that they can do any of the jobs on site including operating
6. On-site machinery inspections
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
G Model
AAP-3959; No. of Pages 11 ARTICLE IN PRESS
6 D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
G Model
AAP-3959; No. of Pages 11 ARTICLE IN PRESS
D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 7
Fig. 5. Irreparable damage to grease nipple points. Fig. 6. Hydraulic hose detachment.
6.5. Ground engagement gear environment?” The operator of the machine in Fig. 6 had a total dis-
regard to machinery maintenance and was only concerned about
Instances of missing bucket teeth were of low frequency (f = 3) production; he said: “It’s not my machine and I’m here to dig holes
but excessive wear of predominantly rubber tracks4 were more – that’s what I get paid for.” Ensuing discussions revealed that this
commonplace (f = 32). In the majority of these observed cases, tread fault had been present for over a week, yet the operator had signed
depth had eroded to within millimetres of the track itself, reduc- off the daily maintenance checklist to confirm that the machine
ing the machine’s manoeuvrability, particularly when tracking off was in full working order. In turn, checklists were countersigned
road. In turn, this created an elevated risk of contact with workers by site management who had visited the machine that same day
or pedestrians. A total of 15 machines with low tread depth were of inspection and had not noted the hydraulic hose detachment.
owned by sub-contractors and when questioned about this issue It became apparent that site management was also predominantly
one sub-contractor replied: “I’d like to give you a good excuse – and interested in production only as reward was linked to site progress.
we know that this is a problem. The truth is that we’re having trouble
securing regular payment off the main contractor who is holding onto 6.7. Lights, mirrors and visibility
our money. They will pay eventually but in the meantime, we have to
cut corners to keep the business afloat. I’ve got to pay the men first and During the inspections it was observed that the majority of
there’s no fat [liquidity] in the system.” machines were not fitted with convex mirrors and/or rear view
cameras (f = 242 and 266 respectively). A visibility assessment
6.6. Hydraulic hoses made in both the cab and canopy variants of mini-excavator
machine confirmed the prior contentions of the majority of focus
Burst hoses were rare (f = 5) but hose detachment was more fre- group participants that visibility was not an issue for this machine
quent (f = 25). A site manager gave a reason for these instances and type. One focus group participant added: “Senior managers with
offered a potential solution: “When excavating, the boom and dipper limited knowledge of machines, their maintenance and operation
arm are constantly in contact with the side walls of the excavation and presents an enormous problem for the industry. Decisions are taken
this can lead to hoses becoming detached or broken. I suppose greater based upon partial knowledge and often the misguided views of sup-
operator care is needed but this is a long standing issue and would it be plementary parts providers such as ‘Company A’ [name withheld]. I’ve
better for manufacturers to place hoses in the centre of the machine’s seen machines banned, components banned and decisions taken that
arm so that they are protected from an aggressive and abrasive have no rationale or basis other than the person’s own presupposi-
tion. Unlike the military, we just don’t train site managers [on how to
manage machinery] in construction or civil engineering.”
4
Rubber tracks are used predominantly by utility contractors as they cause less
Ten instances of missing pencil beam mirrors and 15 cases of
damage to the road or pavement construction. Damage prevention is critical in order broken windscreens were recorded and visibility was reduced in
to avoid excessive repair fines from the governing local authority or city council. these. Vandalism was blamed for these instances and reflected a
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
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8 D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
need to securely store machines overnight. A greater issue related Fig. 8. Illegible maintenance and service manual.
to cracked or broken pencil beam mirrors (f = 118) (Fig. 7) – one
site manager stated: “Two things here – first, the operator should let • conduct adequate risk assessments and precautions under Man-
us know and we would replace that part asap and second, would it be agement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (Regs 3
possible in this day and age to fit plastic or composite mirrors that don’t and 5) (HMSO, 1999);
break as standard?” Whilst the recommendation for innovation has • undertake machine safety maintenance and issue appropriate
merit, this comment represents an admission by management that training and instruction under Provision and Use of Work Equip-
daily maintenance inspections are not validated on site. ment Regulations 1998 (Regs 5, 6, 8 and 9) (HMSO, 1998); and
• plan and manage work activities under the Construction (Design
and Management) Regulations 2007 (Regs 4 and 13) (HMSO,
6.8. Operator guidance
2015).
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
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D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 9
something goes wrong – so I feel pinned to the desk and unable to get maintenance protocols and procedures have emerged which
out onto site as often as I would like.” This lack of enforcement created include:
learned behaviour where trained and competent operators placed
other priorities, that were perceived to be more important (such as • training and operator competence;
production pressure), ahead of safety. As one operator stated: “The • training of on-site management;
focus is mostly on production – digging or filling that hole – there are no • greater regulation of utility companies; and
consequences for guys who do not conduct maintenance on machinery • records of maintenance conducted.
so I guess the guys just let that one [daily maintenance] slip to the back
of priorities.” Another operator added: “It’s the company’s responsi- 8.1. Training and competence of operators
bility – I’ll just operate what they give me. At the end of the day, it’s
just a job and I can always work for someone else.” Such views were There are two broad classes of operator who failed to adhere
examples of the cultural apathy and resistance to implementing to maintenance protocols and procedures, namely (1) those who
company policies at the sharp end of production. are trained and competent but have become lapse in fulfilling their
For untrained and/or incompetent operators, mistakes and duties to maintain and inspect the machinery; and (2) those who
omissions derived from ignorance. These acts or omissions were are not trained and/or competent. Competence and training cards
rarely corrected as many managers themselves were not trained owned by the operator are not de-facto evidence that an opera-
and competent in hazard spotting or machinery operations and tor is actually competent or knowledgeable about safe machine
maintenance. In the UK, higher education degrees in civil engineer- operation. Therefore, upon employment, a formal test of operator
ing and construction management do not adequately cater for plant knowledge and assessment of competence should be undertaken
management safety and so for the foreseeable future, this observed by a trained and competent assessor. All other operators should
situation may continue unabated. An additional perspective was undertake periodic refreshment training and be closely supervised
expressed by a senior Health, Safety and Environment Director of on site to ensure that errors and omissions are corrected to address
one contractor who stated: “The problem is that the guys we have learned behaviour (i.e. that failing to conduct daily maintenance
at the sharp end managing site activities have risen through the ranks has no immediate consequence).
from ganger-man to site manager. I feel that they are overly concerned
with preserving that friendly working relationship to avoid confronta-
8.2. Training of on-site management
tion with former colleagues rather than working towards a professional
relationship. I’m now seriously considering bringing in external man-
On-site managers, with a designated role to manage machinery,
agers to replace the site manager I’m currently disciplining.”
should be trained and competent in the basic operation, mainte-
nance and inspection of the machines operated on that site. All
8. Recommendations and future research inspection paperwork should be cross referenced against a physical
check of the machinery to confirm that adequate daily maintenance
With consideration to the findings presented, several recom- has been conducted prior to work commencing on site. Additional
mendations and suggestions for future improvements to company tuition in hazard spotting should also be provided to enable on-site
Please cite this article in press as: Edwards, D.J., Love, P.E.D., A case study of machinery maintenance protocols and procedures within
the UK utilities sector. Accid. Anal. Prev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.031
G Model
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10 D.J. Edwards, P.E.D. Love / Accident Analysis and Prevention xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
managers to expediently spot damaged machinery or erroneous be a ‘true partnership’ between the utility company and contractor
practices that could lead to accident and/or injury. Universities play to share litigation responsibility. This could unveil the steel curtain
a quintessential role here and should provide plant and machinery around corporations and place direct responsibility upon directors
short courses, or units within under- or postgraduate qualifica- (and other key decision makers within utility companies) for their
tions, to ensure that future generations of construction and civil actions and/or omissions; arguably, this approach could have a far
engineering managers are better prepared to manage machinery greater consequence and impact upon safety culture than simply
on-site. fining or imprisoning the operator and contractor.
Future research is required to examine the recommendations
8.3. Greater regulation of utility companies proposed in this paper. Iterative changes have been implemented
by the contractors who were involved in this research, but it may
Government reports that utility companies are lowering costs, take time for these to establish a fundamental change in company
but not increasing their own internal efficiencies (Ofgem, 2014), culture. Additional research is also required to test the validity,
suggest that cost savings are being made via supply chain partners. extent and impact of the cascading-cuts theory elucidated upon
Corporate reputational damage arising from this approach will within this research. Given proof and evidence, there may be an
have severe implications for the long-term profitability of utility opportunity to impact upon practice, to further augment the cul-
companies involved, particularly where injury or fatality rates esca- tural transformation within industry that is required to engender a
late. Future work is required to prove this speculation definitively safer, more productive and consequently, more profitable industry
but perceptions of contractors interviewed suggest that production for all participants within the supply chain.
pressures and competition are negatively impacting upon business
operations and management. In the meantime, government regula-
tion may be required to preserve sustainable efficiency reductions
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