WORK MANAGEMENT

5.5.6 Craft Workers on Shift Ratio

 WORK MANAGEMENT METRIC

5.5.6 Craft Worker on Shift Ratio

A. DEFINITION
The metric is the ratio of the number of maintenance craft workers on shift to the total number
of maintenance craft workers.

B. OBJECTIVES
This metric is an indirect measurement of equipment reliability since frequent
unexpected failures require craft workers on shift to expedite repairs. Trending the
number of craft workers on shift can also help identify maintenance issues on the off
shifts and can be used to benchmark with other companies or between departments
within the same plant.

C. FORMULA
Craft Worker on Shift Ratio =
Total Number of Maintenance Craft Workers on Shift ÷
Total Number of Maintenance Craft Workers
The result is expressed as a ratio (e.g. 1:6).

D. COMPONENT DEFINITIONS
Maintenance Craft Worker
The worker responsible for executing maintenance work orders (e.g. electrician,
mechanic, PM/PdM technician, etc.).

Copyright © 2009 by SMRP. All rights reserved. PAGE 1 of 4

PAGE 1 of 4 Publication Date: June 27, 2009
Revised: September 12, 2013
On Shift
Maintenance craft workers who rotate with or who are assigned work hours aligned
with a production shift are considered “on shift.” Maintenance craft workers on shift
typically work on emergency work and are not identified with the main group of
maintenance craft workers that work day shift.

E. QUALIFICATIONS
1. Time basis: Monthly
2. Used by plant management as an indicator of the reliability of production assets.
3. Maintenance craft workers called in to work outside their normal shift are not
considered on shift whether working a full shift or not.
4. Trending the number of craft workers on shift may help identify maintenance issues
on the off shifts.

F. SAMPLE CALCULATION
A given maintenance department has 24 mechanics with 3 on shift, 8 Electricians with
2 on shift and 4 instrumentation technicians with 1 on shift.

• Craft Worker on Shift Ratio =

Total Number of Maintenance Craft Workers on Shift ÷
Total Number of Maintenance Craft Workers
• Craft Worker on Shift Ratio = (3 + 2 + 1) ÷ (24 + 8 = 4)
• Craft Worker on Shift Ratio = 6 ÷ 36
• Craft Worker on Shift Ratio = 1:6

Copyright © 2009 by SMRP. All rights reserved. PAGE 2 of 4

PAGE 2 of 4 Publication Date: June 27, 2009
Revised: September 12, 2013
G. BEST IN CLASS TARGET VALUE
SMRP’s Best Practices Committee was unable to find any target ranges,
minimum/maximum values, benchmarks or other references to target values for this
metric. However, industry generally recognizes that craft workers on shift are utilized
primarily for maintenance coverage in cases of mechanical breakdowns and
emergencies. When craft workers on shift are used for emergency coverage, the
number of craft workers on shift should be minimized with the goal to eliminate
emergencies and craft workers assigned to a shift; i.e. target = 0.

If craft workers on shift are utilized primarily for planned and scheduled work, required
for regulatory reasons or some other reason other than standby for possible equipment
failures, then the number of craft workers on shift should be based on the backlog of
shift required work, and their time schedule appropriately.

Should future work help establish targets for this metric; SMRP will update this metric
as appropriate.

H. CAUTIONS
None identified at this time.

I. HARMONIZATION
This metric and its supporting definitions are similar or identical to EN 15341 indicator
O10.

Note 1: "On call" craft workers are excluded from the calcula-tion for both
metrics/indicators

Copyright © 2009 by SMRP. All rights reserved. PAGE 3 of 4

PAGE 3 of 4 Publication Date: June 27, 2009
Revised: September 12, 2013
Note 2: SMRP Metric calculates the formula as a ratio.
EN 15341 indicator calculates the formula as percentage.

Note 3: The term “Maintenance Craft worker” is similar to EN 15341: “Direct

maintenance personnel”

This document is recommended by the European Federation of National Maintenance

Societies (EFNMS) as a guideline for calculating the O10 indicator.

Additional information is available in the document “Global Maintenance and Reliability

Indicators” available for purchase in the SMRP Library.

J. REFERENCES
Approved by consensus of SMRP Best Practice Committee.

Copyright © 2009 by SMRP. All rights reserved. PAGE 4 of 4

PAGE 4 of 4 Publication Date: June 27, 2009
Revised: September 12, 2013