In today's economy, companies want to maximize the ROI of resources. Consequently, maintenance departments are being tasked with more non-maintenance activities and project work. This can prove costly. Simply working through fatigue may appear to save money in the short run, but its costs include lower productivity, higher error rates, and higher accident rates.
You can raise productivity through technology. Test equipment upgrades can speed up troubleshooting, PdM, and PM. So can monitors (e.g., power, battery, vibration).
Another issue is floor space. Where you realistically need 40 in. of working clearance, some production manager says 3 ft is all you get. He then paints a line at 2 ft, 11 in. and moves production equipment right up to the line. But the OSHA and NEC clearances are, according to OSHA and the NEC, bare minimums. Work out exactly why a given spacing is required [110.26], and document that.
Don't permit equipment rooms to be used as storage areas, either.
