Maintenance department

COORDINATION OF MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS

 

 MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT Directly Related to Following Department 0 –

  • Kitchen
  • F&B Service
  • Housekeeping
  • Store & Purchase
  • Human resource
  • Finance & Account
  • Front Office

 

What does a hotel maintenance department do?

 

They are often responsible for the management of services and processes that support the core business. They ensure the safety of all the staff and guests within the boundaries of the establishment, and they are also responsible for improving energy efficiencies and reducing operating costs. They protect the integrity of the building through maintenance of: Building structures

Hotels are becoming more eco-friendly and this is being driven by maintenance departments

(including walls, ceilings and floors); aircons, heating and cooling plants; water and sewage facilities; furniture, fixtures and equipment; electricity; alarms; space management; procurement and so much more. It’s a huge responsibility for any hotel, and having the right team in place ensures that things run smoothly.

In some cases, maintenance departments will outsource certain functions to third-party specialists or experts, however, it is still the role of the Maintenance Manager to oversee the operations of third-party suppliers.

Hotels are becoming more eco-friendly and this is being driven by maintenance departments who are seeking more energy efficient procedures and equipment, as well as best practises. Because many of the energy saving resources need to be altered or installed by maintenance teams, they are coming up with new and innovative ways to reduce costs and improve efficiencies every year.

How are hotels saving energy and resources the green way?

In Housekeeping

·         Turning off lights, aircons or heaters when rooms are being cleaned or are unoccupied.

·         Washing linens and towels at a lower temperature

·         Reporting water leaks as soon as they are discovered. (toilets or taps)

In Rooms

·         Installing low-flow showerheads and aerators in bathrooms.

·         Switching to low-flow or dual flush toilets and making sure that toilet flappers are not leaking

·         Using LED lighting

General building and public areas:

·         HVAC systems provide heating and cooling, as well as filtration, fresh air, and humidity control. Using an energy management system (EMS) to prevent conditioning space when it is not necessary is important.

·         Modifying the HVAC heating and aircon units to include more energy efficient technologies like heat pumps.

·         Using solar water heating systems for hot tubs.

·         Using daylight sensors for your lights so that they only come on when it’s dark

·         Replacing standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs which last longer and use about 75 % less energy than standard one.

·         Servicing heating and cooling equipment regularly.

In the Kitchen

·         Internal recycling programmes such as making your own beer, growing your own fruit and veg are all ways to save money and be more eco-conscious.

·         Energy efficient water sprayers on taps and efficient lighting in a restaurant will see your energy and water bills reduced.

·         Composting – Once food waste is turned into compost it can be used to fertilize your own veggies and fruits, herbs and plants within your restaurant.

 

Qualifications and skills for working in a hotel maintenance department

Any maintenance team member from an apprentice to the manager in charge needs to have a suitable qualification in an appropriate engineering field. They also need a hospitality qualification to truly understand the hotel business and the needs of guests and staff onsite. This, coupled with plenty of work experience will make them employable both locally and internationally, opening up many doors for travel or work in all types of hospitality establishments (casino’s, game lodges, cruise liners, resorts etc.)

Successful maintenance staff have the following skills:

  • Project management skills
  • Research skills coupled with excellent IT skills
  • Procurement and negotiating skills
  • Time management and multi-tasking skills
  • A flexible and innovative approach to work
  • Problem-solving skills

 

Duties and Organization of Maintenance Department

 

Duties or Functions of Maintenance Department:

(A) Inspection:

(1) Inspection is concerned with the routine schedule checks of the plant facilities to examine their condition and to check for needed repairs.

(2) Inspections ensure the safe and efficient operation of equipment and machinery.

(3) Frequency of inspections depends upon the intensity of the use of the equipment. For example, belts in a machine may be checked every week; furnace equipment every month; an over-head bridge crane every four months and so on.

(4) Inspection section makes certain that every working equipment receives proper attention.

(5) Items removed during maintenance and overhaul operations are inspected to determine the feasibility of repairs.

(6) Maintenance items received from vendors are inspected for their fitness.

(B) Engineering:

(1) Engineering involves alterations and improvements in existing equipment and building to minimize breakdowns.

(2) Maintenance department also undertakes engineering and supervision of constructional projects that will eventually become part of the plant.

(3) Engineering and consulting services to production supervision are also the responsibilities of maintenance department.

(C) Maintenance (including Preventive Maintenance):

(1) Maintenance of existing plant equipment.

(2) Maintenance of existing plant buildings, and other service facilities such as yards, central stores, roadways, sewers, etc.

(3) Engineering and execution of planned maintenance, minor installations of equipment, building and replacements.

(4) Preventive maintenance, i.e., preventing breakdown (before it occurs) by well-conceived plans of inspection, lubrication, adjustments, repair and overhaul.

(D) Repair:

(1) Maintenance department carries out corrective repairs to alleviate unsatisfactory conditions found during preventive maintenance inspection.

(2) Such a repair is an unscheduled work often of an emergency nature, and is necessary to correct breakdowns and it includes trouble calls.

(E) Overhaul:

(1) Overhaul is a planned, scheduled reconditioning of plant facilities such as machinery, etc.

(2) Overhaul involves replacement, reconditioning, reassembly, etc.

(F) Construction:

(1) In some organizations, maintenance department is provided with equipment and personnel and it takes up construction jobs also.

(2) Maintenance department handles construction of wood, brick and steel structures, cement and asphalt paving, electrical installations, etc.

(G) Salvage:

Maintenance department may also handle disposition of scrap or surplus materials.

This function involves:

  1. Segregation, reclamation and disposition of production scrap, and
  2. The collection and disposition of surplus equipment, materials and supplies.

(H) Clerical Jobs:

Maintenance department keeps records:

  1. Of costs,
  2. Of time progress on jobs,

iii. Pertaining to important features of buildings and production equipment; electrical installa­tions; water, steam, air and oil lines ; transportation facilities (such as elevators, conveyors, powered trucks, cranes, etc.), etc.

(I) Generation and distribution of power and other utilities.

(J) Administration and supervision of labour force (of maintenance department).

(K) Providing plant protection, including fire protection.

(L) Insurance administration.

(M) Establishing and maintaining a suitable store of maintenance materials.

(N) Janitorial service.

(O) Housekeeping.

Good housekeeping involves upkeep and cleaning of equipment, building, toilets, wash-rooms, etc.

(P) Pollution and noise abatement.

 

Organization of Maintenance Department:

(1) The buildings, plant and services are called by the accountant fixed assets and in many companies they form at least 50% of the money invested.

In any company, small or big, it is therefore essential that some part of the main organization should be responsible for maintaining these important assets.

(2) The section or department which preserves and looks after the upkeep of equipment, building etc., is called maintenance department.

(3) To work satisfactorily, the maintenance department has an organization structure.

Organization structure of maintenance department.

(4) A few basic concepts of good Organizations that should be kept in mind in developing an Organization are:

(a) A reasonably clear division of authority with little or no overlap.

(b) Vertical lines of authority and responsibility should be kept as short as possible. In other words, a level which simply transmits information up and instructions down should be eliminated.

(c) Keep optimum number of persons (3 to 6 is the average value) reporting to an individual.

(d) Fit the Organization to the personalities involved. This means that the Organization structure should be flexible and it may be revised periodically to fit changing personnel and conditions.

(5) The basic Organization structure of maintenance department depends upon:

(a) Types of maintenance activities to be looked after:

The wider the maintenance field to be covered, the bigger is the Organization

(b) Continuity of operations:

The size of the maintenance force and therefore the structure of maintenance Organization depend upon:

  1. Whether it is a four, five or six working days week, and
  2. Whether the plant runs in one, two or three shifts.

(c) Size of the plant:

The Organization structure of the maintenance department varies with the size of plant. The larger the plant the more the number of persons in the maintenance force.

(d) Compact or dispersed plant:

A plant spread in a wider area (like ECIL Hyderabad) needs decentralization and may require several parallel maintenance Organizations. A compact plant may need only one such Organization

(e) Nature of industry, i.e., whether it is primarily an electrical, electronics, chemical or a mechanical industry.

(f) State of training and reliability of work force.

(6) In establishing a maintenance Organization, it is essential to recognize that:

(a) The plant is to be maintained at a level consistent with low cost and high productivity;

(b) Supervisors should be appointed according to the duties and responsibilities involved; and

(c) Modern age indicates greater need of newer engineering techniques and skills.

S.No.

BREAK DOWN MAINTENANCE

 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

1.

Failure of equipment occurs suddenly

and is unpredictable.

Symptom of likely failure can be noticed .

2.

It causes loss of time and production.

 By this, loss of time and production can be reduced.

3.

It needs to be attended immediately.

 It can be scheduled and planned.

4.

It is the total shut down or failure of the

Machine.

It is carried out on a healthy machine.

5.

It reduces the working life of the equipment.

It helps to enhance the working life of the machine.

6.

Cost on spare parts and maintenance is

high compared to preventive maintenance

Cost on spare parts and the maintenance is comparatively low.

7.

It demands the replacements or modulation.

It demands a normal care or repair.

 

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