Contract Maintenance

Sometimes it is convenient to contract maintenance work out, here at Celtic Manor Resort there are several types of servicing and/or repairs that are better done by specialists in that particular field than trying to do them "in house".

For example the roller shutter doors in the green keepers building are serviced/inspected every six months. Bolts are tightened, springs re-tensioned, locks are oiled and general wear & tear problems are replaced, adjusted, straightened or re-bent back to there original shape before some clown straightened it or them.

For what it costs per year it is worth passing on the responsibility to an outside company, they come equipped with the necessary parts if any are required and specialist tools which would not normally be kept in the workshop. The report is kept on file and in the event of an accident, can be produced to the relevant authorities.

The same applies to workshop equipment such as jacks, axle stands, vehicle lift, gas bottle gauges, oxy/acetylene bags, air compressor settings/servicing, air gauges and blowers.

The times I have seen axle stands with screwdrivers, allen keys and even nails used instead of the correct pin (not here I hasten to add), using small trolley jacks with blocks of wood to lift tractors, perished, chafed or burnt bags on the gas bottles which have broken gauges etc. etc.

With good training and a regular inspection these dangerous practices are avoided and again the price is not high for peace of mind, with the best will in the world not all equipment can be checked every day by you personally but you can monitor the way the equipment is used.

Perhaps at this point I can insert the training sheet for axle stands and jacks that all mechanics here are trained on just by way of example.

This is a fairly typical example of a training sheet (standard operating procedure) used here; if the guidelines are adhered to and the equipment is inspected regularly the chances of an accident are minimized.

Standard Operating Procedure for Jacks and Axle Stands

TASK	PROCEDURE	STANDARD
Check jack for damage	Inspect jack for missing parts, damage and oil leaks	Jack is not damaged and there are no oil leaks
Check stands for damage	Inspect stands for bends or cracks.Check that the supports are correct for the type of stands.Check the pins are correct. (Do not use screwdrivers or punches).	Stands are not bent or cracked.The correct supports are used.The correct pins are used.
Use the jack correctly	Make sure the jack is of the correct lifting capacity for the lift being undertaken. Do not overload jack.Select appropriate floor area, this must be flat and firm enough to bear the proposed load. If this is not possible then a suitable load bearing surface must be placed beneath the jack, thick plywood or metal plate can be used.Select appropriate jack point on object to be lifted and inspect for load bearing soundness.Place jack squarely under jacking point and gradually take weight of object, observe the load bearing area and look for undue bending and distortion.Raise object to desired height and select area to be supported by stands.Place the stands under the selected points ensuring the center support is clear of the floor.Slowly lower the object onto the stands while looking for undue bending and distortion of the load bearing points until the stands are taking the full weight of the object.Remove the jack. .	Jack is not overloaded.Used only on hard floor or on load bearing surface.Correct jack point is used.Jack does not "kick out".Stands are under strong points.Supports are clear of the floor.The full weight of the object is on the stands without undue bending or distortion.Jack is removed clear of the work area.
Removing stands	Place the jack under the point to be used for the lift and gradually take the weight of the object, again looking for signs of overload as above.When the object is clear of the stands remove them and lower object to the floor	Correct jack point is used.Object is on the floor without damage.