Gremlins in the works! The importance of checking your machinery

September 8, 2022

Hobgoblins, imps, ghosts, and every type of spook – there’ll be many of them about come the end of October. With Halloween fast approaching, you’ll want to ensure there are no gremlins at work in the essential plant and machinery your business runs.

Gremlins are believed to have made their appearance at the beginning of the 20^th century when they played havoc with the lives of pilots and airmen during the World Wars. But the gremlin in the works has become an altogether more widespread menace.

And, if the gremlins should take up residence in your workplace, how far will your breakdown insurance cover the bill for repairs or replacement?

Inspection routines

Whether or not you already have machine breakdown insurance – and without any detailed knowledge of what it might cover – there is a lot you can do to keep any gremlins away. And that boils down to some relatively simple and straightforward inspection routines:

• your machinery inspection schedule needs to be part of your overall production strategy and not one of those occasional chores just taken whenever you think of it;

• it involves a broad and comprehensive visual overview of mechanical functions and those parts on which the machinery most depends;

• while checking that the machinery works as it should, you’ll also be inspecting vital components for signs of wear – and paying particular attention to safety features and failsafe routines;

• your inspection will define your immediate, mid-and long-term maintenance schedules – so you’ll also need to keep meticulous records of the inspections made and the results you found.

By inspecting your machinery according to set routines, you can help kick out any gremlins – and keep them kicked out. That will reduce the cost of emergency repairs, those periods of expensive downtime, breathe new life into the equipment you use, and identify machinery nearing the end of its safe and practical working life.

Machinery insurance

Although you will have taken responsibility for inspecting your machinery regularly and using those inspections to ensure that – as far as reasonably possible – it continues to work safely and efficiently, greater security and peace of mind may be given through the appropriate machinery insurance.

Insurance policies differ, of course, but the principal objective of this type of cover is to indemnify you against the financial losses that invariably occur if and when any piece of equipment or machinery breaks down or suffers some unexpected damage.

Your policy documents will identify the range and types of machinery insured and the risks against which they are covered.

In the first instance, of course, machinery insurance is designed to cover the cost of the repair or replacement of malfunctioning equipment – so that your production run continues smoothly and your business suffers as little disruption as possible. The replacement of parts is typically on a new for old basis, but, if the replacement of an entire machine is required, an element of depreciation is more likely to be taken into account.

Some policies may include – typically as an optional extra – compensation for any revenue or profits lost as a direct result of the breakdown or failure of critical machinery used by your business and covered by your insurance.

Beating the gremlins at their own game

With the combined actions of regularly checking your machinery backed by the peace of mind of machinery insurance, hopefully you can keep those gremlins at bay! Speak to us today to find out more about our machinery insurance.