Risk Management: Comparing Human Health With Equipment Health

As the title would suggest, comparing human health to equipment asset health reveals some striking similarities, but also uncovers differences that should be considered

- Jeff Walkup

In the world of tribology and equipment lubrication, we often use the illustration that “anything a doctor can do with blood, we as maintenance and engineering professionals can do with various kinds of lubrication.” The human body is the most remarkable organism — or machine if you will — known to humankind. We proactively undergo examinations (diagnostic testing), and when the results are not what we are hoping for, we move heaven and earth to do anything we can within our power to preserve our health and save our lives.

What about high-dollar, mission-critical equipment and machines that are the heart and soul of a business organization? Do we do the same for the equipment we are entrusted with? Do we move as fast or pay the same amount of attention? What would happen if we paid more attention to that report, that dashboard alarm, and prioritized our corrective actions based upon actionable insight, information, end-user domain knowledge, common sense and a dose of good old-fashioned wisdom?

HUMAN HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS VS. EQUIPMENT HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS