What Does A Maintenance Technician Do?

A maintenance technician is responsible for maintaining a facility and performing general maintenance. Maintenance technicians can have different levels of responsibility depending on their organization's size and maintenance budget. A maintenance technician in a small apartment complex is a "jack of all trades," whereas a technician at a manufacturing plant can specialize in emergency, preventive, and predictive maintenance of specific equipment types. Click here to get the best Maintenance and Repair jobs.

There are a variety of skill levels for maintenance technicians. These numbers are usually indicated with Roman numerals I through IV. A lower number indicates less experience, while a higher number indicates more. Every skill level has the same number of responsibilities, but depending on your skill level, the responsibilities may require more technical aptitude or leadership.

A maintenance technician reports to a manager or supervisor in large companies. A maintenance technician in a smaller organization reports to the property or facility manager.

Responsibilities

• Different types of proactive and reactive maintenance
• Contractors are provided with site-specific information
• Performs quality assurance on components purchased from vendors or manufactured in-house
• Updates PMs, work orders in a CMS
• Collaborates with other departments, such as production support or manufacturing engineering, to ensure that equipment and facilities are in good condition.

Traits

• Demonstrates the ability to follow manufacturer's specifications.
• Demonstrates problem-solving skills under limited supervision
• Understanding of general electrical and mechanical principles
• Learn OSHA standards for performing work duties
• Safety is prioritized by using safe work practices and creating a safe environment

Who should you hire as a maintenance technician?

A maintenance technician is needed for any organization managing physical capital assets (equipment, machinery, vehicles, buildings, etc.) to make sure that assets are in top working order throughout their entire useful life.

An organization cannot afford a maintenance technician without having to hire outside contractors. These contractors charge a lot more for simple repairs than an in-house technician. It is financially sensible to hire a maintenance technician if your company requires many repairs per day.

Large companies that want to avoid the negative side effects of reactive maintenance (i.e. Multiple technicians can be hired in-house to prevent unscheduled downtime. Each technician is responsible for performing proactive maintenance on assigned assets, in addition to emergency maintenance. Only specialized repairs are performed by contractors. This could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

What is the difference between maintenance technicians?

Maintenance Technician

Monitoring and maintaining plant systems and equipment, including conveyor belts, balers, electric motors, pulleys shafts, and bearings.

Building Maintenance Technician

Performs routine maintenance and inspections of buildings. Keeps an accurate record of all tenants and properties. Maintains an inventory of building materials, and supplies and orders them.

Facilities Maintenance Technician

Solves problems, and performs basic maintenance and other engineering tasks. Performs small-scale projects and provides service for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire systems. Conducts inspections of equipment and building infrastructure.

Public Works Maintenance Technician

Maintains a fleet vehicle inspection log. Construction, maintenance, repair, and maintenance of sidewalks and streets in the city. Clears the city right-of-way of trees and shrubs.

What certifications do maintenance technicians have?

Hire a technician who has a recent certification and requires your employees to become certified. This will help you hire great talent and strengthen your maintenance team. Many certifications can be obtained for different types and types of technicians today.

Certified Maintenance & Repair Technician (CMRT)

The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals offers this certification. This certification assesses the knowledge and skills of individuals responsible for corrective, preventive, and predictive maintenance.

Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians

The National Apartment Association offers this certification and it is accredited by American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This certification is used to assess a technician's ability and skill in performing electrical and mechanical maintenance, while also delighting tenants.

The International Maintenance Institute (IMI), offers many training and certifications for maintenance professionals.

How can maintenance technicians improve reliability?

A maintenance technician can help a company improve its reliability. A maintenance technician might have managerial responsibilities in small companies to implement reliability practices. Maintenance technicians in large companies can help improve reliability by ensuring accurate data is provided and using the CMMS effectively.

Understanding the root causes of equipment failures

Maintenance technicians work on the front lines and can often gain valuable insight into the causes and time required to repair and maintain the equipment. Maintenance technicians can provide this data in an easily analyzed format to help management make better business decisions.

Selection guide for precision tools

Maintenance technicians can also be used to justify the use of precision tools. Many organizations underestimate the importance of these tools in reducing maintenance. These tools can be used by maintenance technicians to reduce the number of repairs and breakdowns.

Consistent preventive maintenance

Reliable performance can also be improved by recognizing and relieving pipe stress and sealing electrical and instrument panel panels. These can often collect dust and moisture. To improve the reliability of electrical motors, they should be cleaned regularly. Inadequate lubrication can also lead to significant failures in an organization. Maintenance technicians must be properly trained in the proper lubrication process.