Building Maintenance Planning and Scheduling / Your Plan for Building a Predictive and Effective Preventative Maintenance Schedule
Your building maintenance planning and scheduling should include cleaning maintenance and repair of your escalators on an ongoing basis, so they perform as intended. And there are many planning process strategies you can adopt toward maintenance activities and predictive maintenance. This may leave you wondering what type of preventative maintenance plan and service is best for your needs.
In basic principle, frequent maintenance results in lower maintenance costs than if you didn’t perform regular maintenance work. The more you do it, the more you avoid the need for a costly repair, the less labor-intensive cleaning becomes, and the longer you benefit from proper escalator operation. But for additional clarity, here are some basic guidelines to remember when setting up your maintenance activities, so your planning and scheduling go smoother.
Scheduling Maintenance Work: How Often is Best for You?
As a basic guideline, we recommend scheduling regular maintenance work either daily or once or twice a week. For specific businesses, we have a standard maintenance plan we recommend:
- Airports and Subways: daily
- Casinos, Shopping Malls, and Department Stores: twice a week
- Hotels and office buildings: weekly
Doing maintenance daily or even once a week may sound frequent, but ongoing maintenance work brings many benefits, including financial ones. And here’s why.
Why Frequent Maintenance Work is the Smartest Option
Your maintenance costs add up to more savings than equipment repair, preventing costly damage while also maximizing the life of your system. This more frequent maintenance gives you more for your dollar while avoiding the hassle and urgency of repairing a non-working system. The more often you plan your preventative maintenance, the fewer times it breaks down and requires necessary repair, and the longer you can maintain your current system because of increased reliability.
Lower Labor Costs
Another reason higher frequency escalator equipment cleaning and maintenance activities is cheaper than infrequent maintenance is due to the labor time it takes to service and clean them. As time passes, your escalator experiences more issues with dirt, oil, and grease that make it harder to complete even basic maintenance tasks. The more often your cleaning is done, the faster and easier the process goes.
In the case of conducting frequent cleaning with our EscaTEQ cleaning pad, you can have a clean escalator in just two escalator passes (2 to 4 minutes), while making the cleaning process as easy as regular floor cleaning. This more frequent maintenance work translates into less labor costs compared to less frequent maintenance work.
Lower Cost of Materials
Another consideration is the base costs of your cleaning tools. For instance, the more frequently you implement our EscaTEQ cleaning pad and cleaning solution, the lower the cost is for each use due to less dirt, oil, and grease and lower wear and tear on the product. If you clean your escalator regularly, you can get as many as 15 cleanings with each pad. The frequent preventative maintenance is also faster and easier, adding up to more savings in materials and labor than doing an annual cleaning.
Here is a breakdown of a cost per cleaning using our product in relation to frequency:
- Once a week: €9.21 / Annual cost €478.92
- Twice a week: €7.39 / Annual cost €768.56
- Every day: €5.99 / Annual cost €2,186.35
Since an outsourced annual cleaning cost can run €1,200, you save more by cleaning your escalator once-a-week and twice-a-week.
Fewer Hazards
Frequent cleaning and maintenance activities can also save you cost by lowering exposure to hazards. As time passes, grease and oil build up on the standing and stepping surface of the escalator treads, making it less safe. Additionally, using the wrong cleaning solutions can lead to a higher chance of slips and falls. A regular maintenance plan with the right products minimizes these dangers, resulting in safer conditions and reduced liability.
The Importance of Scheduling Continued Maintenance Work During COVID-19
This year has brought more than a fair share of maintenance planning and scheduling challenges, but maintaining preventative maintenance is more important than ever. According to the CDC, flooring is a likely location to spread the coronavirus. And the more public and popular the area is, the more service that site requires. This includes areas like shopping centers, transportation hubs, and stadiums.
Overall, Frequency is the Answer
How often you clean your escalator depends on the traffic it receives. It may be recommended to clean once a day or once a week, depending on your location and the frequency of use of your escalator. But as a general guideline, the more often you clean your escalator, the more you can save on labor and material costs while improving the performance and lifespan of your system, while increasing the safety and reliability for all who use it.
We provide a wealth of cleaning products to ensure maintaining a clean and safe elevator is fast and easy, preventing issues before they start. From cleaning pads specifically designed for elevator steps and risers to liquid solutions that provide a deep clean while preventing slips and falls, we specialize in giving you the right tools you need for effective elevator cleaning.