Maintenance Break

Operational Readiness: Why the Work Before the Work Determines Everything 22.06.2026 10min

Most sites focus on maintaining assets once they're running. Operational Readiness is everything that has to happen before the first shift starts — and when it's skipped, the performance gap costs more than most businesses realise. In this episode, Pete and Drew break down the three lenses of Operational Readiness — People, Systems, and Equipment — and make the case for why the 80% of strategy work you can do before a machine arrives is only half the story.Break Tip: If you have a new asset coming to your site, ask three questions. Do we have plan to have people ready to operate and maintain this equipment on day one? Is there a plan to have master data loaded in the CMMS and are the maintenance procedures written? And has someone verified the maintenance strategy against the actual asset configuration to be delivered? If the answer to any of those is no — or "we'll sort it out when it arrives" — you have identified your readiness gap.

Asset Management Plans: The Ultimate Operational Handshake 08.06.2026 8min

In this episode, Pete and Drew demystify the Asset Management Plan (AMP), to reveal why it is the ultimate alignment tool between operations and maintenance. They break down how combining your Operating Context, Maintenance Strategy, and Scheduled Downtime Strategy creates a powerful roadmap to balance Performance, Cost, and Risk. Learn why treating your AMP as a living, breathing document is the only way to help ensure your asset is running at optimal efficiency.Break Tip: Pick one critical asset on site that has been giving you grief and review the key elements of an AMP. Is the Operating Context known and defined? Does the Maintenance Strategy take the context into consideration? And is the Downtime Strategy locked in? If not, get the team together and get aligned!

When the Plan Unravels: Swinging Loads & Missing Procedures 25.05.2026 8min

The JHA was done. The OEM procedure was on the table. The crew were trying to do the right thing. And a worker still ended up on the ground with a serious leg laceration. In this episode, Pete and Drew break down Safety Alert SA24-04 from NSW Resources Regulator — a haul truck rear strut replacement that went wrong the moment the plan changed and there was no documented fallback to catch the team.Running the incident through the JEBS PCR Triad, Pete and Drew unpack how a fit-for-purpose lifting jig sitting unused on site exposed a critical gap in procedure and training, how the cost of a procedure rewrite before the job dwarfs the operational and human toll of not doing it, and how the absence of hold points left a partially-pinned, hundreds-of-kilogram strut with nothing stopping it from pivoting into a worker on the access platform.When the lift method stops working mid-job, your procedure needs to have an answer. This one didn't.Break Tip: Before your next cylinder, suspension, or driveline component replacement hits the board — pull the procedure and ask whether it calls out an independent means of restraint at every stage of the lift. If the lifting jig isn't referenced and your crew hasn't been trained on it, that's your gap. Close it before the job starts.The full Safety Alert details can be found here: https://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/safety-alert-sa24-04-haul-truck-rear-strut-injures-worker.pdf

Still Running… But is it reliable? 11.05.2026 9min

Is your plant running because it's reliable — or because your team is holding it together with workarounds and tribal knowledge? In this episode, Pete and Drew tackle one of the most common misconceptions in maintenance: that reliability just means fewer breakdowns. They break down what reliability actually is, why availability and maintenance aren't the same thing, and how to tell the difference between a healthy asset and one that's surviving on heroics. Break Tip: Walk the plant and identify the top three assets your team always complains about. Against each one ask yourself this one question and document the answer. Why does this asset keep making the list?

No Visibility, No Control: Fixing the Off-Site Repair Process 27.04.2026 7min

You send a gearbox out the gate and it vanishes. No status update, no confirmed lead time, and an invoice that lands like a lead balloon much larger than you expect. Sound familiar? In this episode, Pete and Drew shine a light on the "Off-Site Black Hole" — the fragmented repair process quietly leaking millions from maintenance budgets across the industry.Running the problem through the JEBS PCR Triad, Pete and Drew break down how unknown rebuild lead times wreck your component replacement schedule, how poor scope management and ignored warranty claims mean many operations are paying twice for the same repair, and how "vendor drift" — where rebuilds slowly drift away from your standard — is destroying component life one early component change at a time.The fix isn't complicated. It's visibility, process, and the willingness to stop being a passenger on your own purchase orders.Break Tip: Pick your top five most expensive off-site repairable items and pull two years of history. Check if any failed early — then find out if a warranty claim was ever lodged. You might just uncover hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting on the table.

When Jumpstarts Become Normal: Chronic Failures & the Cost of Looking Away 13.04.2026 6min

Nobody questions the jump-start ute — until someone does. In this episode, Pete and Drew break down a chronic breakdown event where a dedicated vehicle and fitter were burning up to eight hours a shift just getting trucks to start, and the whole site had simply accepted it as normal.It took one reliability professional sacrificing a night's sleep, sitting in the ute on the go-line, to find the culprit: operators leaving their work lights on during crib breaks.Running the event through the JEBS PCR Triad, Pete and Drew unpack how chronic short stoppages quietly destroy your circuit efficiency, how skilled labour gets wasted on work a light switch should prevent, and how an extra light vehicle on the heavy vehicle go-line is a risk hiding in plain sight.The procedure already had the answer. Nobody was following it.Break Tip: Find your chronic failure — the one your team has become so efficient at fixing that nobody questions it anymore. Get off the spreadsheet, get into the field, and really understand what's driving it. You might be surprised how simple the fix actually is.

Single Point of Failure: Guardrails, Modifications & the EX5600 Incident 30.03.2026 7min

Four metres. That's not a stumble — that's a life-changer. In this episode, Pete and Drew break down Safety Alert SA26-02 out of the Hunter Valley, where a worker fell from a Hitachi EX5600 excavator after a guardrail stanchion — weakened by an aftermarket modification and an undetected crack — simply snapped.Running the incident through the JEBS PCR Triad, Pete and Drew unpack how chasing Performance through platform modifications introduced hidden failure, how ignoring the small Cost of a repair weld led to millions in lost production while the investigation was carried out, and how normalised Risk blindness let a cracked stanchion surviving operator pre-starts, fortnightly PMs, and dedicated structural inspections alike.The hard truth? "Tick and flick" inspections and equipment blindness don't just hurt your asset — they put your mates on the ground.Break Tip: Next time you're on an excavator or walking the plant, take a critical look at the walkway guardrails and stanchion posts around you. If something's not right, don't assume it's already been reported — follow through and get it into the system. That's how you keep your mates safe.The full Safety Alert details can be found here: https://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-03/SA26-02-fall-from-excavator-breaks-workers-legs.pdf

The 15-Year Crane Problem: When Chemistry Beat Mechanics 16.03.2026 8min

For fifteen years, a primary production rail crane was the site’s biggest headache. Availability sat at just 65%, improvement projects kept failing, and the team had started accepting the problem as “just the way it is.”In this episode, Pete and Drew unpack a fascinating case study submitted by Adam reviewing through the JEBS PCR (Performance, Cost, Risk) Triad. They reveal how environmental contamination was silently destroying compressor oil—a chemical root cause for a mechanical nightmare.The Result:Performance: Availability jumped from 65% to over 85% sustained.Cost: $150k investment per crane yielded $3.2 million per year in additional product.Risk: Mitigated 15 years of chronic failure and production loss.Along the way, the team explores drifting Bills of Materials, workflow execution, and a culture that had quietly accepted defeat. This story is a powerful reminder: long-term equipment problems often aren’t about the component you keep replacing—they’re about the assumptions nobody has challenged.Break Tip: Pick one asset on your site that everyone says “that’s just the way it is”… and go question it. Challenge the assumption by looking at the environment, the process, the parts, the way the work’s executed to get to the root cause.

The Stored Energy Debt: When the Line of Fire Hits Home 02.03.2026 8min

When heavy metal meets gravity, the results are life-changing. In this episode, we dissect the Resources Queensland safety notice regarding a 5-piece wheel assembly incident that injured a tyre fitter. Pete and Drew walk through the technical "Hold Points" identified in the safety notice that every tyre bay needs, touching on the different safe mounting options to the "Captain of the Zone" communication rule. If you're working with tyre assemblies, this is your guide to potentially closing the gap in your processes before gravity does it for you. Break Tip: Tomorrow morning, go to your tyre bay and look at your Hold Points. Ask your team: "Where do we stop to verify the tyre jewellery is seated before we stand the tyre up?". The full Incident details can be found here: www.rshq.qld.gov.au/safety-notices/mines/animation-worker-struck-during-tyre-fitting

Beyond Spare Parts: Why "Tick and Flick" is More Expensive Than Spare Parts 16.02.2026 6min

Is your maintenance team stuck in a "replace and restock" cycle that never actually stops the breakdowns?In this episode of Maintenance Break, Pete and Drew tear down a real-world case study: a Hitachi EH3500 haul truck with an HV cabinet door that failed mid-shift. While the site blamed a lack of spares, the root cause was a "tick and flick" culture that ignored a visible defect for weeks.Using the JEBS PCR Triad, they examine how a failure in the "Check" phase of the PDCA cycle creates a ripple effect:PERFORMANCE: Why 4.5 hours of immediate downtime was entirely preventable.COST: The "financial leakage" of unplanned cannibalization—and why raiding a donor truck doubles your labor costs.RISK: The safety hazard of falling heavy components and the danger of inspections that lack integrity.In this episode:The Cannibalization Trap: Why raiding healthy trucks is a maintenance sin.Defects vs. Parts: Why reliability is found in tool-time inspections, not a warehouse.The "Check the Check" Strategy: A leadership tactic to close the loop between the PM sheet and the planning office.Stop the "slow-motion car crashes" on your site and turn ticked boxes into operational control.Listen now and keep those assets running!Disclaimer: Maintenance Break utilises AI voice clones of our hosts. All insights, technical data, and industry strategies are developed by human experts based on real-world reliability experience.

JEBS Advisory Insights: The PCR Triad 04.02.2026 6min

Pete welcomes Drew from JEBS Advisory as his new co-host and to discuss the JEBS PCR Triad: a framework for balancing Performance, Cost, and Risk in heavy industry. Learn why every maintenance task must justify its existence through these three lenses or be cut from the schedule.💡 JEBS Break Tip: Use our "PCR Triad lens" to audit your next five maintenance jobs and determine their value to the business.To learn more about JEBS Advisory visit www.jebsadvisory.com or check out and follow our LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/jebs-advisory-p-l/

The Three Pillars: Stop Wasting Time on Unnecessary Maintenance Tasks 08.12.2025 6min

Is your PM schedule full of "task clutter" that adds cost but no reliability? In this episode of Maintenance Break, Pete and Sarah dive into the critical filter needed to make sure your team's wrench time is spent only on tasks that matter.They introduce the Three Pillars of a Solid Task: it must be Technically Feasible, Effective, and Cost-Justified. If a task fails this test, it's time to delete it or find a smarter alternative.Listen in for:How to evaluate every task on your PM schedule using the Three Pillars.Why sometimes Run-to-Failure (RTF) is the best reliability strategy.The danger of the "Redesign Trap": The true story of a team that almost installed bigger auto-lube tanks, only to find the problem was a simple setting fix.It's time to clean up your CMMS and focus on high-impact reliability. Listen now and keep those assets running!Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

Closing the Loop: Turning 'We Should Fix That' into 'It's Fixed' 24.11.2025 6min

We've all been there: a fantastic Root Cause Analysis with a brilliant list of actions... that somehow vanish. In this episode of Maintenance Break, Pete and Sarah dive into the accountability problem that kills reliability and keeps recurring issues alive.Learn how to beat the "black hole of good intentions" by focusing on simple, visible tracking and the critical importance of the Verification step. Plus, they share a blueprint for their most powerful tool: the 15-Minute Weekly Improvement Huddle.In this quick break, you'll learn:Why most improvement actions get lost (and how to stop it).The three steps to closing the Accountability Loop.How to run a high-impact, stand-up 15-minute huddle to clear roadblocks.The final, essential step of Standardisation that makes a fix permanent.Stop discussing problems and start fixing them. Listen now and keep those assets running!Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

Culture Shock: Why Discipline Beats Luck Every Time 10.11.2025 6min

Everyone talks about "proactive maintenance," but what actually makes it stick? In this episode, Pete and Sarah dive into the real engine of reliability: operational discipline and culture.We break down why routines—like a disciplined shift start meeting—are anything but boring, and why they are essential for protecting multi-million dollar mobile mining assets. Discover how small daily rituals build a proactive culture, how to fight the "good enough" trap of complacency, and why reliability is truly a team sport driven by mutual accountability between Operations and Maintenance.🎯 Key takeaways:Why operational discipline is the foundation of reliability, not just a nice-to-have.How rituals like shift start meetings drive accountability and visibility.The "good enough" trap and how to empower operators to fight complacency.The power of collaboration: why shared risk between Ops and Maintenance builds reliability.This episode is for anyone who’s tired of watching great maintenance strategies fail due to poor execution. Whether you're in the pit, the workshop, or the office, this will help you shift your team from reactive chaos to disciplined success.💡 Takeaway Tip: Turn a commonly missed check on your critical fleet into a non-negotiable ritual this week.Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

When Things Go Wrong – Root Cause and Failure Response 28.10.2025 6min

Even the best maintenance programs face failures — what matters is how you respond. In this episode, Pete and Sarah explore how to uncover the real reasons behind breakdowns using tools like the 5-Whys. They unpack the Failure Response Model — from containment to learning — and share a real-world story of how a small oil leak turned into a costly shutdown.💡 Takeaway tip: Next time a failure occurs, ask “why” five times. Don’t stop at the symptom — fix the system.Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

Work Management – The Engine of Reliability 14.10.2025 7min

Reliability doesn’t just happen — it’s powered by effective work management. From planning and scheduling to execution and analysis, Pete and Sarah unpack the full life cycle of maintenance work and why each step matters. Discover common pitfalls, real-world examples, and simple ways to improve close-out and feedback.💡 Takeaway tip: Review the last three maintenance jobs — did the close-out capture clear notes, times, and parts used? If not, that’s your first improvement step.Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

Building Reliability into Maintenance Strategies 30.09.2025 5min

Strong reliability starts with smart strategies. In this episode, Pete and Sarah break down the essentials: tailoring asset strategies to context, adopting an RCM mindset, and building a proactive maintenance culture. Hear how the right approach can keep assets humming — and why discipline beats drama every time. Plus, a practical Break Tip you can apply to your next maintenance plan.💡 Takeaway tip: Pick one critical asset and ask: What are the top three ways this could fail in our environment? Then check if your current strategy actually addresses them.Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

Making Change Stick: The Asset Management Improvement Journey 16.09.2025 7min

Most asset management improvements fail not because the ideas are bad — but because execution falls flat. In this episode, Pete and Sarah explore how to design and deliver an improvement journey that actually works. Think fundamentals first, operational discipline, and building a culture that sticks long after the consultants are gone.We cover:The difference between “knowing” and “doing” in asset managementHow to design a phased improvement journeyThe role of proactive maintenance and cultural readinessWhy discipline and alignment beat “big bang” transformations every time💡 Takeaway tip: Before you launch your next big initiative, ask: are we truly ready to change, or are we just ticking a box?Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

From Knowing to Doing: The Asset Management Improvement Journey 02.09.2025 9min

Ever sat through an improvement project that sounded great in theory… then fizzled out on the shop floor? In this episode, Pete and Sarah break down how to turn asset management ideas into real, lasting results. From assessing your current state to spotting value gaps, prioritising what to fix first, and keeping discipline alive, this is your roadmap for making change stick.We cover:Why starting with the fundamentals matters more than chasing “shiny” solutionsHow to spot and fix the biggest value leaksThe role of structured problem-solving in getting tractionThe secret to turning short-term wins into long-term gains💡 Takeaway tip: Don’t try to fix everything at once. Pick the one gap that’s hurting most — and start there.Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.

From Firefighting to Optimized: Your Asset Management Roadmap 19.08.2025 6min

You can’t optimise what you don’t control.In this episode of Maintenance Break, Pete and Sarah unpack the Asset Management Pyramid — your roadmap for building strong foundations before chasing optimisation. They break down how to take control of your assets, cut waste, think holistically, and stay agile as your business changes.We cover:Why effectiveness comes before efficiencyHow to identify and plug value leaksThe difference between firefighting and proactive controlWhen to start thinking lifecycle and big-picture valueWhy “optimised” isn’t a one-time achievement but an ongoing journeyThis episode is for anyone stuck in reactive mode and wondering how to break free. Whether you’re fighting breakdowns, trying to align priorities, or just looking for a clearer improvement path — this roadmap is for you.💡 Takeaway Tip:Find your biggest leak this week. Fix one Level 1 issue, and you’ll be climbing the pyramid before you know it.Disclaimer: While the podcast uses AI voices, the topics and insights are grounded in real-world asset management experience.