Evaluating the effectiveness of maintenance practices: Case study of a university power generating plant

The study was conducted in one of the Federal universities in Nigeria. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance practices in a power generating plant using an availability ratio method. The plant was placed under study for a period of six months. The operation records were obtained from which the availability ratio was obtained. Questionnaires were also distributed to the 21 staff members in the unit and oral interviews were conducted to ascertain the maintenance strategy practiced by the unit. The study revealed that the unit has an availability of 61%, which is low compared to the standard availability ratio of power generating plants (99.9%). The maintenance practices of the unit were determined ineffective. This ineffectiveness was attributed to poor documentation, low-skilled manpower, lack of a spare parts stock, and deficient operating maintenance strategy, as well as poor maintenance funding and management policy. The study recommended autonomy of the maintenance unit, a better inventory system for work materials and spare parts, practice of a predictive or condition monitoring maintenance strategy, training and retraining of the workforce and acquisition of relevant equipment, such as vehicles and computers, as measures that will, in part, improve the effectiveness of maintenance of the plant. The recommendations of this study can be applied to the power sector in Nigeria, which is considered by many to be grossly ineffective.