Brief notes on Engineering/Maintenance Department of a Hotel

The personnel and the equipments under their control provide the comforts demanded by the guests.

The maintenance departments affect the operation of the other departments of the lodging establishment.

The care and operation of the physical plant is largely the responsibility of maintenance department.

Duties of maintenance personal –

(i) Inspection

(ii) Engineering.

(iii) Maintenance

(iv) Repair

(v) Overhaul

(vi) Construction

(vii) Salvage

(viii) Clerical jobs.

Objectives of maintenance department are:-

(a) Protect the investment in the physical plant

(b) Control the maintenance cost.

(c) Minimize the energy cost of the facilities.

(d) Minimize safety problems.

(e) Supply and distribution of power, water, etc.

(f) Reduce down time.

(g) Provide better services to customers

(h) Provide higher market value services

(i) Provide services at lower cost

(j) Provide timely services.

(k) Make life longer for equipments.

(I) Provide higher safety and morale for employees.

(m) Provide better environment for community

(n) Provide smoother and continuous running of hotel.

(0) Provide efficient waste disposal system.

(p) Ensure higher salvage value of equipments.

The functions of maintenance department are as follow –

(i) Preparation:

(a) Maintenance request

(b) Repair of equipment under breakdown

(c) Assets/facilities register

(d) Introduce check list to prevent breakdown.

(e) Maintenance Schedule

(f) Work/job specification.

(g) Programming annual & weekly planned maintenance programme

(h) Planned lubrication

(i) Work priority

(j) Facility priority

(k) Safety.

(ii) Operation: Routine analysis, loading.

(iii) Progression: Critical analysis.

Maintenance can be organised as –

(i) Centralized

(ii) Decentralized – placed under shop/section superintendent

(iii) A combination of above two

It depends upon –

(a) Physical location of facilities.

(b) Type of equipment in use and its age.

(c) Availability of skilled maintenance personnel

Layout and cost, work measurement, managing work

Maintenance of equipments need the coordinated efforts of all concerned with hotel because

(a) Maintenance is affected by the operational procedures, equipments, utilities, & service plans.

(b) Equipment life is affected by the operational parameters.

(c) Hotels are affected by the use of substandard raw materials processing, water, etc.

(d) Equipments getting affected and damaged due to scale forming, chocking of pipe lines, vessels, etc.

Traits of maintenance staff are

(a) Patience (b) Analytical mind

(c) Dignity of labour

Training of maintenance staff consists of

(a) General training (b) Departmental training

(c) Job specification training

Training programme should cover basic concepts & necessity of maintenance, documents to be maintained, compilation of cost data, factors affecting the maintenance cost, means to be taken to reduce maintenance cost & down time due to maintenance.