Certified Reliability Leader (CRL) Practice Test

What should the type and level of alarms be based on in a maintenance program?

1. Operational history

2. Specific failure modes

3. Equipment age

4. Industry standards

The correct answer is: Specific failure modes

In a maintenance program, the type and level of alarms should be based on specific failure modes. This approach allows for a targeted and effective response to potential issues that may arise with the equipment. By analyzing the known failure modes for particular machinery or systems, maintenance teams can set alarms that are directly related to the conditions that are likely to lead to failure. Adjusting alarms in accordance with these identified failure modes ensures that alerts are relevant and timely, enabling proactive maintenance actions to prevent unanticipated outages or damage. While operational history, equipment age, and industry standards can all play a role in maintenance scheduling and strategy, they do not specifically highlight the direct link between the types of alarms set and the potential failure mechanisms of the equipment. Focusing on failure modes allows practitioners to implement a more risk-based approach to maintenance, aligning their monitoring and response strategies with the real threats to reliability.