Industrial maintenance ranks among the top concerns for modern-day plants and refineries. After all, having operations in place doesn’t do a company much good if its systems and equipment aren’t in a condition to carry out the work (and to carry it out both safely and effectively).

The key is finding the time to work industrial maintenance into already busy schedules. Between the limited downtime most industrial operations allow for and the difficulty of pinning down industrial maintenance teams during busy seasons, scheduling this necessary work can feel like a losing battle. That’s where nested teams come into play.

A slightly different approach to industrial upkeep, nested preventative maintenance involves welcoming outside crews into your facility on something of a permanent basis. And it can present big benefits for your operations on the whole.

Curious to learn more about this alternative option to industrial maintenance? You’ve come to the right place. Read on for insight into what exactly nested preventative maintenance entails, how to go about finding a team you can trust and other need-to-know information, as well.

What is Nested Preventative Maintenance?
We’ve already touched briefly on the topic, but let’s dig into how nested preventative maintenance works. It’s all about opening your industrial operations’ doors to an outside team that works out of your facility each day.

Although these team members remain outside contractors, they’re on-site day in and day out, just as traditional employees would be. These experts are ready and able to handle any planned maintenance or repair work required — or to tackle last-minute needs that arise — because your operations are their singular focus.

Because nested preventative maintenance teams serve as an offshoot of your company, they undergo specialized training to ensure they aren’t just equipped to handle maintenance and repair needs, but to handle them with your company’s exact specifications in mind. On another note, since these team members come to know your facility as if it were their own (after all, it more or less is), once engrained into your operations’ daily routine, they can take on additional tasks with little to no added oversight or introduction, just as a “regular” team member would.

What Benefits Does Nested Industrial Plant Maintenance Offer?
The selling points for nested industrial plant maintenance don’t end with the fact that you have a skilled team able (and available) to take on your work. In fact, that’s just the beginning. Here are a few other ways this approach to maintenance and repair work can make a big difference for your operations.

• Nested Industrial Maintenance Eliminates Wait Time: Remember, your nested crews are right there on-site. That means when issues arise you won’t have to contend with booking appointments around their existing schedules — or waiting for your maintenance crews as they battle traffic to reach your site. With a quick call to the team members you know and work with each day, you can get that issue handled in no time.
• Nested Industrial Maintenance Teams Can Pivot on a Moment’s Notice: Even the best-run operations face issues from time to time, and those issues never arise when it’s convenient. Nested crews have the flexibility to quickly and easily shift focus to the projects you need taken care of — where and when you need them done. Be it a big need such as a down-and-out piece of equipment that requires repair work ASAP, or a smaller landscaping ask that might not technically fall under the team’s traditional offerings (but still needs to get done), your nested crew can keep your operations moving forward unimpeded.
• Nested Crews Offer Employers More Leeway, Compared to Traditional Workers: Nested crews are contractors who legally work for other companies, providing plant and refinery managers a bit more leeway as it relates to the business side of things. Of course, it’s important to create a safe and comfortable working environment for everyone on your industrial site. But in Texas employers are not required by law to provide overtime compensation or traditional benefits to outside contractors who work on-site. Instead, those are issues the contract workers’ own company will handle. Nested crews give you the freedom to leave the additional paperwork and number crunching to someone else, so you can focus on the work that needs done.

What Types of Work Can Nested Industrial Maintenance Crews Take on?
The simpler route here might be to touch on the tasks nested crews CAN’T assist with. In general, your nested crew should be able to tackle any type of work you throw its way (within reason, of course). Although most teams will focus their efforts on maintenance and repair work, at Gallant Industrial our crews have happily aided in everything from specialty welding work, to carpet installation, planting palm trees and fabricating complicated parts and pieces.

In other words, if you can dream it, your team can probably do it. That ability to do a little bit of everything is what makes a nested team so valuable to plant or refinery management — and what makes the work so interesting for the crew members themselves.

What Should You Look for When Hiring a Nested Crew?
As with any working relationship, you’ll want to ensure the nested industrial maintenance team you bring on is equipped to handle your work — and handle it well. Here are some factors to consider.

• Hire a Nested Crew with Experience: Surprises tend to arise during even common maintenance and repair jobs. Experienced team members are better equipped to think on their feet and act accordingly when faced with the unexpected. Ask about your potential team members’ past work, the jobs they more regularly take on, and for specific examples related to times maintenance or repair work didn’t go as anticipated — and how they handled the situation.
• Bring on Nested Crew Members with the Right Certifications and Licenses: This simple point might take you back to Industrial Maintenance: 101, but it’s an important one to consider. For specific jobs, such as work around pressure vessels and the like, a maintenance team can’t access that part of your plant unless they are specifically licensed to do so. Have a general idea of the types of work you’d like your team to take on, and be sure to cover that during initial talks. It’s all about making sure you’re covered, and that every team member is on the same page.
• Find a Nested Crew that’s Willing to Meet Your Requirements: Every company works a bit differently, and it’s important to ensure the team you bring on will be able to meet your facility’s unique needs. Will non-disclosure agreements come into play? Is there a strict no-cellphone policy in your work areas? Will you require nested crew members to work unusual hours? Make it a point to present all the information up front, from the start. Setting out expectations early on helps keep everyone in the know and start the relationship on the right foot.

Industrial maintenance is a lot simpler when you have nested teams on-site and ready to get to work — that is, if you have the right team for the job. If you have questions about any of the above, or if you’re interested in learning more about the nested maintenance services we can offer your operations, please feel free to contact the Gallant Industrial team. With nested crews in many well-known facilities in and around Houston, and dedication to a job done right, we’re always glad to put in the work it takes to keep your operations on track.