The Plant Manager’s Burden: Why Equipment Moves Land on Your Shoulders
When it comes to equipment relocation, everyone has a role to play. Contractors handle rigging. Subcontractors handle utilities. Vendors supply their scope of work. But when something goes wrong, all eyes turn in the same direction: the plant manager.
That’s the reality of industrial moves. Even though dozens of people may touch the project, accountability sits squarely with the plant manager. And that burden comes with three major risks:
1. Downtime That Escalates Fast
In many industries, downtime can cost $16,000 an hour—or more. A move that slips from days into weeks isn’t just inconvenient, it’s catastrophic for production schedules and revenue targets. Plant managers are expected to protect uptime, but they often inherit relocation plans that aren’t built around restart-critical paths.
2. Safety That Becomes Your Record
OSHA fines for serious violations now exceed $15,000 per occurrence, and the average cost of a workplace injury is around $40,000. If a contractor leaves live utilities exposed, blocks an egress route, or overlooks safety protocols, the incident doesn’t just hit their record, it lands on the plant manager’s responsibility.
3. Finger-Pointing That Solves Nothing
When contractors only focus on their own slice of work, misalignments multiply. Rigging crews may be ready to lift before utilities are cut. Installers may arrive before floor loads are verified. Each vendor can defend their scope, but none own the outcome. The result? Delays, frustration, and blame.
Why Plant Managers Need More Than Vendors
Plant managers don’t need another contractor who “handles their piece.” They need a partner who takes responsibility for the whole sequence, from teardown to restart. That means:
Aligning trades before work begins
Engineering lift and rigging plans around site realities
Sequencing utilities for safe disconnect and reconnect
Coordinating schedules to minimize downtime
At Henke Industrial, we plan relocations like plant managers live them, measured not in tasks completed but in safe restarts achieved.
Because when accountability falls on your shoulders, you deserve a partner who shares the weight.
Talk with a Henke specialist: (859) 757-8080
www.henkeindustrial.com