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Institute For Oil & Gas Training
OGI-1271 New

Equipment Reliability and Failure Prevention Training Course

Duration
5 days
CPD hours
15
Language
English
Next date
26 Oct 2026
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Overview

Equipment Reliability and Failure Prevention is a specialised professional development programme designed to strengthen asset performance, improve maintenance decision-making, and reduce equipment failures across oil and gas operations. The Equipment Reliability and Failure Prevention Training Course from Institute For Oil & Gas Training equips maintenance, engineering, and operations professionals with practical methods for improving equipment performance, identifying failure mechanisms, and implementing sustainable reliability improvement strategies.

Oil and gas organisations depend on the availability and integrity of critical equipment throughout exploration, production, processing, storage, and transportation activities. Rotating machinery, pumps, compressors, turbines, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, pipelines, valves, and associated instrumentation operate under demanding conditions. Equipment deterioration, incorrect operating practices, inadequate maintenance planning, lubrication problems, corrosion, vibration, and component fatigue contribute to unplanned failures that disrupt production and increase operating expenditure.

A reactive maintenance approach often results in repeated breakdowns, emergency repairs, unnecessary component replacement, and inefficient use of maintenance resources. These challenges become more significant when equipment failures affect production continuity, process safety, environmental performance, or the availability of essential plant systems. Organisations therefore require structured reliability management practices that identify failure risks before they develop into operational disruptions.

This course addresses the skills gap between routine maintenance execution and systematic equipment reliability management. It develops an understanding of failure mechanisms, equipment criticality, condition monitoring, root cause analysis, preventive maintenance optimisation, and reliability-centred decision-making. Participants examine how maintenance information, inspection findings, equipment histories, and operational data support better maintenance effectiveness and more informed engineering decisions.

The programme also explains the relationship between equipment design, operating conditions, maintenance strategies, and asset lifecycle performance. Participants explore how failure analysis identifies underlying technical and organisational causes rather than treating individual breakdowns as isolated incidents. This approach supports corrective actions that address recurring problems and strengthen long-term equipment dependability.

Delivered by Institute For Oil & Gas Training, the course focuses on practical applications relevant to upstream facilities, refineries, petrochemical plants, gas processing installations, terminals, and pipeline operations. It connects engineering principles with maintenance planning, operational priorities, and management requirements to help participants make reliability improvement an integral part of asset management.

The course also examines the importance of maintenance data quality, performance indicators, equipment history records, and structured failure reporting. Participants learn to evaluate equipment performance using meaningful measures, distinguish between symptoms and underlying failure mechanisms, and prioritise maintenance activities according to operational consequences and equipment condition.

By the end of the programme, participants will have a clearer framework for improving equipment availability, reducing recurring failures, strengthening maintenance effectiveness, and supporting more consistent operational performance across the asset lifecycle.

Objectives

  • Explain the principles of equipment reliability and their importance to operational continuity, asset integrity, and maintenance performance.

  • Identify common equipment failure mechanisms affecting rotating machinery, static equipment, mechanical systems, and supporting plant infrastructure.

  • Assess equipment criticality using operational consequences, safety implications, environmental considerations, and maintenance requirements.

  • Distinguish between preventive, predictive, condition-based, and corrective maintenance strategies.

  • Apply structured failure analysis techniques to investigate equipment breakdowns and recurring maintenance problems.

  • Identify underlying technical, operational, and maintenance-related causes of equipment failure.

  • Interpret condition monitoring information to recognise deterioration and support timely maintenance decisions.

  • Develop practical failure prevention measures based on equipment condition, operating history, and identified failure mechanisms.

  • Evaluate equipment performance using appropriate reliability and maintenance indicators.

  • Improve maintenance effectiveness through work planning, task prioritisation, failure history reviews, and corrective action management.

  • Recognise the contribution of lubrication management, alignment, vibration control, installation quality, and operating discipline to equipment reliability.

  • Review maintenance programmes to identify unnecessary tasks, recurring defects, and opportunities for reliability improvement.

  • Support the development of reliability improvement plans with defined priorities, responsibilities, and performance measures.

  • Strengthen coordination between maintenance, operations, inspection, and engineering teams.

  • Apply recognised reliability and asset management principles to support consistent equipment performance throughout the asset lifecycle.

Training methodology

Institute For Oil & Gas Training uses an industry-focused delivery approach that combines technical explanation, operational case studies, group exercises, equipment failure scenarios, and structured problem-solving activities. The methodology connects reliability concepts with the practical decisions faced by maintenance engineers, reliability specialists, operations personnel, and asset managers.

Industry-Based Case Studies

Case studies examine equipment failures associated with rotating machinery, pumps, compressors, turbines, heat exchangers, valves, and other essential oil and gas assets. Participants review reported symptoms, maintenance histories, operating conditions, inspection findings, and corrective actions to understand why failures occur.

These exercises demonstrate the importance of distinguishing immediate failure symptoms from underlying causes. Participants evaluate how inadequate lubrication, misalignment, vibration, corrosion, incorrect installation, operating deviations, and maintenance deficiencies influence equipment performance. They also examine how corrective measures prevent recurrence and improve reliability.

Failure Analysis Exercises

Structured failure analysis activities help participants investigate equipment problems using a logical sequence of evidence collection, cause identification, consequence assessment, and corrective action development. The exercises introduce root cause analysis techniques and failure investigation principles suitable for maintenance and engineering environments.

Participants consider how to establish a clear problem statement, organise available evidence, test potential causes, and develop actions that address technical and procedural weaknesses. This approach improves the consistency of failure investigations and supports more effective engineering decisions.

Condition Monitoring Scenarios

Condition monitoring scenarios demonstrate how equipment condition information supports early identification of deterioration. Participants examine vibration trends, temperature readings, lubricant condition, pressure variations, inspection findings, and other relevant indicators.

The exercises explain how condition monitoring complements preventive maintenance and helps organisations determine when equipment requires inspection, adjustment, repair, or further technical investigation. Participants also consider the limitations of individual monitoring methods and the importance of interpreting findings alongside equipment operating history.

Group Reliability Improvement Exercises

Group activities focus on equipment criticality, maintenance prioritisation, failure prevention planning, and reliability improvement opportunities. Participants assess the relative importance of different equipment items by considering failure consequences, operational dependencies, repair requirements, and the availability of alternative systems.

Teams develop practical recommendations for improving maintenance effectiveness, reducing repeat failures, and allocating resources to equipment with the greatest operational significance. The exercises encourage collaboration between engineering, maintenance, operations, and inspection functions.

Maintenance Strategy Workshops

Participants review preventive, predictive, condition-based, and corrective maintenance approaches to understand their appropriate applications. They examine how maintenance strategies respond to equipment failure characteristics, asset criticality, operating requirements, and available condition information.

Workshop discussions address maintenance task selection, inspection intervals, work order quality, spare parts considerations, and the review of recurring equipment problems. Participants learn to identify activities that consume resources without delivering sufficient reliability benefits.

Performance Measurement and Action Planning

The methodology includes practical exercises in equipment reliability measurement and performance review. Participants examine indicators such as equipment availability, mean time between failures, mean time to repair, maintenance backlog, repeat failure frequency, and planned maintenance compliance.

These measures help identify performance weaknesses, evaluate maintenance effectiveness, and assess the results of improvement initiatives. Participants develop action plans that translate course learning into workplace priorities, with responsibilities, review measures, and follow-up activities appropriate to their operational environments.

Organisational impact

Equipment reliability directly influences production continuity, maintenance expenditure, operational risk, and the effective use of industrial assets. The course helps sponsoring organisations develop a more structured approach to identifying equipment weaknesses, controlling recurring failures, and improving maintenance decisions.

Reduced Unplanned Equipment Failures

A systematic failure prevention approach helps organisations identify recurring failure patterns and address their underlying causes. Better failure investigations, equipment history reviews, and maintenance planning support the development of corrective actions that reduce repeat breakdowns.

The resulting improvements support more predictable equipment operation and reduce the disruption associated with unexpected maintenance interventions.

Improved Equipment Availability

Equipment availability affects production schedules, processing capacity, and the performance of interconnected systems. Participants learn to assess equipment criticality, review reliability trends, and prioritise maintenance activities according to operational consequences.

These capabilities help organisations direct attention towards equipment whose failure has the greatest effect on production continuity and plant performance.

Greater Maintenance Effectiveness

Maintenance effectiveness depends on selecting the right tasks, applying them at appropriate intervals, and ensuring that work addresses actual equipment risks. The course helps participants evaluate maintenance strategies, identify recurring work orders, and review tasks that provide limited reliability benefits.

Organisations gain a stronger basis for aligning maintenance resources with equipment condition, failure history, and operational requirements. This supports better maintenance planning and more consistent execution.

Better Maintenance Cost Control

Equipment failures generate direct and indirect costs through repairs, replacement components, overtime, emergency procurement, production interruptions, and additional inspection requirements. A structured reliability improvement programme helps organisations identify the sources of avoidable expenditure.

Participants learn to evaluate maintenance activities in relation to failure consequences and equipment performance. These skills support more informed decisions about repair, replacement, maintenance intervals, and resource allocation.

Stronger Process Safety and Asset Integrity Support

Mechanical failures in oil and gas facilities can affect containment, pressure control, rotating equipment protection, and the reliable operation of essential plant systems. Equipment reliability management supports process safety by helping organisations identify deterioration, investigate failures, and address equipment defects systematically.

The course reinforces the importance of integrating maintenance findings with inspection programmes, operational controls, asset integrity processes, and established company procedures. It complements, rather than replaces, formal engineering assessments and statutory inspection requirements.

Improved Maintenance Performance Measurement

Reliable performance information allows organisations to identify weaknesses, establish priorities, and evaluate whether corrective actions deliver the intended results. Participants learn to use appropriate indicators to review equipment availability, failure frequency, repair performance, and maintenance compliance.

This supports clearer reporting between technical teams and management. It also establishes a practical basis for monitoring reliability improvement initiatives and identifying areas that require further attention.

Better Use of Maintenance Resources

Maintenance departments frequently manage competing demands across equipment fleets, production units, and support systems. Equipment criticality assessment and failure analysis provide a structured basis for prioritising work according to operational risk and equipment condition.

This approach helps organisations coordinate labour, spare parts, inspection resources, and maintenance windows more effectively.

Stronger Cross-Functional Collaboration

Equipment reliability requires consistent coordination between maintenance, engineering, operations, procurement, inspection, and asset management teams. The course develops a common understanding of failure reporting, maintenance priorities, and corrective action responsibilities.

Improved collaboration supports more complete failure investigations, clearer work requirements, and stronger follow-through on reliability improvement actions.

Personal impact

The course equips participants with practical capabilities that strengthen their contribution to maintenance management, engineering support, equipment performance, and operational reliability.

Stronger Technical Problem-Solving

Participants develop a structured approach to investigating equipment problems, evaluating evidence, and identifying likely failure mechanisms. They learn to distinguish between immediate symptoms and underlying causes, supporting more effective troubleshooting and corrective action planning.

Improved Maintenance Decision-Making

Participants gain a clearer understanding of how equipment criticality, failure history, condition monitoring, and operating requirements influence maintenance priorities. These skills support better judgements when selecting maintenance tasks, planning inspections, and recommending equipment interventions.

Practical Reliability Improvement Skills

The programme develops the ability to identify recurring defects, assess maintenance performance, and propose targeted reliability improvement measures. Participants learn to connect technical findings with operational priorities and measurable performance indicators.

Greater Confidence in Failure Investigations

Participants become more familiar with structured failure analysis, evidence collection, cause assessment, and corrective action development. This provides a stronger foundation for contributing to equipment investigations and communicating findings to engineering and management teams.

Enhanced Data Interpretation

Participants improve their ability to interpret maintenance records, condition monitoring trends, equipment histories, and reliability indicators. They gain a more systematic basis for identifying deterioration, reviewing failure patterns, and supporting evidence-based decisions.

Broader Professional Capability

The course strengthens participants' understanding of how equipment reliability connects with asset integrity, operational performance, maintenance planning, and lifecycle cost management. This broader perspective supports effective collaboration across technical and managerial functions.

Career Development

Reliability and failure prevention capabilities are relevant to maintenance engineering, reliability engineering, asset management, mechanical engineering, and maintenance leadership roles. Participants strengthen their ability to contribute to reliability reviews, maintenance strategy development, equipment investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Who should attend

  • Reliability Engineers: To strengthen failure analysis, reliability improvement planning, and equipment performance evaluation.

  • Maintenance Engineers: To improve maintenance strategy selection, recurring defect investigation, and preventive maintenance effectiveness.

  • Mechanical Engineers: To identify mechanical failure mechanisms and support more reliable equipment operation.

  • Maintenance Managers: To improve maintenance prioritisation, resource allocation, performance monitoring, and maintenance cost control.

  • Asset Integrity Engineers: To integrate equipment reliability findings with asset integrity activities and equipment degradation management.

  • Rotating Equipment Engineers: To address failures involving pumps, compressors, turbines, drivers, bearings, seals, and associated machinery.

  • Static Equipment Engineers: To improve the reliability management of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, storage tanks, valves, and related equipment.

  • Operations Engineers: To understand the relationship between operating conditions, equipment deterioration, and maintenance requirements.

  • Production Supervisors and Operations Supervisors: To recognise equipment performance issues, report abnormal conditions, and coordinate timely maintenance interventions.

  • Condition Monitoring Specialists: To connect monitoring findings with failure mechanisms, maintenance decisions, and reliability improvement measures.

  • Inspection Engineers and Inspectors: To use inspection findings as part of a broader approach to equipment deterioration and failure prevention.

  • Maintenance Planners and Schedulers: To improve maintenance task prioritisation and align work plans with equipment criticality and failure history.

  • Maintenance Supervisors and Technicians: To strengthen troubleshooting, defect identification, maintenance execution, and equipment condition reporting.

  • Asset Managers: To evaluate equipment reliability trends and align maintenance priorities with operational objectives and asset lifecycle requirements.

  • Technical Services Managers: To coordinate engineering support, maintenance improvement initiatives, and equipment performance reviews.

  • Engineering and Maintenance Department Heads: To establish stronger reliability management practices and monitor the performance of maintenance improvement programmes.

Course outline

This module establishes the principles of equipment reliability and their relevance to oil and gas production, processing, and transportation facilities. Participants examine how equipment design, installation quality, operating conditions, maintenance practices, and component deterioration influence overall asset performance.

The module also introduces the relationship between reliability, availability, maintainability, and operational continuity. Participants consider the consequences of equipment failure and learn how criticality assessment supports the prioritisation of maintenance and engineering activities.

  1. ISO 55001 Asset Management

    • Establishes requirements for an asset management system that supports the achievement of organisational objectives.

    • Provides a framework for aligning asset-related decisions with risk, performance, lifecycle considerations, and business priorities.

    • Supports systematic asset management planning, performance evaluation, and continual improvement.

    • Helps organisations connect equipment reliability initiatives with wider asset management objectives.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Explain the relationship between equipment reliability, availability, maintainability, and operational performance.

    • Identify common factors that influence equipment reliability throughout the asset lifecycle.

    • Describe the operational and financial consequences of unplanned equipment failures.

    • Assess the importance of equipment criticality when establishing maintenance priorities.

    • Explain how asset management principles support reliability improvement.

    • Identify equipment performance information required for effective reliability reviews.

This module focuses on the mechanisms responsible for equipment deterioration, breakdowns, and recurring defects in oil and gas facilities. Participants examine mechanical wear, fatigue, corrosion, erosion, vibration-related damage, lubrication deficiencies, misalignment, overheating, and failures associated with operating conditions.

The module introduces structured failure investigation techniques that help distinguish immediate causes from underlying technical and organisational contributors. Participants review failure evidence, evaluate maintenance histories, and develop corrective actions designed to prevent recurrence.

  1. ISO 14224 Petroleum Reliability Data

    • Provides a recognised framework for collecting and exchanging reliability and maintenance data for equipment in petroleum, petrochemical, and natural gas industries.

    • Establishes a structured approach to equipment classification and the recording of equipment failures and maintenance events.

    • Supports consistent failure reporting, reliability analysis, and comparisons across relevant equipment categories.

    • Helps organisations improve the quality and usefulness of equipment history information for maintenance decisions.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Identify common mechanical and operational failure mechanisms affecting oil and gas equipment.

    • Distinguish between failure symptoms, immediate causes, and underlying causes.

    • Apply structured problem-solving principles to equipment failure investigations.

    • Evaluate equipment histories, maintenance records, and operating information as sources of failure evidence.

    • Explain the value of consistent equipment classification and failure reporting.

    • Develop corrective actions that address identified causes and reduce repeat failures.

    • Recognise when a failure requires specialist engineering assessment or further investigation.

This module examines the maintenance strategies used to preserve equipment condition and prevent avoidable failures. Participants compare preventive, predictive, condition-based, and corrective maintenance approaches, considering their suitability for different equipment types and operating environments.

The module also explores condition monitoring methods, including vibration analysis, thermography, lubricant analysis, performance monitoring, and relevant inspection techniques. Participants examine how condition information supports maintenance planning, early fault detection, and informed decisions about repair or continued operation.

  1. ISO 17359 Condition Monitoring

    • Provides general guidelines for establishing condition monitoring programmes for machines.

    • Supports a systematic approach to selecting monitoring techniques and assessing machine condition.

    • Helps organisations use condition information to identify developing faults and support maintenance decisions.

    • Encourages monitoring programmes that reflect equipment characteristics, operating conditions, and maintenance objectives.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Differentiate between preventive, predictive, condition-based, and corrective maintenance.

    • Identify appropriate condition monitoring techniques for relevant equipment types.

    • Interpret basic equipment condition trends and recognise indicators of developing faults.

    • Explain the contribution of vibration, temperature, lubricant, and performance information to failure prevention.

    • Evaluate maintenance task selection in relation to equipment condition and failure history.

    • Identify opportunities to improve maintenance effectiveness through better monitoring and planning.

    • Explain how condition monitoring findings should inform maintenance work orders and follow-up actions.

This module examines the development of maintenance strategies that reflect equipment functions, failure consequences, and operational requirements. Participants explore how reliability-centred maintenance principles support the selection of suitable maintenance tasks and help organisations avoid ineffective or unnecessary interventions.

The module also addresses equipment criticality, failure modes and effects analysis, maintenance task optimisation, spare parts considerations, and corrective action planning. Participants consider how maintenance teams can prioritise resources and implement practical measures to prevent failures before they disrupt operations.

  1. SAE JA1011 RCM Criteria

    • Establishes evaluation criteria for reliability-centred maintenance processes.

    • Provides a basis for determining whether an RCM process addresses system functions, functional failures, failure modes, and failure effects.

    • Supports the selection of maintenance policies that address the consequences of failure.

    • Helps organisations evaluate the consistency and technical basis of reliability-centred maintenance programmes.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Explain the principles of reliability-centred maintenance and their application to oil and gas equipment.

    • Identify equipment functions, functional failures, and relevant failure modes.

    • Evaluate failure consequences when selecting maintenance priorities.

    • Apply failure modes and effects analysis principles to structured equipment reviews.

    • Assess the suitability of maintenance tasks against identified failure mechanisms.

    • Identify opportunities to optimise maintenance activities and reduce unnecessary interventions.

    • Develop failure prevention plans that define actions, responsibilities, and review requirements.

This module focuses on the use of reliability data and maintenance performance indicators to assess equipment performance and identify improvement opportunities. Participants examine measures such as equipment availability, mean time between failures, mean time to repair, repeat failure frequency, maintenance backlog, and planned maintenance compliance.

The module connects performance measurement with practical improvement planning. Participants review how organisations monitor corrective actions, assess the results of maintenance interventions, and establish continuous improvement priorities based on operational evidence.

  1. ISO 14224 Reliability Data

    • Provides a structured basis for recording equipment reliability and maintenance information.

    • Supports the analysis of failure events, maintenance activities, and equipment performance trends.

    • Helps organisations establish more consistent information for reliability reviews and performance comparisons.

    • Provides relevant data management principles for identifying recurring failures and evaluating improvement initiatives.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Identify suitable reliability and maintenance performance indicators for equipment and maintenance programmes.

    • Explain the application and limitations of mean time between failures, mean time to repair, and availability measures.

    • Analyse equipment history information to identify recurring failures and maintenance performance weaknesses.

    • Evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions using appropriate performance evidence.

    • Develop practical reliability improvement plans linked to defined operational priorities.

    • Establish review measures for monitoring progress and identifying further improvement opportunities.

    • Communicate reliability findings and recommendations to maintenance teams, engineering management, and operational stakeholders.

Certificate

Attendees who successfully complete the Equipment Reliability and Failure Prevention Training Course receive a Certificate of Completion from Institute For Oil & Gas Training.

The certificate recognises participation in the professional training programme and completion of its learning requirements. Attendees must satisfy the course attendance requirement of Institute For Oil & Gas Training to receive the certificate. The certificate confirms course completion and does not represent a professional licence or an independently accredited engineering qualification.

Course dates

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,600

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,600

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,600

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,600

Fees include tuition, course materials and refreshments. Need different dates or a different city? Ask about your preferred date.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Equipment Reliability and Failure Prevention Training Course about?

The course develops practical skills in equipment reliability management, failure analysis, condition monitoring, maintenance strategy selection, and failure prevention. It helps oil and gas professionals identify equipment weaknesses, investigate recurring breakdowns, and improve maintenance effectiveness.

Who should attend this training course?

The course is suitable for reliability engineers, maintenance engineers, mechanical engineers, asset integrity specialists, condition monitoring professionals, maintenance managers, operations personnel, inspection teams, and asset managers involved in equipment performance and maintenance decisions.

What topics are covered in the course?

The programme covers equipment reliability fundamentals, common failure mechanisms, structured failure analysis, maintenance strategies, condition monitoring, reliability-centred maintenance, failure prevention planning, and reliability performance measurement. It also examines recognised standards relevant to asset management, reliability data, and machine condition monitoring.

How is the training delivered?

Institute For Oil & Gas Training uses an industry-focused methodology incorporating technical discussions, equipment failure case studies, practical analysis exercises, condition monitoring scenarios, group activities, and reliability improvement planning. These methods connect the course content with workplace maintenance and engineering responsibilities.

What certificate do participants receive, and how does the training benefit their organisation?

Participants who meet the attendance requirement receive a Certificate of Completion from Institute For Oil & Gas Training. The training supports organisational efforts to reduce recurring equipment failures, improve maintenance effectiveness, strengthen reliability analysis, enhance equipment availability, and make better-informed maintenance decisions.

Next: 26 Oct 2026

4 dates available

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