THE UPTIME REPORT- October 2026
By Laird Sutherland Senior Operations Manager, Stephenson Equipment Ltd.
The burning question:
Most shops know their lifts need an annual inspection. Far fewer have a schedule for the compressor that powers every air tool in the building, the pressure washer, or the exhaust extraction system protecting their technicians. Those machines rarely fail cheaply, and they almost never fail on a slow day.
What's actually happening on your shop floor:
Hoists: the one inspection that isn't optional. The industry standard for lift operation, inspection and maintenance (ANSI/ALI ALOIM) requires every vehicle lift to be inspected at least once a year by a qualified lift inspector, regardless of age, type or brand. Health and safety officials know this, and they ask for proof of annual inspections and operator training during site visits. If you can't put your hands on the last inspection report, assume you're exposed.
Compressors: the quiet money leak. Natural Resources Canada says it's not unusual for 20 to 30% of a compressor's output to be lost to leaks, and that a proactive leak program can bring that under 10%. Every leak is electricity you're paying for, and wear on a compressor that runs harder and dies sooner. Your air receiver tank is also a pressure vessel, which falls under provincial safety authorities in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Pressure washers: small checks, big repair bills. Pump oil, unloader valves, hoses, fittings and, on hot-water units, the burner all wear out quietly. Winter adds freeze damage to the list. A pump rebuild or burner failure takes your wash bay down exactly when customers want salt off their vehicles.
Exhaust extraction: the system that protects your people. Cracked hoses, worn nozzles and tired fans don't announce themselves. The system keeps running, it just stops pulling. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, and the workplace exposure limit used across most of Canada is 25 ppm averaged over an eight-hour shift. An extraction system working at half capacity is a health and safety problem you can't see.
So-what ...
The cost of an inspection is predictable. The cost of a failure isn't: downtime, emergency repairs, a stop-work order, or a technician who goes home sick. Scheduling these inspections together, timed to your season (washers and exhaust extraction before winter, for example), turns four separate risks into one planned line item.
Worth a second look?
Pull the last service record for your compressor, pressure washer and exhaust extraction system. If you can't find one, or it's older than your last lift inspection, it's worth a conversation. Happy to walk through what a combined inspection schedule could look like for your shop.
Contact Laird: 204-831-9633 or email: laird.sutherland@stephensonequipment.ca
