Definition
A shift handover is the structured communication of open tasks, unresolved findings, and current asset status from the outgoing shift team to the incoming one, ensuring continuity of work and awareness of any developing issue across the shift boundary: a specific, recurring information transfer rather than a general record like a logbook or maintenance history.
Key facts
- A specific, recurring transfer event at a shift boundary, not an ongoing record like a logbook.
- Focuses on what the incoming shift needs to know right now: open tasks, unresolved findings, current asset status.
- A common point of information loss if done informally or inconsistently: a structured handover format reduces that risk.
- Draws on the machine logbook and open work orders as its source material, but is itself the act of transferring that information forward.
What information does Shift handover preserve?
A shift handover involves the outgoing team communicating, in a structured way, what is currently open, unresolved, or worth watching (an in-progress repair, a flagged abnormal reading, a pending part delivery) so the incoming shift can continue without having to rediscover the current situation from scratch.
How do maintenance teams use Shift handover?
A machine logbook is an ongoing running record anyone can consult at any time. Maintenance history is the structured retrospective record of completed work. A shift handover is a specific, recurring communication event at each shift change, often drawing on both the logbook and open work orders as source material, but focused narrowly on what the next shift needs to act on immediately.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which open tasks and findings are handed over to the next shift?
A shift handover transfers them: open tasks, unresolved findings, and current asset status communicated in a structured way from the outgoing to the incoming shift team.
Last reviewed: