What is Preventive Maintenance?

• A. Maintenance performed to prevent equipment failure.
• B. Maintenance performed after equipment failure.
• C. Routine inspection only.
• D. Repairs of worn parts after breakdown.

Answer: (A)

Preventive maintenance is maintenance performed to prevent equipment failure by carrying out planned, proactive tasks before problems arise. It relies on scheduled activities—such as lubrication, part replacements, adjustments, and inspections—chosen based on time or usage to keep equipment operating reliably and to reduce the likelihood of unexpected downtime. The idea is to address wear and deterioration before it leads to a failure, rather than chasing problems after they happen.

This distinguishes it from reactive approaches like maintenance after a failure or breakdown. Simply inspecting at intervals without following through with planned tasks may miss developing issues, and repairs after a breakdown are corrective actions taken after the problem occurs, not preventive.