What Is Preventive Maintenance? Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons

Equipment downtime costs businesses millions and hours upon hours of productivity every year, but it can easily be avoided with preventive maintenance. 

SFG20 is the UK industry standard for building maintenance, and since 1990, it’s been our mission to uphold building safety.  

That’s why we’ve poured our expertise into this insightful guide – expertise that will ensure that you receive the correct information and help you to understand the ins and outs of safe preventive maintenance, both in theory and in practice. 

What Is The Meaning Of Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive Maintenance (also sometimes referred to as preventative maintenance) is a strategy used to maintain equipment, machinery and facilities.  

The term "Preventive Maintenance" refers to a form of planned maintenance that is designed to prolong the life of business assets, infrastructure, resources and equipment. 
 
Rather than addressing issues after they arise (known as Reactive Maintenance), Preventive Maintenance involves carrying out regularly scheduled inspections, servicing and maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected breakdowns and costly repairs as well as improve the longevity of equipment. 

We all do this in one way or another, whether it's repairs at home or keeping a close eye on the condition of your car.  

However, the stakes are much higher in the built environment as poor maintenance can have serious repercussions, including substantial fines, reputational damage and even loss of life in extreme cases.  

What Is the Purpose of Preventive Maintenance? 

As well as helping to extend asset lifespan, the main purpose of preventive maintenance is to ensure that assets remain in the best possible working condition, minimising the risk of unexpected failures and subsequent downtime, which can have operational consequences for a business.  

Downtime (the time period in which systems, machines or equipment are out of action) affects businesses in every industry and can be costly.  

Therefore, preventive maintenance is crucial for recognising and addressing any visible or behavioural issues with equipment.  

By implementing a preventive maintenance program, businesses can significantly improve their operational efficiency, reduce costs and extend the lifespan of their assets. 

This approach puts companies in control of their maintenance activities, rather than working on a continual reactive basis. 

At SFG20, we advocate for a blended approach of maintenance strategies including Preventive Maintenance.  

To create a balanced maintenance strategy, it’s important to blend different maintenance approaches based upon the risks associated which each asset type and its availability. 

How Does Preventive Maintenance Work? 

Preventive maintenance typically involves the following main approaches: 

Time-Based Maintenance

This involves scheduling maintenance activities at regular intervals, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or annually.

Usage-Based Maintenance

This approach triggers maintenance based on the asset's utilisation, such as after a certain number of operating hours or production cycles 

Condition-based Maintenance (CBM)

This strategy monitors asset conditions to optimise maintenance scheduling.

By tracking specific performance indicators, CBM ensures maintenance is performed only when equipment shows signs of potential failure. 

For example, maintenance might be triggered when vibration levels in a component exceed a predetermined threshold, signalling the need for replacement or lubrication.  

Predictive Maintenance (PdM)

This approach uses advanced monitoring tools to track equipment performance and anticipate potential issues before they escalate.  
 
By analysing parameters like vibration patterns and thermal conditions, PdM enables maintenance teams to schedule interventions that prevent unexpected failures and minimise equipment downtime.  

Examples Of Preventive Maintenance

Routine Inspections

Regularly scheduled checks of equipment, such as electrical systems, HVAC units and fire alarm systems to identify potential issues before they escalate. 

Cleaning

Frequent cleaning of equipment to remove dirt and dust that can cause blockages and faults, particularly in mechanical systems. 

Lubrication

Regularly lubricating moving parts to reduce friction and prevent premature wear, which is crucial for mechanical longevity. 

Filter Replacements

Changing air filters, oil filters and other critical components to maintain clean operation and efficiency. 

In some cases, more extensive servicing or repairs may be required if this is identified during maintenance. This can involve the repair, heavy reconditioning or replacement of certain parts.  

At a broader level, preventive maintenance encompasses the maintenance of the physical facility that supports various electrical and mechanical systems.  

This includes tasks such as ensuring that HVAC systems and electrical systems are functioning properly as well as meeting current regulations and confirming that critical life safety systems and equipment are working correctly. 

What Are The Advantages Of Preventive Maintenance? 

Compliance 

Preventive maintenance doesn’t just keep your assets in optimal condition. 

By regularly testing and servicing equipment in line with the latest legislation, you can help to keep your organisation compliant and in turn ensure the safety of those who use your buildings.

Supports Safety  

Properly maintained equipment is less prone to malfunctions that could pose risks to workers or users. 

All of these risks can be avoided by understanding your assets, using the right Facility Management (FM) software tools and following industry recognised standards such as SFG20.  

Realise Originally Intended Lifespan of Equipment  

Preventive maintenance ensures that all assets (systems, equipment, etc.) are running as they should and suiting the needs of end users.  

In doing so, this enables equipment to reach, or often exceed, its originally intended lifespan while maintaining optimal performance and efficiency throughout its operational life. 

Realising the originally intended lifespan of equipment means you’ll purchase new components less frequently while preventing large-scale expenditure if something should fail due to negligence.  

Increased Reliability And Productivity  

Many factors contribute to the success of a business, with productivity being among the most crucial.  

For an organisation to maximise profits, increase leads and enhance its potential for growth, it must prevent equipment downtime at all costs.  

When it happens often enough, equipment downtime can cripple organisations and lead to operational chaos.  

Poorly maintained systems reduce an organisation's productivity and can impact company reputation. Ultimately, if consumers cannot get what they need from you because you can't deliver, they'll simply take their business to one of your competitors.  

By implementing preventive maintenance, you can ensure that equipment and systems are regularly serviced and working to the best possible standard, reducing the likelihood of failures and subsequent downtime and costly repairs. 

Save Energy  

Electrical and mechanical assets that are poorly maintained or faulty can often consume significantly more energy than those operating as designed.  

Preventive maintenance and efficient scheduling ensures that such issues are identified and addressed sooner rather than later.  

Reducing energy consumption can enable your business to take a proactive and conscious approach to sustainability, which can offer many benefits including enhanced brand recognition and increased business opportunities.  

Cut Costs  

Reactive maintenance and the downtime it incurs can be very costly.  

Using systems and equipment to the point of failure is significantly more expensive than performing regular maintenance.  

This is because unplanned breakdowns often mean that you have to pay a premium on labour and also on parts if they're not available on hand and need to be a rushed order.  

Organisations that invest in preventive maintenance with both time and money experience fewer disruptions and breakdowns, bringing with it a host of benefits as you now know. 

What Are The Disadvantages Of Preventive Maintenance? 

Resource Requirements 

Implementing a comprehensive preventive maintenance (PM) program often requires additional resources such as increased staffing requirements and greater time allocation for maintenance procedures. 

Risk of Over Maintenance 

There's a delicate balance to strike in PM programs.  

Over-maintenance can occur when resources are allocated to prevent every conceivable problem, maintenance is performed more frequently than necessary, or focus is placed on issues that pose minimal threat to operations.  

Upfront Cost Considerations 

The initial costs associated with PM may be daunting, particularly for smaller businesses. 

Expenses to consider include purchasing specialised equipment, implementing new systems, providing staff training and setting up maintenance management software 

Understand Your Compliance Responsibilities

To wrap up, Preventive Maintenance aims to address potential issues before they escalate into major problems, and is an essential investment in the longevity, efficiency and compliance of your assets.  

Understanding the principles of preventive maintenance is just the beginning; without a clear grasp of your compliance responsibilities, it’s likely that you won’t get very far.  

It’s SFG20’s mission to help you maintain compliance and in turn sustain the safety of your buildings.  

That’s why we’ve created an Ultimate Guide To Compliance to help you understand your responsibilities in the clearest way possible and make compliance easier and more manageable. To find out more, hit the button below.