Glossary
What is Reactive Maintenance?
Reactive maintenance is maintenance performed only after an asset has failed or a defect has been reported. It is 'fix it when it breaks' rather than scheduled preventive work. It can be simple to organise but often leads to higher downtime and cost.
What it means
Many teams start with reactive maintenance and then introduce preventive and predictive approaches to reduce failures and plan resources.
Why it matters
- Work is triggered by failure or report, not by schedule.
- No upfront PM cost but unplanned downtime and rush repairs can be costly.
- Recording failures in work orders helps justify preventive programmes.
- Critical assets are often poor candidates for purely reactive maintenance.
Example in maintenance operations
Replacing a motor only after it burns out; repairing a leak only when it is reported. Contrast with changing the motor's bearings on a schedule (preventive).
Related concepts
Frequently asked questions
When is reactive maintenance acceptable?
For non-critical, low-cost assets where failure is not safety-related and downtime is acceptable, reactive maintenance may be sufficient. For critical or expensive assets, preventive or predictive is usually preferred.
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