• PM is a good idea for most equipment.

Preventive maintenance (PM) is an element of a safety and health management program that makes sense on many levels. First, from an operational standpoint, equipment should run efficiently all the time. It should also run safely. Many an accident has occurred because maintenance wasn’t performed. Also, many an accident has occurred because a breakdown happened that needed to be fixed quickly and maintenance felt pressure to rush.

It may be a stretch to have PM for every single item in the workplace, but for most equipment it is a good idea and should generally be performed per the manufacturer’s schedule. In particular, look at any engineered hazard controls, emergency equipment, and material handling equipment that can be a high hazard and prone to breakdown from use.