What type of maintenance focuses on addressing equipment issues as they occur?

Breakdown maintenance is characterized by responding to equipment failures as they occur, rather than performing maintenance on a scheduled basis. This approach typically involves fixing equipment only after it has broken down, which can lead to unplanned downtime and potential safety risks in a process safety management context.

In this maintenance strategy, operators may have no proactive measures to prevent failures, focusing solely on reactive measures which can increase operational risks and inefficiencies. It is important to avoid dependence on breakdown maintenance, as it does not contribute to overall equipment reliability or safety. In contrast, other types of maintenance like planned preventive maintenance and scheduled maintenance focus on regular maintenance tasks performed at set intervals to prevent failures from occurring in the first place.