Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) Explained
Planned preventive maintenance (PPM) is the scheduled, proactive servicing that keeps building plant reliable, safe, and compliant. This guide explains what PPM is, how it differs from reactive maintenance, and what goes into a PPM regime.
In short
Planned preventive maintenance (PPM) is scheduled maintenance carried out at set intervals to keep equipment working reliably and prevent breakdowns, rather than waiting for it to fail. In buildings, PPM covers servicing, inspections, and statutory checks on assets such as boilers, AHUs, fire systems, and lifts.
PPM vs reactive maintenance
Reactive maintenance fixes things after they break; planned preventive maintenance services and inspects them on a schedule to stop them breaking in the first place. A purely reactive regime is cheaper to run day-to-day but leads to more failures, emergency call-out costs, downtime, and safety and compliance risk. A PPM regime costs more in scheduled labour but reduces unplanned failures, extends asset life, and produces the records needed to prove statutory compliance.
Most buildings run a blend: a strong PPM core for critical and statutory assets, plus reactive cover for genuine breakdowns. The goal is to shift the balance toward planned work, where you control the timing and cost.
What a PPM schedule includes
A PPM schedule lists each maintainable asset, the tasks it needs, and how often, turning them into recurring work orders. It typically draws on a standard like SFG20 for the task content and is managed in a CAFM system. Each completed task generates a record — the evidence trail that demonstrates the building is being maintained and statutory obligations are met.
- An asset register — what plant exists and where
- Task lists per asset, often based on SFG20
- Frequencies — daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually
- Assigned resources and skill levels
- Completion records and certificates as compliance evidence
Why PPM matters for compliance
Many building maintenance tasks are statutory — fire alarm and emergency lighting tests, fire damper drop tests, legionella controls, pressure systems, lifts, and more. A PPM regime ensures these happen on time and, just as importantly, that they are recorded. If an incident or audit occurs, the maintenance records are the evidence that the responsible person met their duties. Missing or late statutory tasks are among the most common findings in compliance audits, which is why a well-run PPM programme is central to building compliance.
Sources
The regulatory positions on this page come from the following primary sources. Where guidance and legislation differ, the legislation governs — always confirm the requirements that apply to your own site and jurisdiction.
- SFG20: the standard for building maintenance — BESA
- PUWER: using work equipment safely — Health and Safety Executive
Frequently asked questions
What does PPM stand for?
How are PPM frequencies decided?
What is the difference between PPM and SFG20?
Does PPM replace reactive maintenance?
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