A detailed preventive maintenance checklist provides your team with the step-by-step guidance they need to be successful. Checklists are useful for completing tasks thoroughly while saving a lot of time. In this guide, we’ll show you how to make the most of them.
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Why use preventive maintenance checklists?
An official Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that demonstrates the best way to complete a regular inspection or routine maintenance task has many benefits. Here are the top four.
Improved productivity through standardization
There are many wrong ways to do a job. There may also be many ways to do a job right. But there is only one way to do a job right in the minimum required time.
Outlining proven and time-tested steps to complete each specific PM improves productivity by:
- Helping new team members to do a job properly the first time
- Reducing the supervision required for routine tasks
- Enabling one technician to jump in and finish a task that someone else started
- Improves the overall quality of work by ensuring everyone is following best practices
Use SOPs to standardize maintenance work across the board and support the development of preventive maintenance checklists, and hold team members accountable for following them.
Safer procedures and working conditions
An effective preventive maintenance schedule helps avoid equipment failure, which can represent not only decreased productivity but also workplace safety risks to employees.
In addition, a preventive maintenance checklist reduces human errors and includes important safety steps that must be taken to minimize the chance of injury.
Faster troubleshooting
When the maintenance plan for each piece of equipment is clearly outlined in a checklist and is followed consistently, it becomes easier to identify why something went wrong. With less variation in the way maintenance gets completed, tracing an issue back to the root cause becomes much simpler.
Better maintenance planning
Clearly defined steps for each maintenance task make it much easier to estimate how long it will take to complete that task. This means that a maintenance manager will have an easier time scheduling and managing maintenance work. And the easier it is to complete maintenance work, the less downtime will become an issue.
Download our Free Preventive Maintenance Plan Template!
Following a consistent Preventive Maintenance Plan can make life easier. Use this template to create your own.
Types of preventive maintenance checklists
Preventive maintenance checklists come in various forms, each tailored to specific equipment, industries, and maintenance goals.
Equipment-specific checklists
These checklists are designed for a particular piece of equipment, outlining the specific tasks required for its maintenance. They often include:
- Lubrication points and types of lubricants
- Inspection points for wear and tear
- Calibration procedures
- Cleaning and replacement of filters, belts, and other consumables
- Safety checks
Industry-specific checklists
These checklists cater to the unique maintenance needs of specific industries. For example:
- Manufacturing: Checklists for production lines, CNC machines, robots, and material handling equipment.
- Transportation: Checklists for vehicles, aircraft, and railway systems, focusing on safety inspections, fluid levels, and tire pressure.
- Healthcare: Checklists for medical devices, sterilizers, and HVAC systems, emphasizing hygiene and infection control.
Time-based checklists
These checklists outline maintenance tasks to be performed at specific intervals, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. They often include routine inspections, cleaning, and replacement of consumable parts.
Condition-based checklists
These checklists are triggered by specific conditions or data readings from monitoring systems. They focus on tasks related to the identified condition, such as:
- Vibration analysis results indicating bearing wear
- Oil analysis showing contamination
- Thermography revealing overheating components
Safety checklists
These checklists focus on safety-related inspections and procedures, ensuring compliance with regulations and mitigating risks. They may include:
- Emergency shutdown procedures
- Lockout/tagout verification
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) checks
- Hazard identification and assessment
Preventive maintenance checklists generally fall into two main categories: pass-or-fail checklists and step-by-step checklists
- Pass-or-fail checklists use a simple “pass” or “fail” rating for each inspection point. They provide a quick and easy way to assess the overall condition of equipment. Key advantages include:
- Easy to use and understand, even for less experienced technicians.
- Quick to complete, making it suitable for frequent inspections.
- Provides a clear record of whether equipment meets the required standards.
- Step-by-step checklists outline a series of steps to be followed in a specific order. They guide technicians through a detailed maintenance procedure, ensuring all necessary tasks are completed. Key advantages include:
- Reduces the risk of missing critical steps.
- Provides clear instructions for complex procedures.
- Suitable for both simple and complex equipment.
How do I build a preventive maintenance checklist?
Maintenance checklists are an essential component of a successful preventive maintenance strategy. As with any PM strategy, there are three important information sources you will need: an accounting of assets, manufacturer recommendations, and asset history.
Before building your preventive maintenance checklists, it’s critical to identify which assets are worth including in your PM program. Use this three-part process to get started:
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Select assets for your preventive maintenance checklist
Focus on assets that are critical to operations. Remove those with minimal impact on uptime, low repair costs, or those nearing replacement. This ensures you’re allocating resources where they’ll deliver the highest return on investment.💡 Tip: You can always expand later. Start with the most valuable or failure-prone equipment to maximize early impact.
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Gather key information for each asset
Build a solid foundation using:-
OEM recommendations – Start with manufacturer guidelines, but adjust them if the equipment runs outside standard conditions.
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Maintenance history – Use logs and reports to spot recurring issues or failures.
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Team knowledge – Technicians and operators often know things not reflected in documentation. Their input is vital.
🔍 Example: An operator might report vibration or overheating not noted in maintenance logs, which could change your PM approach.
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Build and record your PM checklist plan
Once you’ve selected your assets and gathered data, you can begin creating and documenting your preventive maintenance checklists. For each asset, define:-
Maintenance tasks and their frequency
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Step-by-step instructions
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Task priorities and due dates
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Responsible technicians
Enter this information in your CMMS to automate workflows and improve team accountability. Don’t worry about getting it perfect from day one—monitor results and improve over time.
🛠 Pro Tip: A modern CMMS is the best source of insights and reporting to help refine your preventive maintenance checklist over time.
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A list of assets that need preventive maintenance checklists
For teams who plan to create checklists for dozens of assets, it pays to be strategic. Gather necessary asset information such as make, model, location, and purchase date.
If it has been a while, this is a great time to complete an asset audit to evaluate all your assets and determine those best suited to a PM checklist. It will document everything in one place, especially if you don’t already track assets with a preventive maintenance software or CMMS.
Gather original equipment manufacturer (OEM) manuals
OEMs will provide the first best source of what PMs need to be completed for all your assets and how. Starting with OEM recommendations not only ensures you complete maintenance in the right way, it also helps you ensure the appropriate steps are taken every time to maintain warranties and product safety.
Review asset history
Over time, assets can develop unique patterns through frequent breakdowns, or use of non-original spare parts, for example. The way the maintenance needs of your equipment have changed over time must be accounted for in any preventive maintenance checklists you develop. Check your equipment maintenance logs to ensure this information is available.
The anatomy of a good preventive maintenance checklist
The easiest way to prepare a good PM checklist is to identify what needs to be included in each in order to facilitate your processes and workflows.
Preparation details
This section includes all the information your maintenance technicians need to know in order to prepare for the task. This includes:
- Tools needed to complete the work
- Spare parts specific to the asset that may be needed to complete the work
- Estimated time to complete the work
Documenting these preparation details can help your team walk in to the task set up to complete the task effectively, and quickly without unnecessary travel to your warehouse or hardware store.
Safety details
Clearly describing safety details in their own section reinforces their importance. This section should include:
- Safety instructions
- Required personal protective equipment (PPE)
- LOTO or lockout tag out instructions
Visual aids (if necessary)
The more detailed a PM checklist can be, the better. Visual aids help describe complex procedures and components more clearly. These may include:
- Pictures
- Diagrams
- Videos
Steps to complete the task
Steps to complete each PM work order should be clearly defined in each checklist. Just like standard operating procedures, it is important to use consistent language that is easy to understand.
Characteristics of a great PM checklist
Steps must be communicated clearly and concisely
Having too much information can be just as confusing as having too little. Finding the balance can be tricky. In general, a good PM checklist should be simple enough for a new maintenance technician to follow with minimal supervision.
Here are some tips to follow:
- Avoid writing long paragraphs. Not only do lengthy descriptions simply take longer to read, they can also lead to confusion and misinterpretation. If you have a lot of information to cover in one step, consider breaking it into multiple shorter steps.
- Use a diagram or a picture to support the description of complex steps.
- Ensure every step has a purpose. If it doesn’t have a purpose, strongly consider removing it from the checklist.
- Be precise. If an asset has 2 evaporator coils and one of the steps on your checklist is “check the evaporator coil,“ that is not precise enough.
The steps are laid out sequentially
Step-by-step checklists should always present a list of actions in the exact order of which they should be performed. If steps need to be repeated, list them again rather than sending the reader back to an earlier step in the checklist.
The information is regularly updated
Creating a PM checklist is not something you should just set and forget . Here are a few reasons why you need to update PM checklists regularly:
- Field technicians will discover necessary changes to checklists through the course of their work. These should be reflected in checklists so that future technicians can follow updated processes.
- Sometimes an asset breakdown leads to an issue that requires ongoing monitoring or adjustments rather than a one-time fix. For instance, if part XYZ is loose or cracked, a checklist can notify the technician to be very careful when removing the casing.
- Sometimes an asset maintenance plan needs adjustments based on environment changes.
- There will be new assets coming in and that will require some updates on the PM checklist
When you have your preventive maintenance checklist ready, run it by an experienced maintenance technician to ensure it is complete. It is also helpful to test your checklist by having a technician who was not in the process of writing it, complete a test PM.
PM checklist examples
Here are some examples of preventive maintenance checklists for different industries:
Electrical system maintenance
- Inspect electrical panels and circuit breakers.
- Test and inspect GFCI outlets.
- Check for proper grounding and bonding.
- Inspect wiring and connections for damage or wear.
- Test and inspect lighting fixtures.
- Inspect and maintain emergency power systems.
- Record all maintenance activities and findings.
HVAC system maintenance
- Inspect and replace air filters in the air conditioner and heating system.
- Check and clean coils (evaporator and condenser)
- Inspect the air conditioning and heating system‘s blower motor, belt, and compressor.
- Check thermostat operation and calibration for both heating and cooling modes.
- Ensure proper lubrication of all moving parts, including compressor components.
- Check electrical connections and controls.
- Record all maintenance activities and findings.
Plumbing system maintenance
- Inspect for leaks and signs of corrosion.
- Check water pressure and flow rates.
- Test and inspect backflow preventers.
- Clean and flush drains and sewer lines.
- Inspect water heaters and tanks.
- Check for proper operation of fixtures (faucets, toilets, showers).
- Inspect and maintain sump pumps.
- Test water quality (pH, hardness, chlorine).
- Record all maintenance activities and findings.
Building interior and exterior maintenance
Building interior maintenance checklist
- Inspect walls and ceilings.
- Check flooring and carpets.
- Inspect windows and mirrors.
- Check and replace light bulbs.
- Inspect and clean HVAC vents and diffusers.
- Test and inspect smoke detectors and fire alarms.
- Inspect railings on balconies, stairs, and decks to ensure safety.
- Record all maintenance activities and findings.
Building exterior maintenance checklist
- Inspect siding and walls.
- Inspect windows and gutters.
- Check for cracks and damage in foundation and walls.
- Inspect roof. (Remember to use appropriate fall protection and equipment).
- Check for proper drainage and irrigation.
- Inspect and maintain exterior lighting.
- Inspect and repair fences and gates.
- Check for pests and rodents.
- Record all maintenance activities and findings.
Leveraging a CMMS for PM checklists
Even for the most experienced PM checklist creator, the process becomes a lot easier with the right tools. CMMS software can make building PMs with attached checklists simple, and completing them even simpler.
The historical data stored by CMMS systems is an invaluable resource for creating checklists tailored to your exact assets. In addition, the checklist functionality built into most CMMS systems requires sequential step completion and documentation as the task is in progress. This further streamlines the management and accountability process, and makes every step trackable, and reportable for future analysis and initiatives.
The bottom line
A PM checklist matters for any successful preventive maintenance program. It takes the guesswork out of preventive maintenance tasks and ensures consistency, quality, preparedness, and productivity. By endowing your maintenance team with the step-by-step best practices for all their routine maintenance activities, you provide them with the freedom to be successful and productive in their roles.
A CMMS system serves as the central repository for all your maintenance work, and is the tool that can guide your maintenance team through each step of a checklist and hold them accountable for completion. To see for yourself what Limble can do for you, schedule a quick product demo or start a free trial.