SOP: Planned Preventive Maintenance
Sample procedure demonstrating documentation governance and operational writing for facilities management environments.
Document control
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Owner | Facilities Manager – Plant & Maintenance |
| Approver | Senior Facilities Manager |
| Backup Owner | Operations Lead – Engineering |
| Version | 2.1 |
| Effective Date | 2026-09-07 |
| Last Reviewed | 2026-09-07 |
| Next Review Due | 2026-12-07 |
| Status | Active |
| Distribution | Facilities Teams – EMEA, APAC, AMS |
Purpose
To ensure scheduled maintenance activities on critical and non-critical building assets are planned, performed, recorded, and escalated consistently across all regions, minimizing unplanned downtime and maintaining compliance with regulatory and client requirements.
Scope
Applies to:
- All planned preventive maintenance (PPM) activities on owned and managed building assets
- Facilities teams responsible for scheduled maintenance execution
- Contractors performing specialist maintenance on behalf of facilities management
- All regions: EMEA, APAC, AMS
Does not apply to:
- Emergency/reactive maintenance (covered by a separate SOP)
- Vendor-managed equipment with separate service agreements
- Client-specific asset maintenance governed by separate SOWs
Roles & responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Facilities Manager | Approves annual PPM schedule; prioritizes critical-asset maintenance; reviews escalations; signs off on completion; assigns ownership |
| Engineering Team Lead | Executes scheduled maintenance per procedure; records completion; escalates defects; ensures regulatory compliance |
| Field Engineer | Performs maintenance tasks; inspects for defects; documents results; photographs damage where required |
| Contractor | Performs specialist maintenance per contract SOW; provides completion report; escalates safety issues directly to FM |
| Maintenance Coordinator | Schedules maintenance windows; confirms asset availability; tracks work order status; maintains audit trail |
| Compliance Lead | Reviews maintenance records for regulatory alignment; flags compliance gaps; advises on evidence retention |
Mandatory requirements
Engineers MUST:
- Confirm the asset is available and safe before beginning maintenance
- Record completion in the work order system within 24 hours of completion
- Photograph any defects or damage found (critical and high-risk assets)
- Escalate critical defects to the Facilities Manager immediately
- Retain maintenance evidence (work orders, photographs, inspection notes) for the compliance review cycle
Facilities Managers MUST:
- Approve the annual PPM schedule before the calendar year begins
- Ensure a named backup owner is assigned for every critical-asset maintenance task
- Review and approve escalations within 48 hours
- Confirm maintenance completion record before closing the work order
Maintenance Coordinators MUST:
- Confirm asset availability 48 hours before the scheduled maintenance window
- Verify all prerequisites are met before work begins
- Update work order status in real time
- Escalate any delays or asset unavailability to the Facilities Manager within 4 hours
Prerequisites
Before maintenance can begin, the following must be confirmed:
- Maintenance activity is on the approved annual PPM schedule
- Asset has no active work orders (previous maintenance complete)
- Building occupancy and operational impact assessed and approved
- Access credentials and site permits confirmed and available
- Field engineer has relevant certifications (electrical, gas, mechanical as required)
- Spare parts or materials required are in stock or ordered with confirmed delivery
- Safety lockout/tagout procedures completed (if applicable)
- Contractor pre-qualified and insured (if using external contractor)
Step-by-Step Procedure
1. Review the maintenance schedule
Who: Maintenance Coordinator
When: 2 weeks before scheduled maintenance window
How: Check the approved PPM schedule and pull the asset's maintenance history.
- Locate the asset in the maintenance management system
- Confirm the last maintenance date and what was done
- Note any open defects or carry-over issues from the previous maintenance
Decision point: If the asset has an open critical defect, escalate to Facilities Manager before proceeding.
2. Confirm asset availability
Who: Maintenance Coordinator with building operations team
When: 48 hours before scheduled maintenance
How: Contact the building operations or client contact for the asset location.
- Confirm the asset is accessible and hasn't been taken offline for other work
- Check for any occupancy restrictions or operational constraints
- Identify whether maintenance must occur outside business hours
Guidance: Schedule critical maintenance during low-occupancy periods where practical.
Caution: If the asset is unavailable, do not reschedule without Facilities Manager approval. Repeated rescheduling indicates a process problem that may require review.
3. Verify required permits and compliance
Who: Facilities Manager or Compliance Lead
When: 2 weeks before maintenance
How: Confirm any permits, statutory notifications, or client-specific requirements are in place.
- Gas work: confirm CORGI (or local equivalent) certification and any statutory notification requirements
- Electrical work: confirm relevant electrical certification and isolation permits
- Height/confined space work: confirm safety assessments and permits are current
- Client-specific: confirm any client approval gates are met
Important: Facilities teams MUST NOT proceed without required permits. Permit gaps are an immediate escalation to the Facilities Manager.
4. Perform the maintenance
Who: Field Engineer (or approved Contractor)
When: During scheduled maintenance window
How: Execute the asset's standard maintenance checklist.
- Follow the asset-specific maintenance procedure (stored in asset management system)
- Use standard tools and materials per the maintenance standard
- Work safely and follow all safety procedures documented for that asset type
- Note any observations or concerns in the work order
Decision point – Defect found: If you find a defect during maintenance, see the Escalation Matrix below.
Decision point – Parts shortage: If a required part is unavailable, escalate to Maintenance Coordinator before delaying the work.
5. Inspect for defects and damage
Who: Field Engineer
When: During and after maintenance
How: Visually inspect the asset for any defects, leaks, damage, or performance issues.
- Check for physical damage, corrosion, or wear
- Confirm the asset operates correctly after maintenance
- Test any safety systems or alarms that relate to the asset
- Document observations in the work order
Guidance: Take photographs of any visible defects, especially on critical assets.
Caution: If you discover damage that predates this maintenance (evidence of previous failure or poor maintenance), photograph and note it separately from today's maintenance findings.
6. Record completion in the work order
Who: Field Engineer
When: Within 24 hours of maintenance completion
How: Log into the work order system and record:
- Maintenance tasks completed (check each one off)
- Time spent on maintenance
- Parts used and quantities consumed
- Any defects found during inspection
- Photographs (if applicable)
- Engineer name and signature (or contractor sign-off)
- Maintenance completion date and time
Mandatory requirement: Recording is mandatory. Do not mark a job complete unless the work order is recorded. Delayed recording creates audit risk and breaks the maintenance history chain.
7. Apply mandatory vs. guidance decision logic to defects
If you found a defect, apply this logic:
| Severity | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Critical | Safety-critical, or causes unavailability |
| High-risk | Likely to fail within 6–12 months |
| Medium-risk | Monitor; likely to need repair within 2–3 years |
| Low-risk | Cosmetic; no performance impact |
- Critical
- High-risk
- Medium-risk
- Low-risk
- Action: Escalate to Facilities Manager immediately (same day)
- Example: Gas leak, electrical fault, safety system failure
- Evidence required: Photograph + detailed description in work order
- Action: Escalate to Facilities Manager with recommendation for urgent repair
- Example: Significant corrosion, leaking seals, worn bearings
- Evidence required: Photograph + condition assessment
- Guidance: Recommend scheduling repair within 30 days
- Action: Record in work order; add to next quarter's maintenance review
- Example: Minor corrosion, wearing paint, loose fittings
- Guidance: Recommend including in next planned maintenance cycle
- Action: Record in work order; no escalation required
- Example: Cosmetic wear, minor dents, paint chips
8. Escalate defects to Facilities Manager
Who: Field Engineer or Maintenance Coordinator
When: Immediately for critical; within 24 hours for high-risk
How: Use the escalation protocol below.
Escalation steps:
- Notify Facilities Manager with: asset name, defect description, risk level, photograph (if taken).
- Facilities Manager has 48 hours to respond with a decision:
- Authorize immediate repair (attach purchase order)
- Schedule urgent repair for next available window
- Accept the risk and add to next quarterly review
- Update the work order with the Facilities Manager's decision.
- Close the escalation.
No defect escalation should remain open for more than one week.
9. Close the work order
Who: Maintenance Coordinator
When: After Facilities Manager has reviewed and approved
How: Mark the work order as "Complete" in the system.
- Confirm all required fields are filled
- Confirm all escalations have decisions recorded
- Update the asset's next scheduled maintenance date (if rescheduled)
- Archive the work order to the maintenance history
- Update the compliance audit trail (see the Records & Evidence section)
Exceptions
Asset becomes unavailable during scheduled maintenance:
- Reschedule within 14 days; notify Facilities Manager
- Do not defer maintenance beyond the next quarter without approval
Contractor fails to appear for scheduled maintenance:
- Facilities Manager to be notified within 4 hours
- Reschedule with alternative contractor or reschedule date
- Log the failure in contractor performance tracking
Critical defect found that prevents maintenance completion:
- Stop work and escalate immediately
- Do not attempt workaround solutions without Facilities Manager approval
- Document the issue and reason for stopping in the work order
- Follow escalation process above
Permit delays prevent scheduled maintenance:
- Escalate to Facilities Manager and Compliance Lead
- Reschedule maintenance for next available permitted window
- If permits delayed more than 30 days, escalate to senior management
Escalation matrix
| Defect Type | Notification | Timeframe | Decision Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical (Safety) | Facilities Manager + Safety Officer | Immediate (same day) | Facilities Manager |
| High-risk (Failure likely less than 1 year) | Facilities Manager | Within 24 hours | Facilities Manager |
| Medium-risk (Failure likely 1–3 years) | Facilities Manager (email) | Within 5 business days | Facilities Manager |
| Contractor unavailability | Maintenance Coordinator → Facilities Manager | Within 4 hours | Maintenance Coordinator + FM |
| Permit delays longer than 14 days | Facilities Manager + Compliance Lead | Within 2 business days | Senior Facilities Manager |
Records & evidence
The following must be retained for audit and compliance purposes:
| Record | Retention | Why | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work order (completed) | 7 years | Regulatory audit trail; asset maintenance history | Maintenance Coordinator |
| Photographs (defects) | 7 years | Evidence of asset condition; supports escalation decisions | Maintenance Coordinator |
| Inspection notes | 7 years | Supports work order record; evidence of due diligence | Field Engineer |
| Contractor sign-off | 7 years | Proof of work completion; contractual accountability | Maintenance Coordinator |
| Escalation record | 7 years | Decision trail; evidence of management review | Facilities Manager |
| Permit copies | Full asset lifecycle + 3 years after disposal | Statutory requirement; compliance evidence | Compliance Lead |
| Certifications (engineer/contractor) | Current + 1 year after expiry | Proof of competency; audit evidence | HR / Procurement |
Guidance: Photographs and work orders are automatically uploaded to the asset management system. Archive copies of escalation decisions are retained in a central folder per regional FY.
Related documents
Italic items below are companion documents that would exist in a real documentation set (other SOPs, policies, schedules) but aren't part of this portfolio sample, so they aren't linked. Linked items point to real pages on this site.
- SOP: Reactive Maintenance Response – how to handle emergency/unplanned maintenance
- SOP: Contractor Management & Vetting – contractor qualification and performance tracking
- Policy: Safety Lockout/Tagout – safe shutdown procedures for equipment maintenance
- Policy: Permit & Statutory Compliance – regulatory requirements by asset type and region
- Ownership & Review Model – ownership, approval, and review cycle for all SOPs
- PPM Schedule (Annual) – approved schedule for all planned maintenance
- Asset Management Register – master record of all building assets and maintenance requirements
Document change history
| Version | Date | Author | Change | Approver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026-03-15 | Facilities Operations | Initial SOP creation | Senior FM |
| 1.1 | 2026-05-20 | Compliance Lead | Added mandatory permit verification | Senior FM |
| 2.0 | 2026-07-10 | Facilities Operations | Restructured escalation matrix; added decision logic | Senior FM |
| 2.1 | 2026-09-07 | Documentation Review | Updated roles, risk framework, and record retention | Senior FM |