Inspect and repair as required – myths and reality

A lot of work orders that say “inspect and repair as required” and they usually lead to scope creep in both shutdowns and day-to-day maintenance efforts. Many think they are doing a form of preventive maintenance – they are not. The scope of what must be replaced or restored is not defined. Others argue it is predictive as it is an inspection – they are not. Predictive inspections are aimed at determining very specific conditions and determining if they are within tolerance or not (and then triggering proactive repairs). As they are often used, “Inspect and repair as required” becomes nothing more than a fishing expedition or a future job scoping activity.