PRP Template – Preventive Maintenance Program
A breakdown at the wrong moment can contaminate a whole batch – and maintenance work itself is a contamination risk. This program keeps equipment reliable and makes sure repair work is done hygienically.
Before sign-off, read it as the person doing the work at 5am. If a step is vague, tighten it. Replace every [bracketed] entry, train the team, and review the program after its first month of real use.
1. Document control
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Document title | PRP Template – Preventive Maintenance Program |
| Document no. | [QA-PRP-007] |
| Version | [1.0] |
| Effective date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| Prepared by | [Name / Title / Date] |
| Approved by | [Name / Title / Date] |
| Review date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
2. Purpose
To keep premises and equipment in good repair and hygienic condition, preventing contamination from breakdowns, debris or maintenance activities.
3. Scope
Covers all production equipment, services (steam, air, refrigeration), and building fabric at [site name].
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Manager | Owns the program; approves the preventive schedule and spare parts. |
| Maintenance technicians | Execute planned and reactive work hygienically. |
| Production | Report faults; release and re-accept equipment. |
| QA | Approve return to production after work in open-food areas. |
5. Procedure
- Maintain an equipment register with a preventive maintenance schedule based on manufacturer guidance, risk and history.
- Plan maintenance to avoid open-food areas during production; use out-of-hours windows where possible.
- Before work in food areas: remove or protect open food and packaging; use clean tools; contain debris.
- Use only food-grade lubricants above and around food-contact zones; record lubricant use points.
- Account for all tools, parts and fixings before and after the job – nothing is left behind.
- Clean and sanitize the work area after the job; QA or production inspects before restart.
- Record every job on a work order: what was done, parts used, time, and who did it.
- Prioritize repairs that affect food safety; temporary fixes get a dated permanent-fix plan.
6. Monitoring
Every entry dated and initialled by the person who did the check – in our experience, unsigned logs are the first thing an auditor questions.
| What is monitored | How | Frequency | Responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule compliance | % of planned jobs completed on time | Monthly | Maintenance Manager |
| Post-maintenance inspection | Sign-off before restart | Each job in food areas | QA / Production |
| Lubricant control | Check correct grades in use | Quarterly | QA |
7. Corrective action
When monitoring shows the program slipping, don’t just fix the symptom – the follow-up below matters more than the immediate correction.
- Stop production if a breakdown may have contaminated product; QA assesses affected product.
- Complete temporary repairs permanently by the due date; escalate overdue items.
- Investigate repeat failures – redesign, replace or change frequency.
8. Verification
- Monthly review of overdue maintenance and repeat failures.
- Maintenance effectiveness reviewed in management review.
- Internal audit coverage at least [annually].
9. Records
- Equipment register and maintenance schedule
- Work orders
- Lubricant register and food-grade certificates
- Post-maintenance inspection records
Approval and control
| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepared by | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
| Reviewed by (QA) | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
| Approved by | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
Keep completed forms for [Define retention period, e.g., 2 years beyond shelf life] at [defined location] – and make sure someone besides you knows where that is.