Reactive maintenance, also known as breakdown maintenance or corrective maintenance, is a type of maintenance that is performed in response to equipment or asset failures or malfunctions. In other words, when something breaks down, the maintenance team is notified and dispatched to fix it. This type of maintenance is typically unplanned and can be expensive and time-consuming.
Reactive maintenance often involves quick fixes or temporary repairs to get equipment up and running again as soon as possible. This is done to minimize downtime and ensure that productivity is not significantly impacted. However, this approach can lead to further issues down the road, as the underlying problem may not be fully addressed.