Which term best describes keeping equipment in working order?

• A. Maintenance
• B. Calibration
• C. Inspection
• D. Replacement

Answer: (A)

Keeping equipment in working order is maintenance. Regular maintenance covers the ongoing care and service needed to prevent downtime and keep systems ready, including tasks like lubrication, adjustments, cleaning, and timely part replacements. It’s the proactive activity that sustains functionality over time and improves reliability. Calibration is about aligning measurements to a standard, ensuring accuracy of readings, and while it may be performed during maintenance, it’s not the overall effort to keep equipment operating. Inspection involves looking for wear or faults to identify problems, but by itself it doesn’t keep equipment working. Replacement happens when parts wear out or fail, which is more of a reactive step than the continuous process of maintaining operation.