ABSTRACT
'Maintenance’ can be defined as work carried out in order to keep or restore every facility (part of a workplace, building and contents) to an acceptable standard. It is not simply a matter of repair; some mechanical problems can be avoided if preventive action is taken in good time. Health and safety issues are important in maintenance because statistics show the maintenance worker to be at greater risk of accidents and injury. This is partly because these workers are exposed to more hazards than others, and partly because there are pressures of time and money on the completion of the maintenance task being achieved as quickly as possible. Often, less thought is given to the special needs of health and safety in the maintenance task than is given to routine tasks which are easier to identify, plan and control.
