Which statement correctly differentiates preventative maintenance from corrective maintenance?

• A. Proactively maintains equipment to prevent hazards
• B. Occurring only after equipment failure
• C. Is optional for safety
• D. Addresses faults after detection

Answer: (A)

Preventative maintenance is about doing work on a schedule to keep equipment in good condition and prevent problems before they create hazards. This proactive approach is what keeps electrical systems safer and more reliable, reducing the chance of shocks, arc faults, or unexpected outages. The statement that describes proactively maintaining equipment to prevent hazards captures this idea.

The other statements describe reactive or optional aspects. Maintaining only after a failure happens is corrective maintenance, not preventative. Saying maintenance is optional for safety contradicts how prevention actually reduces risk. Addressing faults after they’re detected is also reactive, not preventative, since the action comes after a problem has already been found.