Corrective Action
Corrective action is an action taken to remove or control the cause of an existing problem or nonconformity and prevent recurrence.
What this term means in maintenance
Corrective action is an action taken to remove or control the cause of an existing problem or nonconformity and prevent recurrence.
Corrective action versus correction
Correction fixes the immediate problem.
Corrective action addresses the condition that allowed it to occur.
Practical example
A failed bearing is replaced as the correction. Alignment standards, installation verification, and base repair are corrective actions addressing recurrence.
Corrective-action process
A controlled process may include:
- Problem definition
- Containment
- Root cause
- Action plan
- Owner
- Due date
- Evidence
- Effectiveness review
- Closure
Maintenance linkage
Corrective actions may create follow-up work orders, engineering changes, PM revisions, training, or spare-parts changes.
Common mistake
Closing corrective action when the task is completed without checking whether recurrence actually reduced.
Related concepts
Related maintenance terms
Keep exploring connected CMMS, reliability, and maintenance planning terms.
Root Cause Analysis
Root cause analysis is a structured investigation used to identify the underlying conditions that allowed a failure or problem to occur and determine actions that reduce recurrence.
Corrective and Preventive Action
Corrective and Preventive Action, or CAPA, is a controlled process for correcting a problem, removing its causes, and preventing recurrence or similar future problems.
Follow-Up Work Order
A follow-up work order is additional maintenance created from findings, temporary repair, incomplete scope, or another completed work order.
Glossary FAQs
- What is corrective action?
Action taken to remove or control the cause of an existing problem and prevent recurrence.
- How is it different from correction?
Correction fixes the immediate problem; corrective action addresses the cause.
- When is corrective action closed?
After implementation evidence and effectiveness verification are complete.