What is the main purpose of corrective maintenance?

The main purpose of corrective maintenance is to restore a system after a failure occurs. This approach focuses on addressing and repairing issues that have already manifested in equipment or systems. When a failure happens, corrective maintenance involves diagnosing the problem, making necessary repairs, and getting the system back to working order. This is crucial for minimizing downtime and ensuring that operations can resume as quickly as possible after an unexpected malfunction.

In contrast, other options imply proactive or preventive approaches rather than reactive ones. Improving system efficiency before a failure or preventing future malfunctions is more aligned with preventive maintenance strategies. Conducting regular safety inspections also falls into a preventive maintenance category aimed at identifying potential issues before they lead to failures. Thus, the essence of corrective maintenance lies specifically in the reaction to and recovery from failures that have already occurred.