What this is
What is a meter based PM record?
What is a meter based PM record?
It's the maintenance record raised when an asset's usage — running hours, cycles, distance or throughput — reaches a defined trigger value, rather than when a calendar date arrives. It sits in the Planned Maintenance programme alongside the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual checklists, but answers to usage instead of the clock.
Why use a meter trigger instead of a fixed schedule?
Assets that run hard some weeks and sit idle others wear out on usage, not on time. A fixed weekly or monthly checklist either over-services an idle asset or under-services a hard-run one; a meter trigger matches maintenance effort to actual wear, which is the point of the Interval review section.
What counts as a meter for this record?
Meter Type covers running hours, cycles, distance, throughput or starts — whichever unit the asset's duty cycle is actually measured in. The record doesn't assume hours; it asks which metric applies before capturing the trigger and the reading against it.
Scope
When is a meter based pm record required?
This record exists for one reason: the asset's condition tracks usage better than it tracks the calendar. Use it where that's actually true, not as a default alternative to the routine checklists.
Use this template when
- The asset has a meter — running hours, cycles, distance, throughput or starts — that predicts wear better than elapsed time
- A reading has reached, or is approaching, the trigger value set in the PM plan
- Usage varies enough week to week that a fixed daily, weekly or monthly interval would over- or under-service the asset
- The interval itself needs reviewing based on what was actually found at the last few triggers
- A new record is needed with its own ID in the form MPM-2026-000, linked back to the asset and the PM plan
Do not use it for
- Preventive Maintenance Plan, which decides whether an asset should be on a meter-based or calendar-based schedule in the first place — this record executes that decision, it doesn't make it.
- Daily PM Checklist and Weekly PM Checklist, which run on fixed calendar cadence and cover routine visual and lubrication checks, not usage-triggered work.
- Meter Reading Record, which logs the raw reading itself — this record is what happens once that reading crosses the trigger, not a substitute for logging it.
- Annual PM Checklist, which is the deep calendar-based overhaul and doesn't get replaced by a meter trigger even on high-usage assets.
- Anything outside KnowMaintain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 55001 cl.8.2 requirements does this satisfy?
ISO 55001 cl.8.2 covers how changes to the asset's maintenance regime are managed; the meter trigger, the tasks it fires and the interval review that follows all sit inside that and the surrounding operational and monitoring clauses.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | The trigger metric, value and applicable PM plan are established and traceable before the record is raised. | Header |
| ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | The reading that triggered the visit is itself verified as accurate, not assumed correct because a job was scheduled off it. | Header |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Each task in the plan is executed and its completion recorded individually, not inferred from the visit as a whole. | Tasks |
| ISO 55001 cl.10.1 | Wear or defects found while working the task list are logged against that task, not folded into a single overall outcome. | Tasks |
| ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | The interval derived from usage is checked against what was actually found, and adjusted on evidence rather than left static. | Interval review |
| ISO 55001 cl.6.1 | The risk of running an asset longer between interventions is considered before an interval is extended. | Interval review |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | A change to the maintenance interval is treated as a change to the regime and reflected in the next trigger value, not just noted. | Result |
| ISO 55001 cl.10.1 | Corrective actions raised from the visit are tracked with an owner and priority through to closure. | Result |
What it does not cover
- Reading Verified, which is marked Yes with no note on how the meter reading was cross-checked against another source.
- Overrun Beyond Trigger, which shows a large positive figure with no explanation of why the visit wasn't raised at the trigger itself.
- Condition Found At Trigger, which reads Significant wear, interval too long while Interval Still Appropriate is answered Yes on the same record.
- Next Trigger Value, which is left unchanged after Recommended Interval Change says Shorten.
- Meter Reset Or Recorded, which is answered No while the record is still marked Complete.
Global
Meter Based PM Record requirements by country
Usage-based scheduling is largely a maintenance-management choice rather than a regulated procedure, but three reference points shape how much weight a meter-triggered record can carry.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), reg.5
Maintained in an efficient state and working order
Meter-based scheduling is a reasonable way to demonstrate reg.5 compliance for equipment with a variable duty cycle, but only if the reading and trigger are genuinely verified — a rounded or estimated reading undermines the evidence the moment it's questioned.
ISO 55001, cl.9.1 (monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation)
Certification audit expectation
An auditor reviewing meter-based PM will ask how the reading was verified at the point the trigger fired, not just whether a maintenance system logged a number — Reading Verified exists to answer that question, and leaving it unsupported is the most common audit gap on this record type.
Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, instructions for use
Manufacturer-specified service intervals
Where an OEM specifies safety-relevant service intervals in running hours or cycles, those figures form part of the instructions supporting the machine's conformity. Extending an interval past the manufacturer's figure without engineering justification can undermine that basis, even when the asset's own usage data seems to support it.
How to complete it
How to complete a meter based pm record, step by step
The template only checks that fields were filled in. Whether the numbers in them are trustworthy is a judgement made at the point of use.
Reading Verified is a single Yes/No with no method attached. A technician reading the display and a technician cross-checking against a second sensor or a logged trend both produce the same Yes — the record can't tell them apart, so the judgement of what 'verified' means has to be set outside the form and applied consistently.
Interval Still Appropriate offers Could extend as a valid answer alongside Yes, both scoring the same. Treating every Could extend as an instruction to lengthen the interval, without weighing the risk of running longer between checks, turns a passive observation into a schedule change nobody explicitly approved.
Overrun Beyond Trigger captures how far past the trigger the reading had already gone before the visit happened. A small overrun on a low-criticality asset is unremarkable; the same overrun on an asset where Interval Still Appropriate says Should shorten is a signal the schedule is already behind reality.
Meter Reset Or Recorded confirms the counter was zeroed or the current value logged so the next trigger fires at the right point. Answering No and moving on treats the reset as optional, when it's the one action that keeps the entire meter-based schedule anchored to something real.
What auditors find
Most common meter based pm record findings
The same handful of gaps show up across meter-based records, and each one traces back to a field that already exists but isn't being pushed hard enough.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Verified answered Yes with no second source or method referenced anywhere on the record. | ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Add a short verification-method note whenever Reading Verified is Yes, rather than accepting the checkbox alone. |
| Overrun Beyond Trigger populated with no defined threshold for when an overrun should be escalated. | ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Set a tolerance band per asset criticality and route anything beyond it to the PM plan owner automatically. |
| Recommended Interval Change says Shorten or Extend, but Next Trigger Value on the same record still reflects the old interval. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Calculate Next Trigger Value directly from Recommended Interval Change instead of leaving it as a separate manual entry. |
| Priority left blank when Action Required is Yes, since the field isn't marked required. | ISO 55001 cl.10.1 | Make Priority required whenever Action Required is Yes, matching how CAPA ID and Action Owner already behave. |
| A task-level Finding of Significant wear or Defect found doesn't move Result Band away from Pass on its own. | ISO 55001 cl.10.1 | Force Result Band to at least Caution whenever any task Finding scores 0. |
| Meter Reset Or Recorded answered No with no note on when or how the counter will actually be corrected. | ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Require a follow-up date or reference whenever the reset didn't happen at the visit. |
Case in point
Case in point: the interval that never moved
A filling line's drive unit ran on an 800-hour meter trigger. Three visits recorded Light wear, interval about right — until the fourth read Significant wear, interval too long, with Interval Still Appropriate marked Should shorten and Recommended Interval Change set to Shorten. Next Trigger Value on that same record was still 800 hours ahead, unchanged.
Two triggers later the unit failed at roughly 650 hours into what should have been a shortened interval. The record calling for the change existed, correctly filled in — it just never reached the field that would have made the change real. Recommending a shorter interval and setting one are two different actions, and only one happened.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- MNT-027
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- MPM-2026-000
- Scoring
- Complete or not
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 55001 cl.8.2
- Links
- Links Asset, Meter Reading
- Tags
- Maintenance, Preventive
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 39
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 5
Header
18 fieldsPM ID*
Auto sequence. Format MPM-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Raised By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Asset*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Use, Not Calendar
Assets whose use varies week to week are badly served by calendar based maintenance. Meter based triggers match effort to actual wear.
PM Plan ID
Links to MNT-021 Plan ID
Meter Type*
Running hours, cycles, distance, throughput or starts.
Trigger Value*
Reading At Trigger*
Overrun Beyond Trigger
Meter Reading Record ID
Links to MNT-028 Record ID
Reading Verified*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Tasks
Repeats3 fieldsTask*
Completed*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Finding
- Nothing found2 pts
- Minor wear2 pts
- Significant wear0 pts
- Defect found0 pts
Interval review
3 fieldsCondition Found At Trigger*
Nothing to do means the interval is too short. Significant wear means it is too long.
- Nothing to do, interval too short1 pt
- Light wear, interval about right3 pts
- Significant wear, interval too long0 pts
Interval Still Appropriate*
- Yes3 pts
- Should shorten1 pt
- Could extend3 pts
Recommended Interval Change
Result
15 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Meter Reset Or Recorded*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Next Trigger Value*
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Technician*
Signature*
Planner*
Second Signature*
MNT-027 · record IDs look like MPM-2026-000 · Links Asset, Meter Reading
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The record captures one trigger event. Keeping the interval honest across dozens of triggers, on dozens of assets, is where it actually gets hard.
Tracks each asset's meter against its trigger value, flags an unverified reading before the record closes, and pushes a Recommended Interval Change through to the PM plan instead of leaving it stranded on the record.
Watches for Significant wear or Defect found on safety-relevant tasks and escalates independently of Result Band, so a technical Pass doesn't quietly absorb a finding.
Uses overrun and interval-review trends across an asset class to question whether the manufacturer's specified service interval is still being met.
Chases the unreset meter, the interval recommendation that never reached Next Trigger Value, and the overrun nobody explained — and holds every write for approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Glossary
Meter Based PM Record definitions and key terms
- Meter trigger
- A usage value — running hours, cycles, distance, throughput or starts — that fires a maintenance visit when reached, in place of a fixed calendar date.
- Reading verified
- Confirmation that the meter value used to raise the record was checked, not just read off a single display and taken at face value.
- Interval review
- The judgement, made at the point of the visit, on whether the current usage interval between triggers is still appropriate given what was actually found.
- Overrun
- The gap between when the trigger value was actually reached and when the visit happened, measured in the same unit as the meter.
- Meter reset
- Zeroing or logging the counter after a completed visit so the next trigger calculates from the correct starting point.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about meter based pm record
What happens if the meter itself fails or reads incorrectly?+
There's no dedicated field for meter fault — it shows up as Reading Verified answered No, or an implausible Overrun value. Either should stop the record being treated as a normal trigger event until the meter is checked.
Does every task need to complete before the record closes?+
Completed allows Yes, Partly or No per task, so a record can close with some tasks Partly done. Whether that's acceptable depends on the task — Partly on a lubrication point differs from Partly on a safety-relevant check.
Who decides whether to shorten or extend the interval?+
The technician records what they found and recommends a direction, but changing the PM plan interval is a planning decision, not something this record does unilaterally — it's evidence for that decision, not the decision itself.
Why does Priority only appear when Action Required is Yes?+
It's a conditional field — there's nothing to prioritise if no action was raised. The same logic hides CAPA ID and Action Owner until there's an action that actually needs one.
Is a Pass on Result Band enough to skip the interval review?+
No — Result Band reflects the visit's task outcomes, while Interval review is a separate judgement about the schedule itself. An asset can pass every task and still need a shorter interval if wear is trending up.
What links this record back to the reading that triggered it?+
Meter Reading Record ID links to MNT-028's Record ID. Leaving it blank breaks the traceability between the reading that fired the visit and the visit itself.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Planned Maintenance
Asset Register
Holds every piece of equipment, machine, vehicle and tool you track
Tool and Equipment Register
Holds portable tools, gauges, lifting accessories and small equipment that sit below asset level but still need control
Maintenance Request
Asks maintenance to look at a problem or carry out a job
Work Order
The main record for a planned maintenance job, covering what, where, who and when
Corrective Work Order
Covers a repair to fix something that has already failed or degraded
Emergency Work Order
Covers urgent work where equipment has stopped or become unsafe
More in PM Schedules
Preventive Maintenance Plan
Sets out what preventive work each asset needs, how often and why
Daily PM Checklist
Covers daily checks such as lubrication points, fluid levels and visual condition
Weekly PM Checklist
Covers weekly preventive tasks including cleaning, belt and chain checks and minor adjustments
Monthly PM Checklist
Covers monthly preventive tasks including deeper inspection, filter changes and fastener checks
Quarterly PM Checklist
Covers quarterly preventive tasks that usually need the asset stopped
Annual PM Checklist
Covers the yearly overhaul tasks, including full strip down where required
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 55001 — Asset management systems, cl.8.2 Management of change
- ISO 55001 — Asset management systems, cl.9.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), reg.5
- Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.