What is a maintenance backlog?

The queue of identified work not yet done — and the risk it's quietly accumulating.

The maintenance backlog is all identified work that hasn't been completed — approved work orders waiting for parts, labour, access or a window. It's measured in weeks of work against available crew hours.

A growing backlog means defects are accumulating faster than they're fixed — every deferred job is a small risk that compounds into downtime. A shrinking backlog means you're getting ahead of failure.

• Why it matters