On average, a factory runs safely and without any major breakdowns for four years. However, it is inevitable that some of the important parts will wear and get contaminated during this time. Minor maintenance is undertaken continuously, but for a major overhaul and the legally required inspections - also termed a plant stop, shutdown or turnaround - the inside of a factory must be checked, cleaned and – if necessary- repaired. During a plant shutdown, production is (partially) stopped and a team of hundreds of people carry out an enormous amount of work in just a few weeks.
