The object of this paper is to outline the fundamental requirements and principles for establishing basic standards of acceptable levels of vibration. These standards apply to ultra sensitive scientific environments, such as on large telescopes and different areas in and around an observatory complex.

Condition monitoring programs form the basis of predictive maintenance technology which is used by many major companies worldwide to reduce costs, enhance reliability and improve safety. This paper discusses how these techniques could be beneficially applied to scientific environments and plants, such as observatories.