Equipment inspection checklist (free daily pre-use template)

Which checklist to use for which machine

Use this general checklist for machines that don't have their own, and a machine-specific checklist wherever one exists, because the rules and the failure points differ.

How often equipment should be inspected

Inspect equipment before it's used, at least once a day on the days it runs, and at the start of each shift where several people share it. That's the pattern most machine-specific rules and manufacturers follow, though no single US rule covers "equipment" in general. On construction sites, OSHA requires "frequent and regular inspections of the job sites, materials, and equipment to be made by competent persons designated by the employers" (29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)).

In the UK, PUWER requires inspection where deterioration could lead to danger, and HSE says "in many cases, a quick visual check before use will be sufficient" (HSE). In Australia, plant must be inspected by a competent person following the manufacturer's recommendations.

The daily check doesn't replace periodic inspections, such as a crane's annual inspection or a LOLER thorough examination, which go deeper and are done by a qualified or competent person. See pre-use vs pre-shift vs daily inspections and OSHA equipment inspection requirements.

How to do the check

Work down the sheet in order: paperwork, a walk-around with the machine off, fluids, then tests with it running.

1. 1Read the last check. If a fault is still open, stop there.
2. 2Make it safe. Level ground, anything raised lowered, brake on, key out or supply isolated.
3. 3Walk around it. Guards, frame, tires or tracks, hoses and cables, attachments, and the ground underneath for fresh leaks.
4. 4Check fluids and power. Levels at the marks; enough fuel or charge; leads and plugs undamaged.
5. 5Start it and test everything. Warning lights, controls, brakes and steering, emergency stop, interlocks, horn, lights and alarms.
6. 6Record the result. OK, Problem or N/A on every line, a note on every problem, your name and the date.

The defects that take a machine out of use

A fault in anything that stops, steers, guards or warns takes the machine out of use until it's repaired.

What to do when something fails

Stop, make the machine safe, tag it and report it. Hang an out-of-service tag on the controls saying what's wrong, take the key, and tell your supervisor before anyone else picks it up. On US construction sites, equipment that isn't safe must be identified as unsafe by tagging or locking its controls, or removed (1926.20(b)(3)). The full process is in what to do when equipment fails inspection.

Making your own version

Start from this list and change it to fit your machines. Copy it into the checklist maker, then:

• Keep the walk-around order, so the operator never doubles back.
• Say what a pass looks like on each line, not just the part's name.
• Record readings as numbers, like the hour meter.
• Mark parts not every machine has as N/A instead of writing a list per model.

More in how to write a pre-use inspection checklist.

Keeping the record

Most daily checks don't have to be written down by law, but a dated record with a name on it is the only way to show they happened. The exceptions are specific: in the US, crane monthly and annual inspections and DOT driver vehicle inspection reports; in the UK, HSE's lift truck guidance asks for the start-of-shift check to be documented, and DVSA expects goods vehicle operators to keep defect reports. See equipment inspection record keeping.

Doing it on a phone

This checklist can live on a QR sticker on each machine instead of a clipboard. With CheckBadges, operators scan the sticker with their own phone and do that machine's check in the browser, with no app or login. A problem emails you with photos and warns the next operator who scans it, and every check is filed under its machine. It's free for 3 machines.