Free checklist · Shop & tools
Portable generator inspection checklist (free, printable)
Before each use, check a portable or towable generator for fuel, oil and coolant levels and leaks, and a sound exhaust. Set it outdoors with the exhaust pointing away from doors, windows, vents and people. Then check the grounding the manual calls for, GFCI outlets, breakers, cords and plugs, the battery and the hour meter, and keep a fire extinguisher within reach.
- How often
- Before each use
- The rule
- The manufacturer's manual
- Items
- 22 checks
- Takes
- About 6 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Portable generator inspection checklist
Before each use
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placement and exhaust | |||
| LocationOutdoors, level and dry; never in a building, garage or closed trailer. | |||
| Exhaust directionPoints away from doors, windows, vents, air intakes and people. | |||
| Exhaust and mufflerTight, no holes or cracks; spark arrester fitted where required. | |||
| ClearanceClear of walls, fuel cans, dry grass and rubbish, as the manual says. | |||
| Fire extinguisherCharged extinguisher within reach of the generator. | |||
| Fluids and engine | |||
| Engine oilBetween the dipstick marks; not milky or sludgy. | |||
| Fuel level and capEnough for the job; cap seals; tank not overfilled. | |||
| Fuel and oil leaksNo drips, wet spots or fuel smell under or around the unit. | |||
| CoolantAt the mark in the overflow tank; hoses not cracked. | |||
| Air filterClean and seated; housing closed. | |||
| BatteryTerminals tight and clean; case not cracked; starts strongly. | |||
| Hour meterWrite the reading; check whether service is due. | ________ hours | ||
| Electrical | |||
| GroundingGrounded or bonded as the manual says; ground lead intact. | |||
| Outlets and coversNot cracked or burned; no missing pins; weather covers close. | |||
| GFCI outletsTest button trips and reset restores power. | |||
| Circuit breakersReset and trip normally; none taped, jammed or bypassed. | |||
| Cords and plugsOutdoor-rated, sized for the load, no damage, ground pin on. | |||
| Building connectionOnly through a transfer switch; never backfed through an outlet. | |||
| Towable units | |||
| Hitch and safety chainsCoupler latched and pinned; chains crossed; lights work. | |||
| Tires and wheel nutsInflated; no cuts or bulges; nuts tight. | |||
| Jacks and outriggersDown and pinned on firm ground before running. | |||
| Doors and emergency stopPanels latched while running; e-stop shuts the engine down. | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on a generator, item by item
Placement and exhaust
- Location — Outdoors, level and dry; never in a building, garage or closed trailer.
- Exhaust direction — Points away from doors, windows, vents, air intakes and people.
- Exhaust and muffler — Tight, no holes or cracks; spark arrester fitted where required.
- Clearance — Clear of walls, fuel cans, dry grass and rubbish, as the manual says.
- Fire extinguisher — Charged extinguisher within reach of the generator.
Fluids and engine
- Engine oil — Between the dipstick marks; not milky or sludgy.
- Fuel level and cap — Enough for the job; cap seals; tank not overfilled.
- Fuel and oil leaks — No drips, wet spots or fuel smell under or around the unit.
- Coolant — At the mark in the overflow tank; hoses not cracked.
- Air filter — Clean and seated; housing closed.
- Battery — Terminals tight and clean; case not cracked; starts strongly.
- Hour meter — Write the reading; check whether service is due. (reading, in hours)
Electrical
- Grounding — Grounded or bonded as the manual says; ground lead intact.
- Outlets and covers — Not cracked or burned; no missing pins; weather covers close.
- GFCI outlets — Test button trips and reset restores power.
- Circuit breakers — Reset and trip normally; none taped, jammed or bypassed.
- Cords and plugs — Outdoor-rated, sized for the load, no damage, ground pin on.
- Building connection — Only through a transfer switch; never backfed through an outlet.
Towable units
- Hitch and safety chains — Coupler latched and pinned; chains crossed; lights work.
- Tires and wheel nuts — Inflated; no cuts or bulges; nuts tight.
- Jacks and outriggers — Down and pinned on firm ground before running.
- Doors and emergency stop — Panels latched while running; e-stop shuts the engine down.
How often a generator has to be inspected
Check a generator before each use, and again at every refuel on a long job. No OSHA rule sets an inspection interval for generators, so the daily checks (usually oil, fuel, coolant, air filter and leaks) and the service intervals come from the manufacturer's manual. What OSHA does regulate is the electrical side:
- The cords you plug in are cord-and-plug connected equipment, which must be "visually inspected before use on any shift" (29 CFR 1910.334(a)(2)(i)).
- On construction sites, a portable generator's frame "need not be grounded and may serve as the grounding electrode" only when it supplies equipment through receptacles mounted on the generator and those receptacles' grounding terminals are bonded to the frame (29 CFR 1926.404(f)(3)(i)).
- Also on construction sites, 120-volt, 15- and 20-amp receptacles need GFCIs or an assured equipment grounding conductor program. Small two-wire generators of 5 kW or less, with circuit conductors insulated from the frame, are exempt from the GFCI requirement (1926.404(b)(1)(ii)).
Towable units on rental, event and utility jobs usually have an hour meter. A reading on every check tells you when the next service is due, which is the job of preventive maintenance, not the pre-use check.
How to do the check
- Choose the spot first. Outdoors, level and dry, with the exhaust pointing away from openings and people.
- Check fluids with the engine off and cool. Oil, fuel, and coolant on liquid-cooled units. Never open a hot radiator cap.
- Walk around it. Look for leaks, a loose or holed exhaust, damaged panels and anything stored against it.
- Check the electrical panel. Outlets, covers, breakers and the grounding connection the manual calls for.
- Start it with nothing plugged in. Let it settle, then press each GFCI's test button and reset it.
- Connect loads one at a time, starting with the largest, and check nothing is overloaded.
- Write down the hour meter and anything you found.
The defects that take it out of service
| Defect | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Fuel leak or strong fuel smell | Fuel next to a hot engine and exhaust can ignite |
| Holed, cracked or loose exhaust | Carbon monoxide and sparks escape where they shouldn't |
| Cracked or burned outlet | Overheating and a shock risk |
| GFCI won't trip | No protection against ground faults |
| Breaker taped, jammed or bypassed | No protection against overload |
| Damaged cord or missing ground pin | OSHA requires damaged cords removed from service |
| Towable hitch, chains, lights or tires damaged | It can't be moved safely |
What to do when something fails
Shut it down, tag it, and arrange another power source. Close the fuel valve and hang a DO NOT OPERATE tag on the control panel. Never chase a fuel leak on a hot engine; let it cool first. A towable unit with a hitch, light or tire problem doesn't get towed until it's fixed. Damaged cords are removed from service until repaired and tested (1910.334(a)(2)(ii)). For the full process, see what to do when equipment fails inspection.
Keeping the record
No rule requires a written log for portable generators, but a dated check with the hour meter reading gives you a service history and proves the unit's condition when it changes hands. That matters for equipment rental and event production fleets, where the same generator goes out to a new site every week. See equipment inspection record keeping.
Doing the check on a phone
A QR sticker on the control panel lets whoever sets the generator up do this check on their own phone. The hour meter goes in as a number, a burned outlet goes in as a photo, and CheckBadges emails the problem to you straight away. See QR code equipment checklists.
Skip the clipboard
Put this generator inspection checklist on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Generator 1
Generator inspection checklist
Frequently asked questions
Does a portable generator need to be grounded?
It depends on how it's used. On construction sites, OSHA lets the generator's frame serve as the grounding electrode, with no ground rod, when it only supplies equipment plugged into its own receptacles and those are bonded to the frame (29 CFR 1926.404(f)(3)(i)). Connected to a building or a distribution system, follow the manual and your electrical code.
How far should a generator be from a building?
Far enough that exhaust can't drift in through doors, windows or vents; your generator's manual gives the distance. Never run one inside a building, garage, crawl space or enclosed trailer, even with the doors open.
Do generator outlets need GFCI protection?
On construction sites, yes for 120-volt, 15- and 20-amp receptacles, unless the employer runs an assured equipment grounding conductor program. Two-wire generators of 5 kW or less whose circuit conductors are insulated from the frame are exempt (29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)(ii)).
Can you refuel a generator while it's running?
No. Shut it down and let it cool first, because fuel spilled on a hot engine or exhaust can ignite. The manual gives the cool-down time and where to refuel.
How often should a portable generator be serviced?
By running hours, at the intervals in the manufacturer's manual, which is why an hour meter reading belongs on every check. The daily check catches leaks, low oil and damage between services.
Keep reading
- Air compressor inspection checklistFree air compressor inspection checklist: drain the tank, then check the safety valve, gauge, hoses, fittings, belt guard, oil and auto shutoff before use.
- Power tool inspection checklistFree power tool inspection checklist for corded, cordless and air tools: cords, plugs, guards, switches, blades, batteries and hoses. Print it or use it by QR.
- Event productionEvent production equipment checklists on QR tags for rented scissor lifts, telehandlers, forklifts and generators. Freelance crew scan with their phone; no app.
- Equipment rentalRental equipment inspections on a QR sticker: a dated, photographed condition check each time a machine goes out and comes back. No app or login needed.
- Pre-use inspection vs preventive maintenanceA pre-use inspection is the operator's daily check for defects; preventive maintenance is scheduled servicing by a mechanic. How they differ and work together.
Do your generator checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.